Saturday, October 20, 2007

query: do I need title insurance to buy land in Pennsylania

It's not a state specific question, really. In every real property purchase, title insurance is all about the land anyway. It's just a matter of value. A house is an improvement on the land that adds value so the amount of the title insurance should be high enough to cover that extra value.

Title to the land is what you are insuring - whether or not it has improvements, so you just need to decide if you want to protect your investment or not.

I suggest buying the title insurance from a competent provider. It's a one time premium. You can use the calculator link here on our blog to figure out the cost. I assure you it's worth it.

BTW - I also suggest you have the land surveyed, especially if you intend to build. A surveyor will map out the location of easements and building setback lines so that you can visualize the location of planned improvements before you break ground. It's also a good idea to have the surveyor set flags at the location of the proposed foundation so the builder sets it in its proper place. You sure don't want to be forced to move the house once its built. Hey, it happens. ;)

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