Redfin

JULY 30, 2025

Run a title search and enter into escrow: A title search ensures the seller has legal ownership and the property is free of liens. Retirees or downsizers who are reinvesting equity from a previous sale. Escrow is opened to securely hold the funds and documents during the transaction process.

Purchase and sale agreement

Redfin

JANUARY 28, 2025

However, there are other costs you need to account for in addition to the loan itself, such as: Equity payment: Youll need to pay the seller for the equity theyve already built up in the home. The sellers equity: This is the difference between the homes sale price and the remaining balance on the existing mortgage.

Loans

Redfin

JULY 24, 2025

We’ll outline the key criteria lenders look for, including credit score, debt-to-income ratio, and home equity. Your home’s existing equity , which is the percentage of the home’s value that you own, acts as your stake in the property. Equity requirements for mortgage refinancing?

Mortgages

HomeLight

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

“When inheriting a property, you need to make sure you know if there are any liens like a mortgage or an equity loan that need to be paid,” Hillman says. You’ll also need to know if the inherited North Carolina property has any supplemental liens or judgments, such as unpaid taxes, a home equity line of credit (HELOC), or a reverse mortgage.

Pre-approval

Redfin

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Whether you’re preparing for a move, considering a home equity loan, or simply maintaining your propertys clean title, uncovering liens early can save you from unexpected costs and stress down the road. Many counties maintain online databases where you can search property records by address or the owner’s name.

Title search

Redfin

JULY 29, 2025

Where it goes: The money goes directly toward the price of the home, building your equity from day one. A larger down payment can lead to a smaller loan, potentially lower interest rates, and can help you avoid private mortgage insurance (PMI) if you put down at least 20%. Think of it as the cost of doing business.

Closing costs

Housing Wire

MAY 17, 2023

Recent home price declines are leading to decreased tappable equity, but there are still opportunities in home equity lending, according to a report published by Home Equity Lending News. Tappable home equity is expected to decrease to a forecasted $18.1 However, given that home-equity originations were less than $0.5

Equity

Housing Wire

JULY 28, 2022

Even those with a considerable equity stake may find themselves in this dilemma. What can lenders do to help borrowers facilitate a sale, protect the equity in their home, and potentially remain in their home following the sale by negotiating a leaseback option? The borrower’s equity can be further eroded by legal and other fees.

Equity

Housing Wire

MARCH 2, 2021

It combines the proven services and expertise of Premium Title and Springhouse Valuations to provide a full suite of customizable products focused on the home equity lines of credit (HELOC) market. HELOCs provide flexible access to home equity and closing costs are typically only 2% to 5%, so it’s much cheaper than a refinance.

Title

Housing Wire

AUGUST 6, 2021

While refinancing can be a good way to build equity and manage debt, it can cost money – anywhere between 3% to 6% of the amount of debt you still owe on your current loan. There’s also a chance your lender will require another title search and title insurance, which would add to your costs.

Title search

Housing Wire

MARCH 8, 2022

“As a leading independent title insurance agency in the Midwest, growth is a key part of our vision,” Brian Roberts, the president of ATA, said in a statement. “We ATA National Title Group serves both residential and commercial clients, and provides title searches and escrow services.

Title

Housing Wire

MAY 11, 2023

Lenders are increasingly under pressure to close home equity loans in as little as five days; Flueid recognized that hitting this mark requires a way to easily uncover and prioritize the most seamless opportunities in the pipeline,” said Matt Regan, EVP of transaction management systems at Flueid.

Loans

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 29, 2021

A small issue within the title process can have an impact on the length of the closing process, impacting mortgage lenders and borrowers. HousingWire recently spoke with Dave Steinmetz, Division President of Origination Services for ServiceLink, on what tools lenders should leverage to streamline home equity title and closing.

Title

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 14, 2023

Part of the equitable housing plans’ approach to achieving more equity includes reducing the costs and fees associated with buying a home that are often cited as a homeownership barrier for low- and moderate-income and non-white households.

Title

Housing Wire

APRIL 10, 2023

And all of this helps create a more integrated (and more importantly, streamlined) lender-title workflow that empowers the collective to achieve the all-elusive 5-day close for home equity or 10-day close for refinance. Now, it’s not uncommon to find these and other potential issues during the title search and curative process.

Title

Housing Wire

MARCH 9, 2021

How hybrid title and valuations help increase lending efficiency. Why use several vendors for title searches, appraisals and underwriting when you can use one? That general principle holds true for the title and settlement services space as well. 2021 could still be a very good year for prepared businesses.

Title

Housing Wire

APRIL 18, 2022

It’s important to note that the cost for title insurance may include other services provided by the title company, such as conducting the title search or the closing. Title professionals continue to protect property rights and safeguard the equity and wealth families accrue during their homeownership journey.

Title

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 26, 2022

As a result, many title firms have found revenue coming from different sources, including stronger than expected commercial revenue and other mortgage products such as home equity lines of credit (HELOCs).

Title

HomeLight

DECEMBER 23, 2021

Essentially, title and deed are both related to the important question of who truly owns a particular piece of real estate and has the rights to it. Let’s take a deeper look at what a house title is; the different types of deeds used in real estate; and related terms including chain of title, title search, title insurance, and title abstract.

