Conducting the Title Search

Conducting the Title Search

Digging Deep – The Title Search

Once you’ve chosen your title insurance company, the first major task they undertake is the title search. This involves combing through decades—sometimes centuries—of public records to uncover anything that could affect your legal ownership.

What they’re looking for:

• Outstanding mortgages or liens

• Unpaid property taxes

• Easements or rights-of-way

• Ownership disputes

• Recording errors
  
  

Example in action:

In suburban New Jersey, a buyer was thrilled to have an offer accepted on their dream home—until the title search revealed an old lien from a contractor who had never been paid. Without addressing it, the buyer could have been responsible for thousands of dollars. The title company located the creditor, negotiated a payoff, and cleared the title before closing, ensuring the buyer’s new home was truly theirs.

The title search is essentially your property’s background check—and it’s one you can’t afford to skip.