FAQ: If we can research and eliminate title risks up front, why pay for title insurance?

There are undetectable issues which can surface later and cause financial hardship or even loss of property.

Examples include:

A forged signature on a deed, which would mean no transfer of ownership
An unknown heir of a previous owner claiming ownership of the property
Instruments executed under an expired or fabricated power of attorney
Mistakes in public records
Undiscovered liens
Boundary or survey disputes
Unknown easements or encumbrances

Title companies cannot amend what they cannot find. Chains of title can go back hundreds of years, and there can be a break in the chain of title resulting from documents being lost of never filed. Purchasing title insurance protects you from the unexpected.

Read: If you have a title insurance claim, what gets covered?