A good loan officer will order a title examination prior to taking a loan application to ensure that there are no unknown liens or mortgages of record. A title examination can reveal a variety of problems, such as unreleased trusts of record, judgments, an undisclosed co-owner, security agreements that were filed for products purchased or home improvements that were unknown to the owner. Discovering such details early on in the loan process can prevent major holdups or may indicate that the transaction can’t proceed, which would save the customer the cost of appraisal. Most incidences can be cured, but it makes
sense to know in advance that there may be a potential problem. Having a good title company is a lifeline in this business.