query: what if the title commitment isn't received on time

You'll need to postpone your transaction to await the title commitment.

This is yet another reason to shop carefully for title insurance services. Ask how long it normally takes to produce a title commitment and then make certain you allow enough time.

When a consumer calls my office and asks that question, I tell them it will take 7 to 10 days to produce a title commitment. I don't bend on that because I know that's reality. I know lots of title agents who will bend on the initial promise and when they can't bend reality later, the consumer will be forced to face it and be disappointed.

Why does it take 7 to 10 days to produce a title commitment? We have a professional abstractor do a full search, we have to get lien letters from numerous municipal agencies who want a check in hand as payment for creating these letters. We have other customers who we are are serving and we treat all customers with equal care and consideration.

So, when you come across a title agent who says they can produce a title commitment in hours, you must ask yourself whether this person is doing a full search and examination, are they promising more than they can deliver, do they have no other customers or have they decided to place your interest before others and will they do that to you if a bigger deal walks through the door?

With interest rates fluctuating, we keep in mind that you have serious deadlines and we work with you to get where you have to be and with realistic expectations.