During a real estate transaction, your client may have some questions about the title process. To help you be prepared, here are the most common questions regarding a property title.

Why do you need to do a title search?

After a buyer makes an offer on a property, everyone hopes the closing will happen quickly and smoothly. However, in order to have a title legally transferred to the buyer’s name, the seller’s full rights to the property must be verified. A title search makes sure the deed can be appropriately transferred and that the buyer will be able to enjoy full ownership rights.

Is it easy to get a lien removed from a property title?

Discovering a lien on a property title is a complicated situation. It doesn’t necessarily mean your client should give up on the property, but it could make things tricky. When a seller has unpaid debts or taxes, the lender or government owed can place a lien on the property. A lien means that the person or business owed the money has established a legal claim of ownership on the property. In most cases, the lien will not be removed until the debt is paid. However, there are cases where liens are placed by mistake. In this case, the title company would need to do further research.

What happens in an ownership dispute?

If a property owner passes away or family members are estranged, ownership disputes could arise. An ownership dispute must be resolved legally before a property can be sold to someone else. If your client is interested in a property with an ownership dispute, it may be best to start looking at other properties. These types of situations can take a long time to be settled in court.

Do you have questions about a property title? Innovation Title has got you covered! Give us a call today to speak to our property title professionals.