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Ticor Title is happy to offer the House Hunter Scorecard, a simple tool designed to improve the home-buying experience.

House Hunting & Weighing the Options

Deciding on which home to purchase is a major commitment that involves evaluating location, size, price, amenities, and so many other factors. With so many characteristics to assess and compare, it helps to have a tool that can itemize factors, clarify expectations, and build confidence that the home-buyer’s ultimate home choice is the best fit for their desired lifestyle.

Track & Compare Home Preferences

After weeks of looking, it may be easy for a buyer to forget what exactly they liked about homes they’ve viewed. Over time, the details may fade or become vague. However, the House Hunter Scorecard helps to keep a record by organizing and comparing what the buyer likes best about their top two or three home choices.

The House Hunter Scorecard not only includes most of the features needed in a home, it takes into account the importance of the surrounding community and helps the buyer to visualize the lifestyle they seek.

Prioritize & Set Clear Expectations

With the House Hunter Scorecard you can set up a priority list ahead of time and a rank & order features from the most vital to insignificant. This helps to bring focus to the decision making process. Since most home purchases involve compromises on preference, the scorecard helps to weigh the options and make home comparisons easier.

The priority list can also help a Real Estate Professional get a better picture of what the buyer is looking for in a house so they can more accurately suggest houses available that best meet the requirements.
When visiting different homes, buyers can leverage this check list to make notes, see the big picture, and build confidence that their ultimate choice is the best fit for their needs and vision.

Contact your Ticor Title Sales Executive today to reserve your House Hunter Scorecard!

At Ticor Title we believe that every successful closing begins with a great team. We understand what it takes to provide superior service to our clients and partners in the timeliest manner.  Our team of professionals go above and beyond to create a better closing experience by offering same-day signing/closing and instant delivery of Closing Protection Letters.

Same-Day Signing & Funding – Yes We Can!

Because of our commitment to higher standards of service and the high degree of skill and efficiency of our escrow staff, Ticor Title offers same-day signing and funding on purchase and refinance transactions. We have the ability to work closely with our lending partners in order to provide escrow signing services, document delivery to the lender, and recording/closing in the same day. The result is that the buyer has a better experience at the end of the transaction and can get into their house sooner!

Closing Protection Letters on Your Time – Yes We Can!

We offer the most efficient approach to providing our lending partners with Closing Protection Letters. With our electronic CPL request form, we have the ability to fulfill the request and update the escrow file in one minute. With 24/7 availability and instant response, we fulfill the lender requirement and eliminate a potential roadblock to closing so the transaction can progress.

The Right Choice

Ticor Title is the company that can and will do what it takes to provide the higher standards required for the best possible closing experience. With our rich Pacific Northwest history, unmatched financial strength, and client-focused leadership, it’s clear that Ticor Title is the right choice!

Buying a home is an exciting and emotional time for many people. To help you buy your home with more confidence, make sure you get owner’s title insurance. Here’s why it’s so important for you.

1. Protects Your Largest Investment
   A home is probably the single largest investment you’ll make in your life. You insure everything else that’s valuable to you—your life, car, personal property, health, pets, jewelry, etc.—so why not your largest investment? For a one-time fee, owner’s title insurance protects your property rights for as long as you or your heirs* own the home.
2. Reduces Your Risk
   If you’re buying a home, there are many hidden issues that may pop up after purchasing it. Getting an owner’s title insurance policy protects you from legal title discrepancies. Don’t think it will happen to you? Think again. Here are just some of the many situations that you’ll be protected from if you have owner’s title insurance.

   Unforeseeable title claims, such as:

   ● Forgery: making a false document. For example, the seller misrepresents the identity of the person selling the property.
   ● Fraud: deception to achieve unfair gain. For example, someone steals your identity and either sells your house without your knowledge or consent, or takes out a second mortgage on the property and walks away with the money.
   ● Clerical error: inconsistent paperwork and historical records. For example, an unforeseeable discrepancy in the property or fence line causes confusion in ownership rights.

