Why Choose Heritage Land Transfer Company, Inc as your Title Company

Title search and title transfer are two very important parts of a real estate transaction. It's important to choose a title company Pennsylvania residents can trust in order to handle these processes. At Heritage Land Transfer, we are proud to be a step above the competition. We are confident we can handle your transaction with ease, but don't just take our word for it. Here are a few key reasons to choose us as your title company. 

1. 20-Minute Closings

Closing on a real estate deal is not anyone's idea of a good time. As such, you probably don't want to be sitting around the closing table and signing paperwork for any longer than is necessary. At Heritage Land Transfer, we can deliver 20-minute closings when time is of the essence. This allows you to finish and get on with your day, whether that means heading back to work or going home to see your family.

2. In-Home and Virtual Closings

Do you have kids you don't want to leave with a sitter? Perhaps your car is in the shop. If you can't make it to our offices, we can come to you. We offer in-home closings to make things simpler for our customers, whatever their needs may be. 

Maybe you got called away on travel, or perhaps you're selling a home remotely. In cases like these, we can provide title services and closings virtually and securely, using our cutting-edge software.

3. In-House Attorneys

Many title companies rely on outside attorneys. This slows down the title search process and can lead to longer closing times. At Heritage Land Transfer, we employ our own attorneys in-house. This allows us to provide our customers with more comprehensive services, and it also allows us to work faster than our competition.  

4. Client-Focused Approach

Every client is unique. As we work with you to facilitate your real estate transaction, we get to know you personally so that we are better able to understand and fulfill your unique needs.

We have in-house interpreters to help us communicate clearly when a language barrier comes into play, and we contract with additional, outside translators as needed, too. We'll keep you informed every step of the way as we conduct your title search, prepare your settlement, and ready your account for closing.

5. Community Involvement

At Heritage Land Transfer, we are proud to be a part of the communities we serve. Our employees can spend up to 20 paid hours each year volunteering in the community. We also offer scholarship programs to help support our youth.

If you're looking for a title company Philadelphia is proud to call its own, then Heritage Land Transfer is the choice. We offer a wide range of services, from title transfer to contingency resolution, and we are also an escrow agency.

Contact us to learn more about us and our dedication to putting clients first.

This blog was originally posted on https://landtransfer.com/why-choose-heritage-land-transfer-company-inc-as-your-title-company/

Property Title Search: What It Is And How It Works

Before you purchase real estate, you will need to hire a title company to conduct what's known as a title search. As an informed and involved property owner, it is important to understand what a title search involves and why is it so important.

What Is a Title Search?

When you purchase real estate, you acquire a document called the title, which proves your ownership of that property. You hold that title until you sell the property, when the title is transferred to the new owner.

A title search is the process used to verify that the person selling the property does, indeed, have the legal right to the title of that property. As a part of the search, your title company will discover all of the previous holders of the title. They'll also find out whether there are any liens against the property. For instance, if a previous owner failed to pay their property taxes, the local government may have a lien against the title.

If the title search does reveal any liens, restrictions on the use of the land, or previously unknown claims to the title, then these can be dealt with before you purchase the property, thus ensuring that you have a clean right to the title.

How Is a Title Search Conducted?

Conducting a title search involves a lot of phone calls and reviewing of records. As a part of the process, your title services provider reviews tax assessments, court records, insurance policies, wills, and other relevant documents. 

Once the search is complete, your title company will either inform you that the title is clean, or they'll let you know that there's a defect in the title. If there is a defect, such as a lien, unpaid taxes, or easements, then your agent will walk you through the process of addressing the defect, should you so choose. You may also decide to walk away from the sale based on the results of the title search.

How Long Does a Title Search Take?

This depends on the property you're purchasing. A title search for a newer property could take just a few hours. For an older home that has had many owners, the search process could take several weeks.

What If The Title Company Misses Something?

Title companies do their best to be thorough, but on occasion, a defect might go overlooked. In such cases, a title insurance policy will protect you. If you have title insurance and a defect is discovered in your title after purchase, then your insurance policy will pay for any related damages. Purchasing title insurance is highly recommended for this reason, and is mandatory in Pennsylvania for properties purchased or refinanced with mortgage loans. 

The title search is a very important part of any real estate purchase. If you're looking for a title company Philadelphia residents depend on, contact Heritage Land Transfer. We have been providing title and escrow services in PA, NJ, and beyond for more than 30 years!

