Tag Archives: Title Insurance

Do you have a closing next week? Thinking about Erika?

cryout6It has been awhile since we have been hit by a hurricane, so let’s review one of the most important things a buyer needs to think about during hurricane season; insurance.

Tropical Storm Erika may turn into a hurricane over the weekend. As such, it may affect our closings depending on the path and progress of the hurricane.

Anyone who has a closing next week needs to remind their buyers to have bound coverage on the properties they are purchasing next week.

What is “bound coverage” (sometimes referred to as an insurance binder), and what does this have to do with hurricanes?

The approval process for insurance can take awhile to be completed, and when hurricanes approach an area, insurance companies may stop writing policies for a certain timeframe. To avoid being caught in that window, you can still get coverage while waiting final approval. “Bound coverage” allows you to be protected under the policy you’re applying for even before your application is approved.

This coverage is extended based on the assumption that the applicant will be approved for the insurance plan that he applied for.

Have your buyers check with their insurance provider, as they may be required to pay their entire first premium in order for the bound insurance to become active.

For a PDF of this title tip, click here.

What is Simultaneous Issue?

cost-of-title-insuranceRemember, “simultaneous issue” is an action, not a thing in to itself.

When you engage the services of a lender in the purchase of a home, they will require a Lender’s Policy, also described as a mortgage policy or loan policy by some. When this is done in conjunction with the issuance of an Owner’s Policy, the two policies are issued at the same time, i.e. simultaneously. This can be done because they are insuring the same property, just that each policy protects the interest of a different party. Both the homeowner and the lender have a financial stake that the property represents a certain value as determined by the sale price.

An Owner’s Policy is written to cover the purchase price of a property, and a Lender’s Policy is written to cover the amount of the loan – in most cases the Owner’s Policy is the larger of the two. When, as is the usual case, an Owner’s Policy is issued, the underwriter will execute a simultaneous issue of the required Lender’s Policy as well.

The promulgated rate is charged for the higher amount of the two. For example, if the purchase price is $100,000 and the loan amount is $95,000, the Owner’s Policy premium is calculated at $100,000. The other policy that is simultaneously issued is charged at a fixed rate, whatever the value of the loan is.

The names of the policies are critical in understanding what they do. The Owner’s Policy protects the owner of the property for his investment in cash and/or loan to purchase a property. The Lender’s Policy protects the lender’s interest in that property’s value used to justify the loan.

Some fundamentals concerning simultaneous issue and the two policies:
– In a cash purchase, there is only an Owner’s Policy. There is no lender interest in the value of the property to protect.
– A buyer is living dangerously if they don’t purchase an Owner’s Policy. With only a Lender’s Policy, if there are any claims on Title in the future, there is no protection to the homeowner for a loss of the value of the property – potentially wiping out any equity they may have in it. With only the Lender’s Policy, only the Lender will be protected. For a small investment, a simultaneous issue covers everyone.

You can get a PDF of this Title Tip here.

I Think I Have a Face for Radio

In case you missed it, last month via our friends Angela & Howard’s radio show, “Real Estate Radio,” – our Operations Manager Patricia Raulerson and I had the opportunity to talk for a full hour about what Title Insureance and the role of a Title Company is.

You can catch the full archived show here.