query: does the buyer get a temporary title policy from ALTA

Title insurance comes in two stages.

First, you will receive a title insurance commitment. The commitment is NOT insurance. It's sort of like a mortgage approval letter. It tells you the title has been approved for insurance subject to certain conditions which must be cleared before the policy is issued. These conditions are listed on Schedule B1. The commitment will also list items which will remain as exceptions to your insurance coverage. You'll find these exceptions listed on Schedule B2. BE SURE YOU GET A COPY OF YOUR TITLE INSURANCE COMMITMENT BEFORE YOU CLOSE AND BE CERTAIN THAT YOU UNDERSTAND IT.

Okay, once you close and the deed has been recorded, the insurer will issue your owner policy. You typically receive the policy with the original deed in the mail 30 to 60 days following closing depending on local custom.

If you don't receive it within 60 days, contact the insurer. It's possible that the documents are taking longer to come back from the courthouse. If this is the case and you want to confirm that your deed was recorded and that a policy is forthcoming, you can ask for a copy of the recorder's receipt and a "marked up" commitment.