Although we do recommend that you use a qualified realtor, it is possible to sell your home by owner.   You can find a purchase agreement, lead based paint disclosure and a residential property disclosure on our website. You can print these documents and fill in the blanks. Our on-staff Attorneys are qualified to assist you with the purchase agreement should there be questions.

We absolutely recommend you have the property searched. Our expert title examiners will search the county records and will determine if there are unpaid liens, unsatisfied mortgages, rights-of-ways, easements, etc. You don’t want to purchase a home without having a search done and have someone knocking at your new home door with their hand out wanting paid for a lien they filed against the property.

In the State of Ohio, the tax bills are issued twice a year from the previous year.   When we close a transaction, we pay any current taxes due. However, the county treasurer’s office does not determine an amount of the current year taxes. Hence, at closing, we provide a buyer with a credit for the current year taxes based on last year. We deduct the amount from the Seller and credit it to the Buyer. So, when the tax bills come, you (as a Buyer) have already received the funds from the Seller to pay the taxes.

If you are paying cash, the transaction should be able to be closed within two weeks. If you are getting a loan, the process can take up to 60 days depending on how quickly your loan process moves. The bank will require an appraisal, job verifications, credit verifications, etc.   Once the bank has approved everything they will let us know that we have the “clear to close” and you will be one step closer to moving in!

New homeowners want to focus on buying new furniture for the living room or painting walls, not worrying about having to pay a bill left behind by a previous owner. If you are getting a loan, your lender will require a title insurance policy to protect their investment. You should have a policy to protect your investment as well. An owner’s policy protects you from:

• Unpaid mortgages
• Unpaid property taxes
• Child support liens
• Missing heirs who could claim the property belongs to him or her
• Missed easements or rights of way that could limit your use of the property

There are two types of title insurance policies. As mentioned, the owner’s policy protects the homebuyer. A loan policy protects the lender. Most lenders usually require a loan policy when they issue you a loan. The loan policy is based usually on the dollar amount of your loan. It only protects the lender’s interests in the property should a problem with the title arise. It does not protect the buyer. The policy amount decreases each year and eventually disappears as the loan is paid off. An owner’s policy, usually issued in the amount of the real estate purchase, provides protection for as long as you or your heirs have an interest in the property.