Coverage for 1–4 Family Residences

Providing the Best for Homeowners
Homeowners depend upon the strength and stability of a reputable title insurer to back their policies for years to come. We have a long and proud history of providing homeowners with the most innovative title and escrow products in the industry. Homeowners can enjoy peace of mind knowing they are insured by one of the industry’s premier title insurers. And with the Homeowner’s Policy, you’ll have even more peace of mind knowing you have the best policy available.

Providing the Best to Realtors
The superior coverage of the Homeowner’s Policy of Title Insurance, backed by the nation’s strongest title insurer, provides outstanding benefits to Realtors as well.

• Reduces Realtor’s exposure in a transaction regarding certain regulatory matters
• Increases the client’s satisfaction and confidence by providing the finest protection available
• Helps ensure the client’s ability to resell the home in the future, free of potentially damaging title problems
• Gives the Realtor and client peace of mind in the increasingly complex world of real estate

Informing clients about premium title insurance such as the Homeowner’s Policy makes good business sense. With superior title coverage issued through
a strong and reputable title insurer, Realtors and clients benefit from two critical layers of protection.

Superior All-Inclusive Benefits with the Homeowner’s Policy
The Homeowner’s Policy includes the following basic coverage:

• False impersonation of the true owner of the property
• Forged deeds, releases or wills
• Undisclosed or missing heirs
• Instruments executed under invalid or expired power of attorney
• Mistakes in recording legal documents
• Misinterpretation of wills
• Deeds by minors
• Deeds by persons supposedly single, but in fact married
• Liens for unpaid estate, inheritance, income or gift taxes
• Fraud

The Homeowner’s Policy Also Provides These Additional Benefits

Pre and Post Policy Protections

The Homeowner’s Policy coverage protects homeowners against claims arising both before and after the policy date. The homeowner is covered if someone else has an interest in or claims to have rights affecting title, or the title is defective. Post-policy protection also includes coverage for forgery, impersonation, easements, use limitations, and structural encroachments built by neighbors (except for boundary walls or fences) after the policy date.

Expanded Access Coverage

The Homeowner’s Policy provides homeowners with expanded access protection for right of access to and from the property. Traditional title policies do not define the type of access a homeowner has to the property, but the Homeowner’s Policy specifically insures both actual pedestrian and vehicular access, based on a legal right.

Restrictive Covenant Violations

The Homeowner’s Policy protects homeowners against the loss of title to property because of a violation of a restrictive covenant that occurred before the insured acquired title.

Building Permit Violations

The Homeowner’s Policy covers homeowners if they must remove or remedy an existing structure (except for boundary walls and fences) because it was built without a building permit from the proper government office. This coverage is subject to deductible amounts and maximum limits of liability.

Zoning Law Violations

The Homeowner’s Policy protects homeowners if they must remove or remedy existing structures because they violate existing zoning laws or regulations (subject to the policy deductible and maximum limit of liability). Homeowners are also protected if they can’t use the land for a single-family residence due to the way the land is zoned.

Subdivision Law Violations

The Homeowner’s Policy protects homeowners if they can’t sell the property or get a building permit because of a violation of an existing subdivision law. Homeowners are also protected if they are forced to correct or remove the violation. This coverage is subject to a policy deductible and maximum limits of liability.

Encroachment Protection

Covers homeowners if forced to remove an existing structure because it encroaches on a neighbor’s land (coverage for encroachments of boundary walls or fences is subject to policy deductible and maximum limit of liability). Covers homeowners when someone else has a legal right to, and does, refuse to perform a contract to purchase the homeowner’s land, lease it or make a mortgage loan on it because a neighbor’s existing structures encroach onto the land.

Water and Mineral Rights Damage
The Homeowner’s Policy provides coverage if a homeowner’s existing improvements, including lawns, shrubbery and trees, are damaged because someone exercised a right to use the surface of the land for extraction of minerals or water.

Supplemental Tax Lien

The Homeowner’s Policy protects homeowners if a supplemental tax lien is filed and assessed against the property because of new construction or a change of ownership prior to the policy date.

Map Inconsistencies
The Homeowner’s Policy provides coverage if the map attached to the homeowner’s policy does not show the correct location of the land, according to public records.

Continuous Coverage

The Homeowner’s Policy covers homeowners forever, even if they no longer have the title. The policy insures anyone who inherits the title because of the homeowner’s death and the spouse who receives the title after dissolution of marriage. The Homeowner’s Policy also allows homeowners to transfer their home into a trust after the policy date and receive uninterrupted coverage, at no extra cost.