This blog was originally posted on https://landtransfer.com/property-title-search-what-it-is-and-how-it-works/

Heritage Cares: We are Dedicated to Giving Back to Our Community

Herman Melville once wrote, “We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men.” At Heritage Land Transfer, we are motivated by this quote. We think it speaks powerfully to the importance of community. Within a community, we are all connected; our actions impact one another. 

Because we care about our community and about the success of each of its members, we do our very best to give back. It's simply a part of our culture here at Heritage Land Transfer. We see ourselves not as an island, but as an interwoven part of the communities we live in and serve, and we hope our actions as a PA settlement service reflect that.

Scholarship Program

One of the ways our title insurance agency gives back to the community is through our scholarship program. By awarding scholarship funds to students, we are investing in their future, and thereby the future of our community. Our scholarships have helped make college and higher education possible for numerous young folks. 

A little help at the start of one's education can make all the difference in that individual's future. Scholarship funds can help students reach higher, achieve more, and ultimately enjoy greater economic success in adulthood. 

Contributing to the education of others benefits the community as a whole, too. Better education means we all have access to more knowledgeable, experienced professionals. Education equips today's youth to be the problem-solvers of the future, and we're happy to encourage that growth through our scholarships. As a trusted Philadelphia real estate title company, we're proud to do our part.

Volunteer Work

At Heritage Land Transfer, we truly have some of the kindest, most dedicated employees. Not only do they do an excellent job at offering title and escrow services, but they are dedicated volunteers, too.

Each of our employees has the option of spending up to 20 paid hours per year volunteering in the community. We've had employees work on community gardening projects, and others who have worked with the underserved.

Through volunteer work, our employees not only help solve problems within the community; they also remain more aware and involved of what's going on in the community around them. In working with others, they learn more about those peoples' needs, which enables them to better serve those individuals in their profession and in their personal life.

At Heritage Land Transfer, we are all about the people. Our client-first mentality extends beyond the workplace and into our scholarship and volunteer programs. IN this season of giving, we encourage each and every one of you to also consider what more you can do to give back. Communities are for all of us, and the more we contribute, the better we are for it.

Contact us to learn more about our title insurance and settlement services.

This blog was originally posted on https://landtransfer.com/heritage-cares-we-are-dedicated-to-giving-back-to-our-community/

What Title Insurance and Is It Necessary?

When you purchase real estate, you receive an official document called a title, which is meant to show or prove your ownership of that property. As a part of the purchasing process, your attorney and title company will review the title to see whether there are any past claims or liens against it.

On a rare occasion, an attorney might overlook something, or information relevant to the title may be concealed. What happens then? Well, if you purchased title insurance, you'll be protected, and your property ownership will be maintained. Keep reading to learn more about title insurance and why it's so important.

What Is Title Insurance?

Title insurance is a type of insurance designed to protect the policyholder should any problems with the title come to light. What could go wrong with a property title? The most common example is a previously unreported lien.

Say, for instance, your title services company conducts a title search prior to your purchase of the property. They fail to discover that Company X has a lien for $100,000 against the property. You find this out 5 years later when Company X shows up and attempts to collect their money. Without title insurance, as the current title holder, you'd be liable to pay that $100,000. If you have title insurance, it becomes your insurer's responsibility to pay. 

In addition to protecting you against unreported liens, title insurance protects you from unintentional errors in the filing of documents, forged ownership rights, and other title defects that originated prior to your purchase of the policy.

Who Needs Title Insurance?

Lenders always purchase title insurance as a part of the mortgage process. The bank needs to know that if a defect is discovered in the title, they are not liable for the damages. The cost of this title insurance is generally held in an escrow account by an escrow agency and passed on to the buyer during closing.

Homeowners are not required by law to buy title insurance, but it is a good idea. While there are only a few claims made on title insurance policies each year, learning that there's a lien on your home can be financially devastating. Title insurance, by comparison, is very affordable. Plus, once you purchase a policy, it never expires. You are forever protected against any issues that may arise with your title.

It's wise to buy title insurance when purchasing any property. However, it is especially important if you're buying a home in foreclosure, as a short-sale, or at auction. Homes being sold in these ways are more likely to have a complicated history of ownership and title defects.

Title insurance is mandatory in PA and NJ for property purchases involving loans. While title insurance is not required for homeowners paying cash, it is still highly recommended. If you're looking forr a title company Philadelphia, trust Heritage Land Transfer to save you many headaches in the future. Contact us today to learn more about our services. We're a title company Pennsylvania and New Jerssey residents have depended on for over 30 years for title transfer, lender coordination, title distribution, contingency resolution, and more.

This blog was originally posted on https://landtransfer.com/what-title-insurance-and-is-it-necessary/