Title Insurance protects your investment.

• Owner’s Title Insurance isn’t just another fee added onto the pile of fees and taxes on your Closing Disclosure.
• Owner’s title insurance steps in if anyone makes a claim on the property you own.
• Lender’s title insurance is a requirement to get a home loan, but owner’s title insurance is optional.
• Owner’s title insurance protects you from claims by previous owners, relatives of previous owners, liens, forgeries – or anyone else claiming an interest in the property.

What could happen?

Title claims are rare, but when they happen, they can be devastating to the current homeowner.

Here are a few examples:

• An estranged spouse of the past owner of your house could contact you and present a legitimate claim they have an ownership stake in the property
• A deed or release document recorded in the title records could be a forgery and fraudulent document

When you're facing the expenses and commitments that come with getting a mortgage and buying real estate, it's all too tempting to say no to any "optional" expenses, like owner's title insurance.

Before you make the choice to forego owner's title insurance, be sure you understand the risks.