Buying a new home is one of life’s most gratifying experiences. As you approach the big day of closing, however, all the details can be a little overwhelming. You might easily overlook the single most important step in the entire process — the purchase of Title Insurance on the wonderful new home of yours.

Most definitely! Title insurance is a means of protecting yourself from financial loss in the event that problems develop regarding the rights to ownership of your property. There may be hidden title defects that even the most careful title search will not reveal. In addition to protection from financial loss, title insurance pays the cost of defending against any covered claim.

A title is the evidence, of right, that a person has to the ownership and possession of land. It is possible that someone other than the owner has a legal right to the property. If that right can be established, this person can claim the property outright or make demands on the owner as to its use.

Any number of problems that remain undisclosed after even the most meticulous search of public records can make a title defective. These hidden “defects” are dangerous indeed because you may not learn of them for many months or years. Yet they could force you to spend substantial sums on a legal defense, and still result in the loss of your property.

Not necessarily. There are two types of Title Insurance. Your lender likely will require that you purchase a Lender’s Policy. This policy only insures that the financial institution has a valid, enforceable lien on the property. Most lenders require this type of insurance, and typically require the borrower to pay for it. An Owner’s Policy on the other hand is designed to protect you from title defects that existed prior to the issue date of your policy. Title troubles, such as improper estate proceedings or pending legal action, could put your equity at serious risk. If a valid claim is filed, in addition to financial loss up to the face amount of the policy, your owner’s title policy covers the full cost of any legal defense of your title.

The one-time premium is directly related to the value of your home. Typically, it is less expensive than your annual auto insurance. It is a one-time only expense, paid when you purchase your home. Yet it continues to provide complete coverage for as long as you or your heirs own the property.

Call Erieview Title as soon as you and the seller sign the earnest money contract. With a brief summary of the details, our team of title experts will begin a search of the public records and issue a title commitment. Because there are a number of steps we must take to make certain that we know all we can about the title, it is wise to get the ball rolling as soon as possible.

Some states closely regulate rates. Others permit open competition, often resulting in significant differences between title insurers on rates and coverage. Depending where you live, it pays to investigate your options carefully in order to obtain the most complete coverage.

Yes, in most areas of the country. Old Republic Title and its agents (Erieview Title Agency is an agent of Old Republic) act as a central clearinghouse for the parties involved — collecting necessary documents, insuring adherence to the lender’s title instructions, making arrangements for proper payment and distribution of funds. We are fully prepared to work with you from the beginning of your transaction all the way through to conclusion.

You will want to have these items complete or in hand when you come to the closing (please confirm with your escrow officer, as practices vary by state): Buyer Buyer’s copy of purchase agreement Cashier’s check(s) to make all payments Proof of purchase of insurance for fire, casualty, etc. Invoices for any unpaid taxes, utilities or assessmentsPhoto identification (passport, driver’s license, or state-issued identification card) Seller Seller’s copy of purchase agreement Invoices for any unpaid taxes, utilities, assessments, and latest utilities meter readings Receipts for last payment of interest on mortgages Bill of Sale of personal property covered by the purchase agreement Any unrecorded instruments that affect the title Proof of satisfaction of any mechanics’ liens, chattel mortgages, judgments, or mortgages that were paid prior to the closingPhoto identification (passport, driver’s license, or state-issued identification card)

Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) generally prohibits any financial institution, directly or through its affiliates, from sharing nonpublic personal information about you with a nonaffiliated third party unless the institution provides you with a notice of its privacy policies and practices, such as the type of information that it collects about you and the categories of persons or entities to whom it may be disclosed. In compliance with the GLBA, we are providing you with this document, which notifies you of the privacy policies and practices of Erieview Title Agency. We may collect nonpublic personal information about you from the following sources: Information we receive from you such as on applications or other forms. Information about your transactions we secure from our files, or from (our affiliates or) others. Information we receive from a consumer reporting agency. Information that we receive from others involved in your transaction, such as the real estate agent or lender. Unless it is specifically stated otherwise in an amended Privacy Policy Notice, no additional nonpublic personal information will be collected about you. We may disclose any of the above information that we collect about our customers or former customers to our affiliates or to nonaffiliated third parties as permitted by law. We may also disclose this information about our customers or former customers to the following types of nonaffiliated companies that perform services on our behalf or with whom we have joint marketing agreements: Financial service providers such as companies engaged in banking, consumer finance, securities and insurance. Non-financial companies such as envelope stuffers and other fulfillment service providers. WE DO NOT DISCLOSE ANY NONPUBLIC PERSONAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU WITH ANYONE FOR ANY PURPOSE THAT IS NOT SPECIFICALLY PERMITTED BY LAW. We restrict access to nonpublic personal information about you to those employees who need to know that information in order to provide products or services to you. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal regulations to guard your nonpublic personal information.