SCHUTT LAW FIRM, P.A.
Phone: 239.540.7007
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Schutt Law Firm, P.A. - Attorney Profile
Home Closing 101
Do you know what to expect on closing day?
Most people don’t. And that can lead to some uneasiness. But help is here. The American Land Title Association, or ALTA, has created a website featuring information every homebuyer can use to help familiarize themselves with the closing process before walking into the closing
The Home Closing 101 Site
At Home Closing 101 you will find information you can use to prepare yourself for closing. The site covers topics such as title insurance, escrow fees and closing costs. So when the time comes to sign on the dotted line you’ll feel fully prepared.
Home Closing 101 is especially helpful for first time buyers. Buying a house is an exciting time and the more you know about the process, the more relaxed you’ll be going through it. Spend a little time on the site and you can walk through the home buying process, receiving explanations for each step and helpful hints on how to find the right people to help you on your journey to homeownership.
Click here to start learning about the home buying process.
What Is American Land Title Association (ALTA)?
Founded in 1907, ALTA is the national trade association and voice of the title insurance industry. ALTA members search, review and insure land titles to protect home buyers and mortgage lenders who invest in real estate.
ALTA members advocate safe and efficient transfer of real estate and insist on high standards when searching land title records and preparing insurance documents. The industry seeks to eliminate risk before insuring, which provides homebuyers with the best possible chance of avoiding land title problems. But, title difficulties can and do occur, and members offer both Owner’s and Lender’s title insurance policies as effective safeguards.
Click here to visit the ALTA website.
About Stewart Title Insurance
Stewart (NYSE: STC) is a leading provider of real estate services, including global residential and commercial title insurance, escrow and settlement services, lender services, underwriting, specialty insurance and other solutions that facilitate successful real estate transactions. Stewart offers personalized service, industry expertise and customized solutions for virtually any type of real estate transaction, through our direct operations, network of approved agencies and other companies within the Stewart family. Through a focus on integrity, smart growth and conservative management, Stewart remains committed to serving our customers, innovating and improving to meet their needs in an ever-changing market.
Please click on the link below for more information:
WHY TITLE INSURANCE?
Owning real estate is one of the most precious values of freedom in this country. You want the assurance that the property you are buying will be yours. Other than your mortgage holder, no one else should have any claims or restrictions against your home.
Title insurance is issued after a careful examination of the public records. But even the most thorough search cannot absolutely assure that no title faults are present, despite the knowledge and experience of professional title examiners. In addition to matters shown by public records, other title problems may exist that cannot be disclosed in a search. Title insurance eliminates any risks and losses caused by faults in title from an event that occurred before you owned the property.
Title insurance is different from other types of insurance in that it protects you, the insured, from a loss that may occur from matters or faults from the past. Other types of insurance such as auto, life, or health cover you against losses that may occur in the future. Title insurance does not protect against any future faults, but does protect you from risks or undiscovered interests. Another difference is that you pay a one-time premium for a policy that remains effective until the property is sold to a new owner - even if that doesn't occur for decades.
What is a Lender's Policy?
A lender's policy, also known as a loan policy or a mortgage policy, protects the lender against loss due to unknown title defects. It also protects the lender's interest from certain matters which may exist, but may not be known at the time of the sale.
This policy only protects the lender's interest. It does not protect the purchaser. That is why a real estate purchaser needs an owner's policy.
What is an owner's policy?
An owner's policy protects you, the purchaser, against a loss that may occur from a fault in the ownership or interest you have in the property. You should protect the equity in your new home with a title policy.
What does an owner's policy provide?
- Protection from financial loss due to demands that may be charged against the title to your home, up to the cost of the title policy.
- Payment of legal costs if the title insurer has to defend your title against a covered claim.
- Payment of successful claims against the title to your home covered by the policy, up to the cost of the policy.
Why the seller needs to provide title insurance?
Any purchaser will need evidence that his investment in your property is free of title defects. The title insurance policy that you provide the purchaser is a guarantee that you are selling a clear title to your real estate, unencumbered by any legal attachments that might limit or jeopardize ownership. It will reassure your purchaser that he or she is protected from any risks or losses and could help you close your deal.
Why the buyer needs title insurance?
Without title insurance, you may not be fully protected against errors in public records, hidden defects not disclosed by the public records, or mistakes in examination of the title. As a result, you may be held fully accountable for any prior liens, judgments or claims brought against your new property. If this should occur, your title policy insures that you will be defended at no cost against all covered claims up to the amount of the policy.
