The Title Insurance industry in recent years has come back to the future.
If a Death Certificate was required for a closing, for many years you had to have an original or certified copy. In the last decade, some underwriters would allow a copy instead; that is no longer true.
In order to combat fraud and potential errors, underwriters have shifted back to the previous requirement for original Death Certificates. If during the course of progress to the closing table a Death Certificate will have to be provided, we will need to have an original.
For Listing Agents, make this part of your checklist. Some customers may not keep good records or have the records they need stored in an inconvenient location. By asking early for those documents that will be required for closing, you can prevent delays – or worse – have a deal blow up on you because you fell out of contract and the buyer walked as you were trying to get all required documents.
If you have any questions about Death Certificates, or would like for us to confirm that what you have is considered an original for underwriting purposes, send it along to your Processor and we will let you know.
Death Certificates may seem like an unusual topic right before the Christmas Holidays, but as all real estate professionals know when it comes to making a successful closing, every day of the year counts!
You can a get this update as a PDF here.
On behalf of everyone at Watson Title Services of N FL, we wish you and yours a great holiday season and an exceptionally successful New Year.
My Agent Greg 