Title insurance seems to be a mystery to many home buyers and sellers, so I want to give an overview on it in this post.  We’ll discuss what it is, why it’s needed and when, and also who pays for it. (For the difference between title insurance, home warranties, and homeowner’s insurance, please see another post on this blog: Homeowner’s Insurance, Title Insurance and Home Warranties.)

What is title insurance?

The purpose of title insurance is to protect against loss of ownership of the land, condo, house, estate, or other real estate due to a problem or defect with title. The loss could be complete (losing the property entirely) or partial (losing a portion of ownership or use).

Sometimes the loss could be as a result of a “defective recording” of a document, an improper signing of a document, or much worse, forgery or signing under duress (being forced to sign under undue pressure, such as by blackmail).

Loss of title can also result from hidden heirs who may claim a partial interest in the property. Another type of loss would be if someone claimed an unrecorded easement, which might cause a “partial loss”. When the title is somewhat in question, or considered “not clear”, it is often said that there is “a cloud on title”. What you want, though, is “clear title“. You want to know that no one else will have any kind of right or claim to the property: not a lienholder, not the IRS, not a contractor, not the county tax collector or anyone else.
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