You’re finally ready to list your house for sale and, in anticipation of getting your home ready to be seen by potential buyers, you start straightening, and packing, up your home. Before you box up all of your important papers and ship them off to storage, or maybe your new home, take a few minutes to go through them. The documents that you locate and set aside now may save you countless hours later.

Many people think that the original recorded deed is necessary for their sale. This document, however, has already been recorded in the Register of Deeds’ Office for the county that your property is in and is not nearly as helpful as their Owners’ Title Insurance Policy.

In searching the title to your home, the buyers’ closing attorney will customarily perform a 30-year search or, in certain circumstances, will “tack on” to an existing Owners’ Title Insurance policy, thus shortening the length of the search from the date of the sellers’ Owners’ policy. This serves two purposes, one benefiting the buyer and one benefiting the seller: (1) the buyers get a reduced, or “re-issue,” rate on the title insurance they must purchase for their lender and for themselves; and (2) the sellers need only to resolve any title issues that have arisen since the date of their Owners’ policy, which is typically the date that they purchased the property, rather than having to resolve any title issues of the last thirty years. This can save you countless time and effort if all it takes is providing a copy of your Owners’ Title Insurance Policy.

Other important documents that might (but may not necessarily) be needed are any existing surveys, cancelled Notes/Deeds of Trust that had been paid off or refinanced while you’ve owned the property, certificates of occupancy for additions/alterations, variances, and any documentation pertaining to approvals sought and granted by the homeowners association for improvements to the property.

A little bit of foresight and preparation while these documents are readily available to you could save you from having to locate documentation or reconstruct a paper trail and, instead put you on the path to a smooth closing.

Cynthia J. Robinson
C.J. Robinson, P.A.
10336 Troutman Road
Midland, NC 28107
(ph) 704-721-0076
(fax) 704-721-0661
(email) cjrobinson@ctc.net