Category Archives: Uncategorized

What is a Short Sale (And Is it Right for You as a Buyer?)

A short sale occurs when a property sells for less than what is still due on the homeowner’s mortgage. Thus, the seller will come up “short” when paying off his or her lender. Buyers may think they’ve nabbed a bargain. But the wary home buyer will consider all of the factors involved in a short sale, including those that are less often discussed.

Approval From the Seller’s Lender

Because the short sale is likely occurring due to financial distress that makes it difficult for the seller to pay off his mortgage, the seller’s lender will need a say in the process. If you’re wondering why a lender would ever agree to a short sale, it does happen… on occasion. If the loss from a short sale would be less than the loss resulting from initiating a foreclosure, then the lender might agree. However, be ready for a long and arduous approval process. While a traditional home purchase process will usually take a month or so from offer to closing, some short sales take up to a year to finalize!

Fixer-Upper Central

If you’re handy, a fixer-upper might be just the opportunity you want! But for those of us with two left hands, a short sale may prove to be more expensive than we’d originally thought. Because of the nature of short sales, the sellers won’t likely be coming from a place of wanting to sink their own capital into repairs and maintenance. Be ready for some added repair costs after closing. 

All That Work for Nothing

It is entirely possible that at the end of an extremely long process, the sale might fall through. Or you might receive a counter offer at a much higher price than you can afford. Nothing is more frustrating than waiting months for a response to your offer letter, only to finally be told “no”. If you’re a frequent real estate investor, a little bit of lost time may not be a big issue for you. But if you’re shopping for a home for your family to live in, don’t forget to factor the potential cost of futile efforts into the equation. 

Is a short sale right for you? It all depends! As with all real estate deals, go into it with your eyes open, and with a good realtor at your side. 

What to Expect When You’re Inspecting

What to Expect When You’re Inspecting

For many first-time homebuyers, the process of purchasing a home can be extremely stressful. At Turner Title, we’ve had the pleasure of walking many first-time buyers through the process to a successful and smooth closing! Why are so many of our first-time buyers so happy with our services? Well, outside of outstanding customer service and communication, we pride ourselves on the joy with which we educate those of our customers who have questions about just what exactly goes into buying a home. Today, we’ll take an in-depth look at one of the most important parts of the home buying experience: the home inspection.

So what’s so important about a home inspection? A home inspection lets the buyers know exactly what they’re getting into when they’re making the biggest investment of their lives. The purpose of a home inspection is to find any underlying issues with the property, particularly with regard to electrical, plumbing, and the foundation. If you’re planning on obtaining a mortgage with which to purchase you’re new home, it’s likely your lender will require you to obtain a home inspection before they mark your transaction as “clear to close.” Still, even if your lender doesn’t require a home inspection, if you want to protect yourself from buyer’s remorse, it is generally recommended you invest in a home inspection. Many contracts have a clause that allow the buyer to back out of the sale if something unexpected comes up in the home inspection, so that’s important to keep in mind.

Not all inspectors are created equal. Make sure your home inspector will be sure to thoroughly inspected both the house’s interior and exterior. Inside the house, home inspectors will be looking at wiring, plumbing, smoke detectors, AC units, any appliances that will be left behind per the contract, potential hazards, and more. On the outside, they’ll be testing the foundation, looking at siding, roofing, and any cracks that may appear. Keep in mind, that you will likely need to hire a specialist if the home has a septic tank or a potential for termite or other insect related issues. It’s always a good idea for both you and your agent to be present for the duration of the home inspection in order to address any concerns you may have in the moment.

The cost of most home inspections range within a few hundred dollars. Depending on the negotiations that took place at the time of the contract’s draft and who will be paying for the inspection, it may be within the sellers’ rights or your own to choose a home inspector. Even if the seller is choosing and paying for the home inspection, you may still want to hire your own  private inspector. It is rare that the lender will cover your home inspection if you want to pay out of pocket for the inspector of your choosing, but it may be more than worth it to you in the long run.

That’s the home inspection process in a nut shell. While it may seem to be a bit of a hassle at first, it is for your protection, so take advantage of it! That’s it for this week’s Title Tidbit. If you have a tidbit you’d like to learn more about, shoot us an email or comment it on our Facebook page! 😊

Irredentism

“I Had it First” – Irredentism

“I Had it First” — Irredentism

Who remembers back when the Russian/Ukrainean conflict over Crimea really came to a head?

“Woah, woah, let’s not get political here, Bailee. This blog is supposed to be about title!” Oh, I certainly won’t be offering any opinions on the Crimean occupation, but it is a fantastic example of today’s Title Tidbit: Irredentism.

Irredentism’s etymological roots can be traced back to the Italian word, “irredento,” meaning “unredeemed.” The term was popularized by a 1800s Italian political movement in which Italian political leaders sought to claim Swiss and Austrio-Hungarian occupied lands of which the population was largely Italian-speaking. By reclaiming these lands for Italy, Italian political leaders believe the lands could become “redeemed.”

Today, many consider lands claimed by irredentist means to be those denoted by the term, “Greater X,” with X being the name of the occupying body. Examples include Greater Serbia, or on a continental scale, Greater Europe.

So what’s the difference between irredentism and secession? Irredentism implies the absorption or merging of part of one country with another, whereas secession neither implies nor includes a merging. Irredentism typically implies/invokes an ethnic and/or territorial conflict as it involves one governing body/country taking land from another. What links the subordinate/merging body to the larger body is typically a common ethnic/religious/lingual/historical background (usually all four) which gives the larger body a perception of legitimate claim to said land. The subordinate land was generally once part of the larger body but was separated at some point in history by war, trade agreements, or other such events.

