Title Insurance

When a property goes under contract in Arizona, the title company prepares a title commitment: a detailed document spelling out what’s required for clear title and what’s excepted from coverage. It can run dozens of pages, and many agents simply hand it to the buyer and trust they’ll read it. I don’t.

What the title commitment actually contains

Two sections matter most.

The Requirements section lists what must happen before clear title can transfer. Most are routine: existing loans paid off at closing, current taxes settled, and any liens resolved. Occasionally something unusual appears (a missing quitclaim from a prior co-owner, a probate document still to be recorded) and the deal can’t close until it’s handled. Catching these early gives the title company time to resolve them.

The Exceptions section lists what the title insurance will not cover. This is where covenants, conditions, and restrictions live. The recorded subdivision or HOA documents may limit where you park, whether you can keep a recreational vehicle on the property, the colors you can paint, the type of fencing allowed, what you can build, even what you can plant. If you have a use in mind for the property (an RV pad, a guesthouse, a backyard workshop, a pool), this is the section that tells you whether it’s permitted.

I read both sections for every buyer I represent, flag anything that may affect your plans for the home, and explain it in plain language. Recent HOA filings sometimes hint at pending special assessments; I look for those too.

Why this matters

Title insurance is one of the few protections that lasts the entire time you own the home. It covers ownership disputes, unknown heirs, recording errors, forgery, and similar threats to your title. What it does not cover is anything already disclosed in the exceptions, because once recorded, those restrictions pass with the property. The only protection against an unwanted exception is knowing about it before you close, while you can still negotiate, request a release, or in rare cases walk away.

Deadlines and your right to object

Your contract gives you a defined window to review the title commitment and object to anything in it. Miss the window and the right is gone. I track this deadline alongside every other contract date, and I make sure you’ve seen the document and have time to ask questions well before the deadline arrives.

When you’re ready, contact me.