FAQs

FAQ

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Am I eligible for a discount on title insurance?

If you purchased the property you are selling within the last 3 years, you may be eligible for a discount. You will need to provide the Owner’s Title Insurance Policy from when you purchased to the tile company handling your sale for review.

What forms of identification are acceptable for closing?

  • A Florida identification card or driver license issued by the public agency authorized to issue driver licenses.
  • A passport issued by the Department of State
  • A passport issued by a foreign government if the document is stamped by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service
  • A driver license or an identification card issued by a public agency authorized to issue driver licenses in a state other than Florida or in a territory of the United States, or Canada or Mexico
  • An identification card issued by any branch of the armed forces of the United States
  • A veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
  • An inmate identification card issued on or after January 1, 1991, by the Florida Department of Corrections for an inmate who is in the custody of the department.
  • An inmate identification card issued by the United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, for an inmate who is in the custody of the department.
  • A sworn, written statement from a sworn law enforcement officer that the forms of identification for an inmate in an institution of confinement were confiscated upon confinement and that the person named in the document is the person whose signature is to be notarized.
  • An identification card issued by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service

Who do I contact to file for homestead?

The Property Appraiser in which the property is located. Some counties have online services that can be used for filing.

Am I required to provide my Social Security/EIN/Tax ID number?

Yes, sellers are required to provide their Social Security/EIN/Tax ID number for closing. The title company is required to verify if the seller is a US taxpayer, or if the sale will fall under FIRPTA (Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act).

Is a prior boundary survey acceptable to use for closing?

Yes, a prior boundary survey may be used for closing. In order for our office to accept a previous survey, it must be within the last 10 years, in the current owner’s names and no structural changes made since the date of the survey. A few examples of structural changes are: new fencing, concrete, bird cages, additions, buildings, sheds.

**Survey must be provided to title company for review and approval.

Is a Home Equity Line of Credit a lien on my property?

Yes, the loan is secured by the property in the form of a lien and must be paid off at the time of closing. Even if a HELOC was never used, it is still an open lien on the property and MUST be closed and satisfied. An equity line of credit should not be used or have funds drawn off of it once you have the house under contract. This could cause issues with getting the correct amount to pay off the loan in full and could result in a delay of closing.

What forms of payment are acceptable for final cash to close?

Our office will only accept wire transfers for final cash to close. Always confirm wiring instructions using a verified phone number prior to sending any funds.

What forms of payment are acceptable for the escrow deposit?

Our office will accept a personal check, money order, cashier’s check, or wire transfer for the initial escrow deposit only. Final cash to close will need to be a wire transfer.

What is a RON closing?

RON (Remote Online Notarization) is the notarization of a document completed 100% electronically. The process includes a notary and a document signer using secure audiovisual and digital signing technology to finalize a document.

Why does my spouse need to sign the deed or mortgage at closing if they are not on the title?

This requirement is found in Article X, Section 4(c) of the Constitution of the State of Florida.

A deed or mortgage signed by a married person for their homestead property is invalid unless the married person is ‘joined by’ their spouse and the spouse also signs the deed or mortgage.

For sellers, if you are selling your homestead property, your spouse must be available and willing to sign the deed transferring title to the buyer. This is true even if the property is only in your name and your spouse is not on title.

For buyers, this means that if the property you are buying is going to be your primary residence, your spouse must be available and willing to sign the mortgage, even if the property will be titled in your name alone and your spouse is not going on title.

There is no bending this requirement. Florida does not recognize separation.

How do I add or remove someone from my Deed?

Unfortunately, our office is not allowed to prepare documents outside of closing. An attorney would have to assist with any changes to a deed.

I want to receive my proceeds via wire. What do you need from me?

Seller proceeds are made payable exactly how title is held, this is for both checks and wires.

In order to wire, we require documentation showing the name on the bank account matches exactly how title to the property is held.
We will accept the following:

  1. Wiring instructions on bank letterhead listing the account number and account holder name(s).
  2. Voided check
  3. Top portion of bank statement listing the name of bank, account holder and account number.

We can never accept handwritten instructions or instructions
typed out in an email.

If we are wiring funds to another Title Company, we will require wiring instructions for that company on their letterhead. We will also require a Warranty Deed or Settlement statement from that title company for verification of buyers.

TITLE HELD IN NAME OF TRUST:
If title is held in a trust, the proceeds will only be wired to an account in the name of the trust, and it must match exactly how title is held. If this cannot be provided, a check will be cut made payable to the trust. No exceptions will be made.

This holds true even if we are wiring to another title company, we will need either a settlement statement or deed showing that title is being taken in the name of the trust.

I WIRED DIRECTLY VIA MY BANK’S WEBSITE AND MONEY HAS LEFT MY ACCOUNT – WHY DON’T YOU HAVE IT YET?

Did your bank charge you a fee for this “wire”? If the answer to this question, is “no” or “I paid a small fee”, what your bank may not be telling you is that you are actually ordering an ACH transaction and not a wire directly from your bank to our bank.

You should always check with your bank prior to sending out funds to make sure the fee you are paying is for sending a wire and not a fee for an expedited ACH. Our account will automatically reject ACH transfers, because the ACH funds are not considered good funds.

WHY AREN’T ACH FUNDS “GOOD FUNDS” FOR PURCHASING MY HOME?

An ACH transfer can take 1-3 business days to complete and are able to be recalled for up to 5 business days after the ACH is sent. Any attempt to send an ACH instead of wire will be automatically rejected by our account and it can take 2-3 business days before the funds are back in the sender’s account.

CAN I WRITE A PERSONAL CHECK?

The short answer is no. Personal checks are not considered immediately available funds nor are they considered guaranteed funds.

SO, HOW DO I MAKE SURE I HAVE “GOOD FUNDS” FOR CLOSING?

All banks are different. Have a conversation with your bank early in the process. Find out what your bank needs from you to wire funds. Ask your bank if there are any fees involved to wire funds and how much lead time the bank needs for getting funds to closing on time. Also, make sure you coordinate with your settlement agent and lender to ensure you have the correct bottom line and have the amount of funds to close readily available prior to closing.

Taking these steps early will really help to make the buying process a little less stressful.

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