From: "JD" 
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Title Search & Title Insurance Questions
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2003 09:43:22 GMT

Caliban  wrote in message
news:E2EVa.124942$Io.10644243@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
> To anyone:
> Let me add that I am looking at three houses. The oldest is 15 years old.
> The youngest is 7 years old, and the original owner is selling it. (I have
> paperwork from the county tax office confirming this.) All are in a large
> neighborhood development less than 20 years old. I see on the Internet
that
> title companies advertise examining the title for the last, say, 40 or 60
> years. I am not convinced (yet) that whoever does the title search has
much
> to do at all for either of these three homes, especially for the
7-year-old,
> original owner house. Are there generally only fixed prices for title
> searches? Or would it be worthwhile to shop around for someone who takes
> into account the very little legal research needed (I think; could be
> missing something) necessary, especially if I make an offer on the
> 7-year-old, original owner house?

The age of the house has nothing to do with it... how old is the land?

The point is, the property has a chain of title. Construction merely adds to
the potential for clouds on title like liens.

Not buying title insurance is the most foolish thing you can do in a real
estate transaction.

Something else to consider is resale. Title companies don't like dealing
with  properties that have a lapse in insurance.