If a buyer takes out a mortgage loan to buy a property, the lender will require a lender policy (also called a loan policy or mortgage policy) of title insurance. This protects the lender’s interest in the property until the loan is paid off or refinanced – then it goes away. It only protects the lender. The interest of the buyer is only protected by an owner’s policy.
An owner’s policy of title insurance insures the buyer’s ownership rights to the property. The policy is purchased at closing with a one-time cost, and coverage will last as long as the buyer owns their home.