Title

HomeLight

AUGUST 20, 2021

This means that most Connecticut home sellers need to pay their remaining mortgage balance before transferring the property title to a buyer. If you have substantial equity, you can even walk away from your sale with a significant profit. In some cases, title searches reveal liens, or debts charged as a claim on your property.

Closing costs

HomeLight

JULY 12, 2024

Unlock Your Equity and Buy Before You Sell Through our Buy Before You Sell program, HomeLight can help you unlock a portion of your equity upfront to put toward your next home. Here’s what you can expect: Title search: Verifying the property’s legal ownership and any existing liens or claims.

Purchase and sale agreement

HomeLight

JULY 11, 2023

If an owner tries to sell their house, a title search will identify any liens recorded against the property. In order for the sale to occur, the title company ensures that any liens are satisfied at closing so the buyer can take title free and clear of any liens.”

Title

Realty Biz

AUGUST 12, 2023

Equity : The difference between the current market value of your home and the amount you owe on your mortgage. As you pay down your mortgage or if the value of your home rises, your equity increases. These can include title search fees, appraisal fees, attorney fees, and more.

Purchase and sale agreement

RIS Media

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

Fees may include the appraisal, the home inspection, a title search, a pest inspection and more. During this time, the home is inspected and appraised, and the title searched for liens, etc. percent of the yearly loan amount, can be canceled in certain circumstances when the borrower reaches 20 percent equity.

Pre-approval

HomeLight

JANUARY 5, 2022

For example, if you offer your friend a discount on your home – intentionally or not – it may be considered a “gift of equity” subject to gift taxes. That way, you can provide documentation to your tax advisor to determine if you made a gift of equity to your friend. Source: (Christina @ wocintechchat.com / Unsplash).

Pre-approval

HomeLight

NOVEMBER 9, 2021

You’re also responsible for paying off any home equity loans you may have taken out against your mortgage. Title search. A title search ensures that the property has no liens, judgments or other claims from outside parties (or “encumbrances”) on it that would prohibit a sale. Most lenders require them.

Closing costs

Real Trends

MARCH 9, 2022

When property is transferred from one owner to another, there may be undiscovered tax liens, forged signatures, recording errors, undisclosed easements, title claims or other defects. Despite strides made by technology to streamline the process of title searches, the title industry remains a people-centered industry.

Title

HomeLight

AUGUST 24, 2022

These buyers typically have more cash on hand — or more equity in their primary homes up North — which enables them to purchase a Florida home without having to obtain financing. The buyer runs a title search on the property. Property investors. Investors are more likely than traditional buyers to purchase properties with cash.

Purchase and sale agreement

HomeLight

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

Here are some typical fees you’ll pay during the refinance process: Application fee Appraisal fee Inspection fees Title search and insurance fees Possible attorney fees (required in some states) On average, closing costs range from 3%–6% of your total loan amount. How much equity is in your home? How Much Is Your Home Worth Now?

Closing costs

Realty Biz

FEBRUARY 19, 2024

The parcels that dragged my portfolio down were the ones where I just thought “Oh that’s great discount for this piece of property, I know I’m buying it with equity, I’ll just list it for full market value and see who comes along.” The real estate attorney you are using should conduct a title search to ensure no liens against the property.

Land

HomeLight

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

If you wish to sell the home to your relative for less than its fair market value , then you’ll likely have to report the difference between the home’s value and the sale price as a gift of equity with the IRS (more on this later in the article). Perform a title search. Determine finances (confirm funds are available).

Purchase and sale agreement

HomeLight

MARCH 31, 2022

As housing prices skyrocket, many homeowners are considering ways to turn their growing home equity into cash. If you’re one of the 6 million Americans projected to sell a home this year, you may be trying to figure out exactly how much of that increasing equity will end up in your pocket after all is said and done. Title insurance.

Closing

Redfin

DECEMBER 15, 2023

While this might sound like a small difference, it can translate into substantial savings over time including lower monthly payments, paying off the mortgage quicker, and even allowing homeowners to tap into their home equity for other expenses. Typically, the longer you’ve lived in your home, the more equity you have.

Fixed-rate mortgage

HomeLight

AUGUST 31, 2020

This means that you cannot sell your house and pocket any equity from the sale until that tax lien debt is satisfied. As that tax debt piles up, it’ll swiftly eclipse any equity that you’ve built up in your home. Tax liens are discoverable during a title search — even if the lien data isn’t an exact match.

Bankruptcy

HomeLight

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

Though it’s true that most sellers would rather finalize the transaction as quickly as possible once they’ve accepted a purchase offer , not everyone is in a hurry to relocate or collect equity. Obtain a title report to see how long the seller has owned the property — the longer they’ve owned the property, the more equity they have.”.

Purchase and sale agreement

HomeLight

JUNE 19, 2023

Other examples of documentation for proof of funds that a seller might accept include a bank statement, a copy of a money market account balance, or an open equity line of credit. Step 8: Check over the title Just like with a house, liens can be placed on land for various reasons, such as outstanding taxes.

Land

Redfin

MARCH 2, 2021

Your home now represents pure equity; funds that could come in handy to pay for unexpected major expenses, medical bills, or any kind of financial emergency. But how do you gain access to some of that hard-earned equity from your home? A reverse mortgage is a loan based on the current paid-up value or equity in your home.

Mortgages