Skip to content
Fact Checked by Experts

Title insurance in Florida: What you need to know

There are many types of insurance, but there’s one that only protects your property investment. Title insurance, also known as real estate policy or owner's policy, protects you from financial loss in the event of an error in a property's legal record and lawsuits that can come from such mistakes, as well as problems with the public record.

Even if you don't plan on borrowing money to make the purchase, you should consider buying this insurance to protect yourself against any obstacles that may arise during the process of buying and selling real estate in the future.

Protection against the risk of financial loss is essential, so you should consider purchasing the correct type of policy before completing your transaction in Florida.

The coverage policies can be complicated, but we'll help you learn more about title insurance, coverage benefits, and if it's required in FL.

Read on to discover the essential things about title insurance in Florida and how it can help you ensure your purchase or sale goes as smoothly as possible.


Is Title Insurance Required in FL?

If you're buying or selling property in Florida, chances are you need title insurance. This may sound like an unnecessary expense, but the truth is, Florida's real estate laws require that you have it.

So if you live in Florida or considering moving in, it's essential to learn about your legal options when it comes to title insurance in the state- because more often than not, you probably need it.

You need to take care of several things when buying your dream home, and one of them is taking out insurance on the property's title.

While this may seem like an unnecessary precaution, it could save you a lot of headaches down the road if there are any issues with ownership or other major red flags that would make the home not worth its purchase price.


Benefits of Title Insurance

Most people are unaware of the importance of title insurance and its benefits, but it's not just an expense to consider the cost of buying property.

It's essential to protect your investment and ensure that you have full ownership of your new home. Below are four benefits you should be aware of when shopping for your title insurance policy in Florida:


It Helps Identify Problems Sooner

When you buy a home, you don't want to wait until after closing and find out there are problems with your title.

With title insurance, you have an independent source to review your documents. They may be able to identify issues before they cause significant problems in your purchase process.

This could give you time to negotiate with lenders or contractors before proceeding with a sale or construction project. You also may not need to hire an attorney for some legal issues if you have coverage from a title company.


It Minimizes Losses

When you buy a home, your purchase is based on a title report—which tells you about all legal claims to property ownership.

But if there's an error in that report, it can affect your ability to sell or refinance your home. That's why many buyers choose to purchase title insurance, which protects them from losses resulting from flaws in title or ownership.


It Reduces Risks

When you purchase a property with a loan, your lender will insist that you have title insurance in place. This protects you against issues relating to your titles, such as missing heirs, unknown lienholders, fraud, or forgery.

The peace of mind you'll get from knowing that everything is as it should be is worth every penny.


It Improves Settlement Time

As a home buyer, you may be worried that you'll go through a lengthy closing process once you purchase your home.

However, title insurance helps make it easier to complete transactions more quickly. After your deal is set in stone, you can take possession of your property in as little as one day.

Title insurance is used to determine whether or not there are any unknown, outstanding claims on that land. This could be as simple as unpaid taxes from an earlier year, among other disputes before selling.


It Covers Any Arising Legal Expenses

Getting a property is exciting. You've found your dream home, or you're about to close on your first apartment. But buying any property also comes with risk—who wants to fork over hundreds or thousands only to discover that there are undisclosed issues that may cost you money?

Title insurance policies cover any legal expenses if anything goes wrong with your property and its titles, such as hidden easements, fraudulent transfer claims, tax liens, prior encumbrances, or title defects.


Bottom Line

Title insurance in Florida protects the property seller and buyer from future losses resulting from title defects that were unnoticed during the transaction process. The various types of policies have specific provisions, exclusions, and limitations.

They can be confusing to read, but you can enjoy great benefits and protect yourself against costly problems down the road with just a little bit of knowledge.

With over 50 years of mortgage industry experience, we are here to help you achieve the American dream of owning a home. We strive to provide the best education before, during, and after you buy a home. Our advice is based on experience with Phil Ganz and Team closing over One billion dollars and helping countless families.

Find The Right Mortgage

For more than 20 years, Phil have been helping customers achieve their home purchase and refinance goals by providing them with invaluable resources and support.

Schedule a FREE Consultation
Phil Ganz

Subscribe to Get Your First Time Homebuyer Checklist

Sign up for the weekly newsletter to stay up to date on the latest real estate market trends, loan news, and so much more!