   Unexpected title claims, such as:

   ● Outstanding mortgages and judgments, or liens against the property because the seller didn’t pay required taxes
   ● Pending legal action against the property that could affect your ownership
   ● An unknown heir of a previous owner who is claiming ownership of the property

3. You Can’t Beat the Value
   Owner’s title insurance is a one-time fee that’s very low relative to the value it provides. It typically costs around 0.5% of a home’s purchase price.
4. Covers Your Heirs*
   As long as you or your heirs* own your home, owner’s title insurance protects your property rights.
5. Nothing Compares
   Home insurance and warranties protect only the inside of the home. Getting owner’s title insurance ensures your family’s property rights stay protected.
6. 8 in 10 Homebuyers Agree
   Each year, more than 80% of America’s homebuyers choose to get owner’s title insurance.
7. Peace of Mind
   If you’re buying a home, owner’s title insurance lets you rest assured, with the knowledge that you won’t be stuck with certain existing debts or legal problems once you’ve closed on your new home.

More Homebuyer Tips & Information
The American Land Title Association helps educate homebuyers like you about title insurance so you can protect your property rights. Check out www.homeclosing101.org to learn more about title insurance and the home closing process.

*This article offers a brief description of insurance coverages, products and services and is meant for informational purposes only. Actual coverages may vary by state, company or locality. You may not be eligible for all of the insurance products, coverages or services described in this advertising. For exact terms, conditions, exclusions, and limitations, please contact a Ticor Title representative.

The CFPB has amended Regulations J and L to permit online filing under ILSA. According to the CFPB, “the Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act requires certain land developers to register their subdivisions and provide disclosures about the lots being offered, to protect consumers from deception or abuse.” This generally requires a developer of a subdivision containing one hundred or more lots, with certain exceptions, to register the subdivision with the CFPB. Electronic filing will modernize the process by making payment submission more efficient and reducing paperwork costs.

CFPB ILSA Website & Online Filing Resources

The agency has also launched a new website with online filing resources, including instructions, available at
www.consumerfinance.gov/ilsa.

Final Rule Effective Date

June 10, 2016

When people talk about a real estate purchase, they sometimes use the terms “signing” and “closing” interchangeably in reference to the event when the buyers sign documents with Escrow. However, there are several events that take place between the buyer’s signing appointment and the actual closing of the real estate transaction. Let’s take a moment and review that process.

Signing of Documents

Escrow receives instructions to prepare the settlement statement so the lender can provide the Closing Disclosure to the buyer/borrower for acceptance and signature. During the waiting period, the escrow company can prepare the necessary escrow and title transfer documents. After the required waiting period, the lender will then forward the documents for signature to the escrow company, so that the signing appointments can be scheduled.

Lender Reviews Documents & Funds the Loan

Once the loan documents have been signed, the escrow officer delivers them back to the lender either by email, fax or physical delivery for review. When the lender is satisfied that all required documents have been signed and all outstanding loan conditions have been met, the lender will notify escrow that they are ready to disburse the loan funds to escrow. Upon receipt of the wire from the lender, the escrow officer is authorized to send the transfer documents to the county for recording. The time frame for review is normally 24 to 48 hours.

Excise Tax

Real estate transactions in Washington State that involve conveyance or transfer where consideration is paid, require the payment of excise tax. All appropriate tax amounts must be paid before the county will allow the Deed conveying title to be recorded.

Recording is Authorized

Once recording is authorized by the lender, and all funds have been received, documents are either electronically recorded or hand-carried to the county recorder’s office by the title insurance company. The Warranty Deed is recorded first, showing the transfer of the property to the buyer, with the Deed of Trust recorded next. Recording the Deed of Trust just after the Deed insures the lender’s first lien position on the property.

Closed and Recorded

Recording numbers are the unique and specific numbers given by the county recorder’s office to a properly executed legal document thereby making it part of the public record. In other words, when we have recording numbers, the buyer is “on record” as holding title to the property and based on the possession date in the purchase agreement, the new owner may take possession and proceeds may be disbursed to the seller.