Title Business

Title Tip: With Check Fraud on The Rise, So Are Limits on Cashier’s Checks

By Lydia Blair / July 13, 2021 /

An increasing number of problems with cashier’s checks have some title companies revising their requirements for cashier’s checks and the delivery of funds needed to close a sale. Many title companies may now require buyers to wire money to them if the amount is substantial. Some have set the limit for cashier’s check at $5,000,…

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Title Tip: Are You Ready to Play 20 Questions on Real Estate?

By Lydia Blair / June 29, 2021 /

Let’s play an old-fashion game of 20 questions – the real estate version. In this guessing game, all the answers are supposed to be a simple yes or no. The challenge for most attorneys and escrow officers to answer just yes or no is because we are accustomed to elaborating on answers to allow for…

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Title Tip: Four Reasons Why Cash Buyers May Be Better

By Lydia Blair / June 15, 2021 /

Why would a home seller prefer a cash buyer? After all, the seller gets their funds from the title company the same way regardless of how the buyer pays. Sellers often do not care where the purchase money is coming from, as long as the buyer can get their loan approved in a reasonable amount…

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Title Tip: What Real Estate is Actually Unsellable?

By Lydia Blair / June 1, 2021 /

This tip is not about ugly houses that some folks consider unsellable. Those homes might be undesirable, but not technically unsellable. Let’s talk about issues that could make a property legitimately unsellable – meaning you cannot legally transfer the title or get title insurance. These problems have nothing to do with aesthetics. If someone, who…

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Title Tip: The New HOA Addendum And a Seller Surprise

By Lydia Blair / May 18, 2021 /

If you are selling a property that is part of a Homeowner’s Association, get ready for a potential surprise. I’m finding some upset sellers dealing with the recent change to paragraph C in the HOA addendum. Last month (April 2021), the Texas Real Estate Commission made a slight change to the form titled Addendum For…

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