What is Title?
Simply stated, title to a piece of property is the right to, or ownership of that property. The legal document, which transfers the ownership and all the rights, is referred to as a deed.
Before a property is purchased, a title company will perform a title search to determine the history of ownership of a particular piece of property and identify any defects, liens, encroachments, easements, or other factors that might affect the title. Click a term below to see examples of each.
What is Title Insurance?
Title insurance protects homeowners or lenders against financial loss they might experience because of liens, encumbrances or defects in the title to the property. Each title insurance policy is subject to specific terms, conditions and exclusions.
Unlike car or health insurance, which protects against potential future events and is paid for monthly or annually, a title insurance policy insures against events that occurred in the past, and you only have to pay for it once.