Closing on a new home or investment property? Protect yourself with title insurance!

Most homes and land have been bought and sold many times before you decided to make the offer, and have a lot of history. In some cases, there might be some actual written history, but most of the time, the title history and property records are all that’s left to tell its story. As the buyer, you definitely have a vested interest in knowing that story.

Our team of experienced title examiners at First National Title is always a phone call away when you have any questions about title searches or home title insurance. We’re Arkansas’ largest independent title company, with 22 convenient locations throughout Arkansas. Unlike many of our competitors, FNTC is not owned by either a real estate company or a financial institution, and you can always be confident that we will work for you and your interests. Whether you’re buying or selling a property, you’ll always get to work with an agent in or near your community, and our commitment to legendary customer service is second to none!

Title insurance falls into two main categories. A loan policy is a title insurance policy that protects the lender and confirms the lender’s collateral position on the property. Lenders buy loan policies to limit their exposure to risk, and they remain active until the mortgage is completely paid off. As a buyer, you’ll be protected by an owner’s policy. This policy offers protection from most out-of-pocket legal expenses in the event of a property dispute due to title defects (aka title clouds), and is issued after the title research is complete.

In the event that there are any clouds on the title, they must be resolved before the property can change hands. In some cases, it’s a simple clerical error or some misfiled paperwork, which is easy and inexpensive to resolve. However, other clouds may involve liens against the title in the event of unpaid taxes, HOA dues, child support, or legal judgments. And occasionally, there are even more significant issues such as fraud or unknown heirs to the property, but your policy will protect you as long as you own the home.

If you have any questions, Contact us online, or at any of our 22 Arkansas locations listed below!