The Top Three Title Issues REALTORS® Need to Know

January 2017

by Timothy W. Grooms and R. Seth Hampton |

“Nothing is worse in the eyes of a real estate professional than discovering an issue with the title to real estate on the heels of a scheduled closing.  Title issues come in a multitude of varieties, forms and fashions, and depending on the severity of the issue, can stop a real estate deal dead in its tracks, as well as render the title essentially worthless.  The good news is that a solution for nearly every issue exists.  The remedies available depend greatly on the issues and factual circumstances.  In any event, identifying the problem as soon as possible is essential to resolving the issue in the most efficient and inexpensive manner.  Before committing to purchase an interest in real estate, due diligence in the form of reviewing a title commitment and current survey is imperative to discovering and resolving potential issues with real estate titles.  A thorough review of a title commitment and current survey will reveal most title issues, including three of the most common title issues encountered by real estate professionals: (i) blanket easements, (ii) boundary issues and (iii) errors and omissions in the chain of title.  Below is a brief overview of these top three title issues, along with some suggested solutions and practice pointers for the real estate professionals who encounter them.”

Note:  The above is an excerpt from an article that appeared in the Winter 2017 issue of Terra Firma, the official publication of the REALTORS® Land Institute.  Click the link below to read the entire article.

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For more information on this article or any real estate topic please contact Timothy W. Grooms at 501.379.1713 or tgrooms@QGTlaw.com or R. Seth Hampton at 501.379.1774 or shampton@QGTlaw.com.