The example of irredentism that is perhaps the most ingrained in the minds of modern citizens of all nations across the globe is Nazi Germain’s irredentist claim to Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland, the German occupation of which in 1938 marked a major turning point in World War II. German nationalists cited the primary source of their claim to the Sudetenland’s legitimacy as being the large ethnically German population residing in the area. While Germany’s claim to the Sudetenland may have had some legitimacy (at least in the opinion of the leaders who granted Germany occupation of the same in the 1938 Munich Pact–although, it was more likely they just wanted to avoid another world war), it wasn’t enough to appease German Nationalists, who later invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia just six months after the Munich Pact was signed.

What does irredentism have to do with title? While irredentist movements may not be directly linked to title insurance, the concept is the same. The purpose of title insurance is to protect a buyer’s claim to their new property from people who may have had historical or familial claims to the property. Through thorough research, we at Turner Title meticulously clear all potential claims to your property so that you can rest easy knowing your home won’t soon become “Greater Long-Lost Cousin’s.” That’s it for this week’s Title Tidbit! We’ll see you again next time!

Thank You

Another Year Older

Another Year Older

December is known for being a month of many celebrations: Christmas, the New Year, and a new venture! We are proud to share that Turner Title is officially one year old as of today!

What a year to get started, am I right? Despite state-wide shutdowns, procedural changes, and a new normal, Turner Title has been going strong, closing over $450 million in its first year, growing from a one-woman operation to a team of six, and conducting superb real estate transactions across the state: from Broward to Hillsborough to North Florida to right here in Pinellas County! And we’re not done yet, folks!

We’ve been at the forefront of change in our industry–adapting with the times and providing new and convenient (and also FREE) tools for our clientele.

  • We’ve implemented a free net-sheet calculator on our website that allows for agents to create a profile that pre-populates their standard commissions/fees as well as generate and send co-branded PDFs directly to their buyers and sellers from their phone, computer, or tablet.
  • We’ve invested in a free app called ZOCCAM, which allows agents and/or buyers to deposit their Earnest Money with a SNAP–just by taking a picture of a check! They can also upload contracts and addenda along with their deposits. No more trips to the title office or walking buyers through their first wire transfer!
  • We’ve hand-picked a group of proven and trustworthy mobile notaries across the state and the country that we utilize to make our closings flexible and fast!
  • We’ve invested in a membership with Regis offices so that our clients are able to close at any of thousands of locations across the state of Florida if they so desire!
  • We share informational blogs on our Turner Title Website weekly that are FULL of information about title, real estate, loans, insurance, and more as a free resource for YOU!
  • We’ve employed the services of an on-staff real estate attorney as another resource for our clients to assist with more complicated transactions.

And so much more! How can we sum up a year’s worth of achievements in just a few paragraphs? It’s impossible, but we couldn’t have done it all without YOU!

Thank YOU for making our first year of business one for the books!

Escrow Place Like Home for the Holidays

Escrow Place Like Home for the Holidays

Escrow Place Like Home for the Holidays

‘Twas a few weeks before Christmas. Santa was a buying a house (at the end of the month and the year too, no doubt). Mrs. Claus was excited to buy their new home, and by Christmas the elves would all be there to roam. The closing came and went without a hitch, until one bright, spring morning, there appeared an old Grinch.

“Hello,” said the Grinch, “my name is the Grinch, and this home is mine, you must vacate it.” Santa and Mrs. Claus did not know what to do. The elves and the reindeer began to cry—boohoo!

“But how can that be? This is certainly libel!” Mrs. Claus lamented, “We were issued clear title!”

“Title is more than a paper you sign. Title needs more than a stamp to be fine.” The Grinch continued to explain with a grin, the kind of grin you could find malice in. “You want a title company that runs searches for liens, orders surveys, checks permits, and all in between. It should run through the history of your new home and all of its aspects with a fine-toothed comb. Estoppels and payoffs of mortgages too are just scratching the surface of what your title company should do. You signed the commitment and Max signed the deed, but he neglected to mention the other signature you’d need.”

“What other signature?” cried Santa, his head in a fog. “There was only one owner, and that was Max the dog!”

The Grinch began to howl with malicious delight and pulled out a paper. “The dog had no right! Observe this document, and you will see, that his interest in the property was just two out of three. I have a share in this house that was unlawfully deeded, and thus, your vacancy is necessary and incredibly needed!”

Mrs. Claus and Santa, the reindeer and elves then packed up their bags and cleared off their shelves. They left the house and wandered off in the snow. It seemed all was lost, but Rudolph knew where to go.

“Chin up, folks,” said Rudolph, “Where’s your Christmas spirit? I know what to do, if you’ll listen and here it.” They all looked to Rudolph. His input was vital. “There’s only one place I trust, and that’s Turner Title!”

So the group made the trek down to the Sunshine State, and they found Turner Title to be truly great. Monika welcomed the crew at the door with a smile, and Bailee walked them through each process of insuring their file. Robyn looked through the file, commitment, and deed to make sure there were neither grinches nor outstanding liens. Closing with Kelly was such a breeze, and her friendly demeanor put the whole group at ease.

The elves were elated when Santa got their keys, and they moved into the beach house with which they were pleased. They were far from the snow and the gusts and the hail, and after their closing, Ocean sent all their mail. A few weeks later, there was a knock at the door, but there were no grinches present, just one thing more. It was Angie from post-closing, and what a sight to see! She was holding their title policy and clear guarantee!

If there’s one thing to glean from this verbose recital, it’s for a closing you trust, make sure to use Turner Title!