Often in my estate planning practice, when someone is signing their documents, they will comment, “This is almost like buying a house!” My standard refrain is, “Well, it should be. This is dealing ...

While many scams are focused on collecting money or information through fake websites and suspicious emails, others involve a much larger target: property. Officials have recently been warning both ...

This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them. If you’re considering purchasing an investment property, ...

When you buy a piece of real estate, a title company makes sure the seller has a legal right to sell the property and that the buyer isn’t purchasing a home with outstanding taxes or mortgages on it.

A title company in real estate transactions verifies that the seller has the legal right to sell the property to a buyer. This company performs a title search, which confirms the title is free of ...

County officials are starting to implement property fraud alert programs that notify residents of any changes made to their property and deed documents. For many localities these programs are ...

A title search is a review of public records to confirm legal ownership of a property. It’s one of the most crucial steps when you’re closing on a house, and you can expect your mortgage lender to ...

When a property has a clear title, that means the title is free from liens or other claims that could call its ownership into question. If you're buying a home with a mortgage, your lender will ...

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See ...

Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia. Doretha Clemons, Ph.D., MBA, PMP, has been a corporate IT executive and professor for 34 ...

A clear title is a great sign in a real estate transaction. It means the property title has no liens placed on it. Liens or levies from creditors or other parties could threaten your ownership or use ...