“Earnest money” functions as the up-front “deposit” made by a buyer in conjunction with the signing of a real estate purchase agreement. It serves as buyer’s good faith gesture to give the seller more confidence that the buyer is serious about purchasing the property in question. The amount of earnest money is negotiable between the […]
3 Types of Property Surveys
Land surveys are a vital part of real estate due diligence. Lenders and financial institutions do not always require that a survey be prepared in connection with a closing[i], so it is an important consideration for any buyer of real estate. Land surveys can identify common issues such as: Homes built over lot lines or […]
The Residential Real Estate Guide to Contracts and Contingencies
Few things can make a realtor more nervous than the words, “I want out of my contract.” When you’ve worked to find the right property for your client, gotten everyone on the same page, and drawn up what you believed was the optimal deal, you and your buyer both stand to lose time, revenue, earnest […]
Make the Right Choice! 6 Reasons Your Title Insurance Company Matters
Having spent my career in real estate law, I’ve seen many different title insurance companies operate in the St. Louis area—some successfully, some less so. To an outsider, title insurance may feel like a straightforward commodity industry, making the differences between companies seem unimportant. But there are several areas in which your title insurance company […]
Your 10-point Real Estate Closing Checklist
…for a Smoother and More Efficient Closing Day Closing day is one of the biggest—and most stressful—days in any client’s life. Though we all want the best real estate closing possible, realtors have a lot on their plates! Sometimes little details slip through the cracks, and they find themselves scrambling at the last minute. […]
Should it Stay or Should it Go? Real Property and Personal Property
Differentiating clearly between real property and personal property can be a challenge to navigate in your contract. Check out our handy-dandy little guide, and share it with your clients when writing your next contract.
And the client said “By the way, we never went through probate…”
When selling a property, the process of transferring title to the buyer is usually pretty straightforward. But what happens when it’s not? How is title transferred, for example, if the title-holder died more than one year ago? Understanding how to proactively and accurately navigate this situation can mean the difference between impressing your client or […]
Five Tips for Dealing with Angry Clients
We’ve all been there. A client calls, and what you thought was going to be a simple conversation to discuss details of a listing or showing quickly turns into something else entirely. When a client isn’t happy, you’re not happy, and we know you want to do everything in your power to fix it. Here […]
10 Tips for a Smooth and Efficient Closing Experience
We all want our clients to have the best closing possible, and we know that this is one of the biggest (and most stressful) days of every client’s life. Follow these tips to ensure everything goes according to plan! Verify that parties executing the sale contract are the “correct parties” – for example, make sure […]
President’s Day – Real Estate of George Washington
The history of our nation can be tracked in the real estate records. True Title’s examiners are, at their core, historians of our properties and land. It is not uncommon for our team to examine handwritten deeds and hand-drawn surveys. These deeds date back centuries. George Washington personally drafted this legal description of his estate, Mount […]