Hammond Title Company

Title Company Hammond, LA

At the beginning of American history, people who wanted to purchase property needed to do so with the help of a “conveyancer.” This profession ensured that properties weren’t owned by anyone other than the person trying to sell it and that there weren’t any active liens. Modern title companies around Hammond perform the same tasks for clients as conveyancers of the past, but with the additional benefit of providing clients with title insurance in the unfortunate, rare cases where there are issues with the title transaction.

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What is a Title?

A title records ownership of a property such as a house or a car. The title provides current information about the property’s description, any active liens, and who owned it in the past. For example, if you purchase a home with the help of a mortgage, your mortgage will be present on the title as a lien accordingly. A title is not the same as a deed document; that’s an item you’ll receive saying you’re the owner of the property after the property sale has been completed and closed.

What is a Title Company and What Does it Do?

Title companies near Hammond are third parties that work for the benefit and security of both buyers and sellers alike. They’re employed to undertake due diligence and insure the title of a property during a transaction. Title companies are important because if a house is purchased, but the real legal owner is unknown to the buyer, then the current seller might only own a portion of the property if even any portion at all. This causes calamity for everyone once the legal owner shows up to enforce their claim. Crescent Title is a reputable title company nearby that’s able to provide buyers with title insurance that safeguards their interests and protects them from the dangerous liabilities lurking in the closing process. Now that you better understand the importance of hiring a local title company, you can dive deeper into the more nuanced points regarding their services.

View Frequently Asked Questions

Hammond Title Research and Property Surveying

Crescent Title's abstractor will conduct thorough research of the property's title history in the courthouse to verify ownership and real estate taxes, obtain mortgage payouts, uncover apparent title deficiencies or encumbrances such as liens, judgments, which may be disclosed on the title report. Every title search is examined by an experienced attorney to ensure the proper procedures are followed.

Crescent Title also works with local third party property surveyors, who, for an additional charge, can at the request of a party prepare a survey of the property to confirm that a home occupies only the area indicated on the title, among other matters. After all, you don’t want to find out that the home is actually on someone else’s property or that a neighbor’s fence is actually on your own.

Understanding Title Insurance

Title companies around Hammond provide title insurance to parties in real estate transactions. Title insurance is a type of insurance policy that protects the policyholder (typically a homebuyer or lender) from financial loss in the event that there are defects or issues with the title to a property. These defects or issues may include claims of ownership by others, outstanding liens or judgments, undisclosed heirs, or other encumbrances that can affect the ownership or use of the property.

In Louisiana, it's typically the buyer of the property who pays for the title insurance policies of both the buyer and the buyer's lender. Thankfully, title insurance only needs to be paid once, unlike most other insurances. Clients will be covered under the title insurance policy for as long as they own the property.

FAQs

Commonly Asked Questions About Title Companies

Title companies near Hammond operate to close property transactions smoothly and without hassle. Still, it’s normal for first-time property buyers or sellers to have a few questions about title companies. That’s why Crescent Title has put together a list of the most common questions about title companies here:

The buyer and seller may select different title companies to work with; there is no law insisting that both parties are represented by the same title company or that one side’s choice takes precedence over the other.
Working with a reputable title company nearby is usually a requirement of lenders, but there’s no law that demands you need to do this if you’re selling or buying a property on your own. That being said, it’s a smart idea to employ a local title company rather than go it alone to make sure your investment is protected, especially if paying with cash.
Title companies around Hammond can work with buyers and sellers to negotiate outcomes regarding discovered liens while researching a property title, though they can’t outright remove them on their own. It’s always determined by the seller which actions to take, if any, to resolve the situation.
Experienced title companies near Hammond, like Crescent Title, can uncover problems with titles like:
- unpaid fees for work performed
- undisclosed heirs with potential claims on the property
- outstanding loans
- liens
- special assessments
- successions

The Best Title Company
in Louisiana

Crescent Title works tirelessly to safeguard your financial interests while ensuring that your title transfer goes smoothly. Decades of property transaction experience have seen us close thousands of sales successfully, and we continue to expand our property title services in Hammond and beyond. If you’re interested in employing the services of the best title company around, give us a call or send us an email today to start the process!

Convenient Location

Crescent Title's Hammond office is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Hammond. Our experienced staff, led by attorney Matt Emmons, looks forward to helping with all of your real estate and title needs in Tangipahoa, Livingston, St. Helena, Washington, and surrounding parishes.