The title business is highly competitive, and the pressure to do more with less is always present. Increasing fees usually drives business away, so the solution that many companies choose is moving jobs to developing countries to take advantage of cheaper labor costs. Unfortunately, this creates some significant problems, above and beyond the obvious issue of taking away American jobs. For starters, it’s much harder to maintain training and accountability standards with overseas workers. And for something as important as a real estate transaction, consumers should never be forced to sit on hold and wait to speak to someone in an overseas call center. They need the ability to sit down face-to-face with agents in their own community any time that they have questions.
When you’re ready to buy a home, the last thing that you want to deal with is the delay, not to mention the expense, that a clouded title can create. While most problems with real estate titles, commonly referred to as “title clouds,” can be easily cleared up, many can turn your dream home into a nightmare of litigation. When you sign the paperwork to take ownership of a property, you want the peace of mind that comes from knowing that a thorough public records search has shown the title to be clear.
When you’re buying a home, it’s vital to be prepared for closing. Once the seller accepts your offer, you’re in store for a couple of very busy months. Between financing, property inspections, title research, and document gathering, it can be a little overwhelming. The good news is that you don’t have to go through the process on your own!