We’ve bought 3 homes now (and sold two of the three) and have been through the process from start to finish - listing the home, negotiating an offer, and showing up at closing to sign your name eleven hundred times to various papers. We’ve never had an issue, and I think that was in part due to the excellent agents we had representing us, and the title insurance company doing a thorough job. I’ve heard the horror stories though, of people showing up at the closing table only to find out that there’s a lien on the dream home they’re buying, or that the ex-wife of the seller still has a claim to the house, and SHE doesn’t want to sell. A good title company can make sure all of this is taken care of for you by researching the title and make sure it’s clear before you get to the closing table. Not all title companies are created equal, and we’ve been lucky that all our sales have gone so smoothly.

The most important thing about your title insurance company is that they’ll protect you even if closing DOES go smoothly, and something comes up after you purchase the house. Would you want court fees and costs to come out of your pocket, especially after you just bought a house? Of course not. Your title company should pay that for you and defend your interests in court, should it come to that.