Title Business

Title Tip: What Are Non-Allowable Fees on Government-Backed Loans?

By Lydia Blair / July 28, 2020 /

A reader writes: “I have an offer on my house and the buyer is getting a VA loan. Because of this type of loan, my agent says I will have to pay some of the buyer’s closing costs and I’ll make less on my sale. My agent doesn’t know how much those closing costs are…

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Title Tip: What Does Your Closing And The Coronavirus Have in Common?

By Lydia Blair / July 14, 2020 /

What do the novel coronavirus and real estate closings have in common? Hopefully not that much. But now that I think about it, there are some dynamics that both a pandemic and a real estate transaction share. Regardless of how much or you plan or what precautions you take, unpleasant things can happen. Just like…

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Title Tip: Title Theft Protection, Insurance, or Monitoring

By Lydia Blair / June 30, 2020 /

You may have seen the ads or heard the buzz about companies offering title monitoring services or “title theft protection.” Are they legitimate or just a scam? Is there any real value in these services? First, let me clarify that “title coverage” offered by some of these unregulated companies is not title insurance. They do…

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Title Tip: Who is Responsible For Fixing an HOA Violation, The Buyer or The Seller?

By Lydia Blair / June 16, 2020 /

A recent home buyer posed a question about an HOA violation concerning their new home. It seems the fence installed by the previous homeowner a couple of years ago doesn’t conform to the HOA rules. Now the HOA is requiring the new owner to bring the fence into compliance with the HOA regulations. Who is…

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Title Tip: The Dos And Don’ts of Using an Electronic Signature

By Lydia Blair / May 19, 2020 /

The real estate industry has been ramping up its use of technology to conduct business over many years. Now, more than ever, buyers and sellers frequently execute signatures to seal the deal on contracts for efficiency and convenience. Digitally signed real estate contracts became more popular about 15 years ago with the passage of electronic…

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