How much does title insurance cost?
The insurance commission approves and controls the premiums for title insurance policies. The premiums are paid only once and the cost depends upon the purchase price of the property and the policy amount must be equal to the purchase price.
What does title insurance protect from?
- Fraud
- Adverse possession
- Rights of divorced parties
- Deeds by minors
- Undisclosed Heirs
- Errors in tax records
- False affidavits of death or heirship
- Probate matters
- Deeds and wills by persons of unsound mind
- Conveyances by undisclosed divorced spouses
- Forfeitures of real property due to criminal acts
- Deeds by persons falsely representing their marital status
- Documents executed by a revoked or expired Power of Attorney
- Defective acknowledgements due to improper or expired notarization
- Mistakes and omissions resulting in improper abstracting
- Forged deeds, mortgages, wills, releases and other documents
- False impersonation of the true land owner
Listing photos are no longer enough when it comes time to sell a home. To really get the attention of potential buyers, use these tips to create an eye-catching listing video.
Tips to Make a Real Estate Listing Video
Listing photos may be enough to spark a bit of interest in some potential buyers. However, if you want to spark their interest and keep it, then a listing video is a better idea. Since most people shopping around for a home will look online for the right one, it only makes sense to give them a video that highlights your home's best features. To make your own video and reap the benefits of it, use these tips.Get Some Inspiration
Before you get too excited and start shooting your video, you first need to do a bit of planning. A good place to start is watching other listing videos. This will give you a better idea as to what should be included in your video, what potential buyers want to see, and even inspire shots in your upcoming video. Take notes as you watch videos so that you have a more solid grasp of what you want your video to be like and what you don't want it to be like. Watch more than one video so that you can gather multiple sources of inspiration.Plan Your Video
After gathering your inspiration for your video shoot, it's time to plan your video. When watching inspiration videos, take note of how long most listing videos are. This will give you a better idea of how long yours should be so that you can better plan how long you will focus on each space in your home. This will make it easier to plan how you want to shoot each room and what sorts of shots you want to include. Create a list of shots and the order in which you want to shoot your video. This will ensure you don't leave anything out of your final edit.Prepare Your Home
Once you have a better idea of what you want your video to include, the next step is to prepare your home. Just like you get dressed up and do your hair when you know your photo is going to be taken, your home will need similar preparation. Start by deep cleaning your home so that it looks spotless on camera. After this, it's time to declutter the different rooms in your home. You want to make the rooms in your home look big and spacious, which is easier to achieve when they aren't crowded with excess furniture or knick-knacks. Keep in mind that it won't look the same on camera, so test it out on camera before deciding you're done. Whether you're buying or selling a home, it's important that you understand why title insurance in Fort Myers is a must. To learn more about the importance of title insurance, contact the title insurance experts at Schutt Law at (239) 540-7007.Video Basics
When you're ready to start shooting, there are a few other things to consider first. Before you get to work, it's important that you master some video making basics. First off, focus on getting the lighting right. If your home looks dark, this won't look particularly exciting or inviting to potential buyers. They may even click out of the video before you have a chance to wow them. You don't have to purchase a lighting kit to achieve this either. Gather some lamps from around your home and use warm-toned bulbs so that your home doesn't end up looking cold and uninviting. Another thing to consider are your camera movements. Keep the camera steady and shoot your video in the same orientation all the way through.Less Is More
After shooting your video, you'll need to start the editing process to put all the shots together. When editing your video, you may play around with things like transitions. These are a great way to get from one shot to the next smoothly but do keep these simple. Overcomplicated or embellished transitions will be distracting and can make your video look cheesy.Publish Your Video
When your video has been edited, it's time to post it online. Before posting it, you'll need to come up with a title and description for it. Your title should be short but descriptive. You want it to be accurate to your video because clickbaity titles won't guarantee views. Your description should also be to the point and accurate. Don't forget to include a call to action and your contact information so that interested buyers can contact you easily.Get Title Insurance in Fort Myers
Not sure why title insurance in Fort Myers is a must? Learn all about why it's so important by contacting the friendly title insurance experts at Schutt Law. Give them a call at (239) 540-7007 to get your questions answered.12601 New Brittany Blvd
Fort Myers, FL 33907
Phone: 239.540.7007
Fax: 239.791.1080
