A complete series of 20 articles covering everything you need to know about the title commitment: from Schedule A through Schedule B, reviewing requirements and exceptions, common questions, and the path from commitment to final policy.
General Educational Information
The articles in this guide provide general educational information about title commitments and title insurance. Laws, regulations, and title practices vary by jurisdiction. This content does not constitute legal advice, a title opinion, or a commitment to insure. Consult qualified professionals for advice specific to your transaction.
The title commitment is one of the most important documents in any real estate transaction. It tells you what the title company found, what needs to happen before closing, and what your title insurance policy will cover. This series walks through every part of the commitment, from Schedule A through the final policy.
Each article stands on its own, so you can start wherever you need. For the best foundation, begin with Understanding Schedule A of a Title Commitment and progress through the sections below.
Understanding the core transaction and property information on Schedule A of the title commitment.
Schedule A of a title commitment contains core transaction and property information including the proposed insured, policy amount, interest being insured, current vested owner, and legal description.
Read Article Title CommitmentThe proposed insured is the person or entity the title insurer expects to insure, provided all requirements are satisfied. It appears on Schedule A of the title commitment.
Read Article Title CommitmentA legal description identifies the specific real estate using a formal property description, typically including lot and block, metes and bounds, or government survey system reference.
Read Article Title CommitmentBuyers should review the legal description because it identifies the actual real estate being conveyed and insured. Errors can involve the wrong lot, a missing parcel, or an incomplete description.
Read Article Title CommitmentIf the legal description on the title commitment is wrong, investigate before closing. Possible solutions include correcting the commitment, obtaining a corrective deed, ordering a new survey, revising transaction documents, or seeking underwriting and legal guidance.
Read Article Title CommitmentThe effective date is the point in time through which the title insurer's examination of public records is effective. Matters recorded after this date may require an update to the commitment.
Read ArticleRequirements and exceptions that appear on Schedule B and what they mean for your closing.
Schedule B of a title commitment contains requirements that must be satisfied before policy issuance and exceptions that the policy will not cover. Both deserve careful review.
Read Article Title CommitmentTitle requirements are conditions or actions generally satisfied before the title insurer will issue the contemplated title insurance policy. They are listed on Schedule B of the title commitment.
Read Article Title CommitmentTitle exceptions are matters that the proposed title insurance policy will not insure against. They are listed on the title commitment and become exclusions from coverage in the final policy.
Read Article Title CommitmentRequirements must be satisfied before policy issuance. Exceptions are matters the policy will not cover. Understanding the difference is key to reading a title commitment.
Read Article Title CommitmentStandard exceptions are general categories of matters excluded from title insurance coverage unless removed, modified, or specifically covered by endorsement. They are printed on the policy form.
Read Article Title CommitmentSome title exceptions can be removed, modified, or limited if acceptable evidence is provided to the title insurer. Others represent valid property rights that cannot be removed.
Read ArticlePractical checklists and guidance for agents, investors, and buyers reviewing a title commitment.
Real estate agents should review the title commitment for ownership accuracy, legal description matching, existing mortgages, liens, judgments, easements, restrictions, probate or trust issues, unusual requirements, and anything affecting the timeline or property use.
Read Article Title CommitmentInvestors should review the title commitment for ownership confirmation, liens, judgments, legal description accuracy, easements, restrictions, taxes, entity authority, vesting, financing conditions, and anything affecting their exit strategy.
Read Article Title CommitmentBuyers should question anything unexpected, unclear, or inconsistent with what they believe they are purchasing. Ten key areas to examine on every title commitment.
Read ArticleUnderstanding why certain names, mortgages, and old owners appear in the title records.
Someone else's name on a title report can indicate prior ownership, a trust, an estate, a spouse's interest, a lienholder, an easement holder, a name change, or a recorded document that references a previous owner.
Read Article Title CommitmentAn old mortgage may still show on title because the release or satisfaction was never recorded, was recorded incorrectly, was indexed improperly, or was not matched to the correct property.
Read Article Title CommitmentTitle records preserve ownership history. An old owner is a concern only when the records do not clearly show how the interest was properly transferred from that owner to the next.
Read ArticleWhat happens after requirements are cleared and when the commitment becomes the final title insurance policy.
After title requirements are cleared, the transaction moves toward closing subject to lender approval, settlement, funding, signing, recording, remaining underwriting conditions, and policy issuance.
Read Article Title CommitmentA title commitment becomes a title policy after the transaction closes, documents are recorded, and all underwriting conditions are met. The commitment is a promise; the policy is the actual contract of insurance.
Read ArticleThese articles from the broader Title Insurance 101 series provide essential context for understanding your title commitment.
The foundational article explaining what a title commitment is and why it matters.
Step-by-step instructions for reading and understanding every section.
Understanding how the information on the commitment is gathered.
The full timeline from ordering title through closing and policy issuance.
25 articles covering liens, judgments, priority, releases, and hidden liens that appear on Schedule B.
1st Option Title handles transactions of all types, from simple residential purchases to complex investor and commercial deals.