Finding the right home takes time, and most homeowners look at eight or more properties before they make an official offer! You’re one step closer to the finish line once your offer is accepted, but it takes an entire team of professionals to help you consummate the sale. Our team at First National Title (FNT) includes over 250 of the most customer-focused agents in the industry, and we’re ready to get to work for you to ensure that your closing is smooth and hassle-free!
We’re proud to be Arkansas’s largest independent title company, and we operate independently of ownership from any bank or financial institution. Every decision we make is in our clients’ best interest. Our entire team of title and closing professionals is standing by to assist you with your upcoming real estate transaction, and you’ll always be able to work with an agent in or near your community. We’ll make sure that you’re fully prepared for closing and understand all the documents that you’ll be signing in advance.
Once your new home or commercial property is under contract, the next step is confirming that the seller is the outright owner and that there are no defects on the property title. Title defects are commonly known as “title clouds” because they can cast a shadow over the property closing and must be resolved before the property can change ownership.
The most common type of title clouds our researchers encounter are liens from creditors, and it’s the seller’s responsibility to settle those outstanding debts before the sale can proceed. If a previous owner died without leaving a will, there might be previously unknown heirs with a legitimate claim to the property. Occasionally, there might even be more serious problems, such as fraud or forgery.
After the title search is complete and our abstractors are fully satisfied that the title is unencumbered, we’ll issue you an owner’s title insurance policy from a trusted underwriter that will be effective for as long as you own your home. In the unlikely event of a future title dispute, your policy protects you from most out-of-pocket legal expenses.
If you have any questions about title insurance, contact us online or at any of our 25 locations listed below.