Cash Offers: Title Implications and Questions
In a hot housing market, many buyers have turned to cash offers to get a leg up on the competition. Cash offers are often much more attractive to a seller, and it is not difficult to understand why. Cash can provide a pathway to a faster closing process. It frequently gives sellers more confidence. These offers even waive the requirement of having to conduct an appraisal.
Cash offers can also generate a bit of a confusion. For instance, how does eschewing a lender affect other parts of the closing process like a title search and insurance? Does it eliminate the need for insurance? If not, how and when should a cash buyer pursue title work? In this blog post, we will examine these questions.
Is Title Insurance Necessary for Cash Buyers?
Title insurance is critical for a buyer to have regardless of whether there is a mortgage. Without a title search and resultant policy, no one is looking into who owns the property and what its issue may be. When a buyer obtains a mortgage, a title search is routine. But the contract and the obligation exist only between a lender and the title company – the buyer has no direct protection. If a defect exists, the title company is not duty-bound to fix it; instead, the buyer/owner could be liable for a lien or another defect.
For example, consider a scenario where a home seller has a first mortgage for $100,000. A new buyer has obtained a loan for $125,000, and the property is worth $200,000 (in other words the buyer has invested $75,000 of their money). Meanwhile, there is a second valid but unknown mortgage of $50,000 against the property.
The lender uses this to assert their right to foreclosure and to take the property away. In such a scenario, the title company is required to defend the lender and protect their lien. The same can not be said for their relationship with the buyer. Instead, the buyer/owner must pay the unknown mortgage because they gave warranties of title to their lender.
Failing to do so could trigger a default. The lender, however, will not suffer losses. Under their title policy, there is enough equity to pay the newly discovered $50,000 mortgage and the lender’s debt. Without an insurance policy, the purchaser of the property could lose the title and, ultimately, their equity. They would be forced to pay the $50,000 to maintain ownership.
In each case, the seller is likely liable to the buyer for the $50,000, but when title insurance comes into play, the insurer will not only pay the loss but sue or pursue the seller for recoupment. But when there is no title insurance to speak off, all the costs fall on the buyer if they decide to sue the seller – who may not be able to pay even if the suit is successful. The same situation can develop in the case of a scam. If the seller is a bad actor and does not own the property, a buyer can wind up with nothing if no record search is conducted.
What should be clear from that example is that, for just a nominal cost, title insurance can offer an easy remedy if there is something wrong. More importantly, it allows the buyer to know of any issues before investing money in the property. Title insurance also does not impede the advantages inherent in making a cash offer. As noted, one clear advantage of a cash offer is that it can speed up the closing process. Conducting a thorough title search does not disrupt this accelerated timeline. Typically, title work can be completed in 2-4 days and, depending on what is found, a commitment can be issued shortly afterward.
How and When Should Cash Buyers Procure Title Insurance?
When considering title insurance, an interesting question emerges regarding who gets to select the title insurance provider: broker, buyer or seller? To some extent, who does the referral and who pays for it is a matter of local practice. Typically, the party that pays makes the choice, but not always.
If possible, purchasers should maintain control over the issuer of the insurance. The buyer should want to know everything they can about the title’s status. Additionally, if the insurance provider is selected by the seller, there is the possibility that they may try to show that the title has few to no problems.
When searching for an agency, a buyer or realtor should vet the agency issuing the title commitment and verify that they are in good standing by obtaining that verification from the insurer. There is a universal ID that the American Land Title Association (ALTA) maintains and will verify an agency’s legitimacy. The insurer can also be contacted directly to verify their legitimacy. Phone numbers for the insurer are typically on the commitments or an online verification may be available at the insurer’s website.
During a cash transaction, it is important to obtain a commitment to issue a policy from a reputable title agency or insurer as soon as possible. Receipt should provide an opportunity under the contract for purchase and sale to review and make objections – although there is usually a time limit. However, obtaining it right before closing does not allow time to object to an unacceptable defect.
To Buy or Not to Buy Title Insurance
It is not a requirement under the law that a cash buyer procures title insurance, so they can choose not to obtain it. However, there is no circumstance where skipping title insurance would be a good idea. Plus, with it being a relatively minor investment in the most expensive of jurisdictions, having the security that a thorough title review provides is more than worth the cost. You simply cannot put a price on peace of mind, and having a valid title policy is a great way to protect your all-cash investment.
