Lydia Blair
By Lydia Blair Special Contributor When putting a contract on a property, a buyer can usually expect to write two checks to accompany their contract — an option fee check and an earnest money check. There is no strict rule about how much each of these checks must be. The amount of this up-front money…
By Lydia Blair Special Contributor A CandysDirt.com reader writes “My title company is now requiring a MERP certificate from the state any time a deal involves a deceased seller, and it’s slowing closing down BIG TIME. Does anybody else have the same process with their title company, or am I on my own here? How…
By Lydia Blair Special Contributor Contracts are signed, inspections completed, movers are scheduled, and the big day is almost here. It’s full speed ahead to closing day. That’s the big day when paperwork is signed, money changes hands and the keys are handed over. But what happens when one of the individuals can’t make it…
By Lydia Blair Special Contributor Title companies are like the private detectives of real estate. That’s right. We’re like a combination of Sherlock Holmes and James Bond. Only without the guns and fast cars. Well, maybe we’re closer to a mixture of Nancy Drew and the tech nerd in the back of your office.…
By Lydia Blair Special Contributor One of the quirks of the title industry is the roller-coaster pace of business. A week day in mid-January can be as boring as watching paint dry. The last Friday of the month in the summer feels like bungee jumping into fire. While title companies are generally glad to close…
