Article from HouseLogic
By: G. M. Filisko
Published: February 10, 2010
By doing homework in advance, you’ll understand what you’re asked to sign when you close the sale of your home.
1. Set a closing date
Your real estate agent will work with the seller’s agent and title company to schedule your closing date. Be sure it meshes with the end of your lease or the sale of your existing home and a time when you’ll able to play hooky from work. If you’re tight on cash, schedule your closing for the end of the month because that’s when you’ll have to pay the least amount of interest at the closing table.
2. Gather your funds
You may be required to bring funds to the closing. If they’re not easily accessible, arrange early to transfer them to a liquid account to avoid last-minute problems. If the title company requires the funds in the form of a cashier’s check, also leave time to stop by the bank and pick one up.
3. Purchase title insurance
Title insurance protects the policyholder against trouble with a home’s title. Your lender will insist that you purchase a policy to protect it. You should also consider purchasing what’s called an owner’s title policy from the same insurer, which protects you from fraudulent claims against your ownership and errors in earlier sales. In some areas, sellers traditionally pay for the buyer’s title policy. Shop online at Closing.com, EasyTitleQuote.com, and FreeTitleQuote.com. If your home has been sold within the past few years, ask the prior owner’s insurance company for a reissue discount.