Title Work and Title Insurance
Clear title is the foundation of every real estate transaction. At Brandon W. Frazier, Attorney at Law, PLLC, we provide comprehensive title services to buyers, sellers, lenders, and real estate professionals throughout Southwest Mississippi.
Title Searches and Examinations
Before any real estate transaction closes, a thorough title search is essential. We examine the chain of title in the county land records to identify any liens, encumbrances, easements, boundary issues, or defects that could affect ownership. Our title examinations cover deed history, mortgage and lien records, tax status, court judgments, and any other matters of record that may affect the property.
Title Opinions and Certificates
Based on our title examination, we prepare written title opinions and title certificates that identify the current state of title and any exceptions or requirements that must be addressed before closing. These opinions are relied upon by buyers, lenders, and title insurance underwriters in making their decisions to proceed with a transaction.
Title Insurance
Title insurance protects property owners and lenders against losses arising from defects in title that were not discovered during the title search. As an agent for major title insurance underwriters, we issue both owner’s and lender’s title insurance policies. We also assist in resolving title issues that may arise during the underwriting process.
Title Curative Work
When a title search reveals problems, including missing heirs, unreleased liens, boundary disputes, breaks in the chain of title, or other defects, we work to resolve those issues. This may involve preparing corrective deeds, obtaining lien releases, filing quiet title actions, or negotiating with adverse claimants. Our goal is to deliver clear, insurable title so the transaction can proceed.
Services for Real Estate Professionals
We work closely with realtors, mortgage lenders, and other real estate professionals throughout the region. Our office is equipped to handle residential and commercial title work efficiently, and we understand the importance of meeting closing deadlines.
Contact our office at 601.684.1125 to request a title search or discuss your title insurance needs.
Brandon W. Frazier, Attorney at Law, PLLC | 346 Scott Drive, McComb, Mississippi 39648
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a title search and why do I need one?
A title search is an examination of the county land records — deeds, mortgages, liens, judgments, easements, and tax records — to confirm the seller actually owns the property and to surface anything that could cloud your ownership. In Mississippi, the examination and the resulting title opinion are performed by a licensed attorney. No careful buyer or lender closes without one.
How far back does a title search go?
It depends on the property and the purpose of the search. The examination must go back far enough to establish a sound chain of title under Mississippi practice and, where title insurance is being issued, to satisfy the underwriter’s requirements. Older rural and inherited properties often require deeper searches because of heir property and informal transfers.
What kinds of title problems do you find?
The common ones in Southwest Mississippi: unreleased deeds of trust, judgment and tax liens, missing heirs on inherited land, breaks in the chain of title, boundary and description errors, and old mineral or easement reservations. Most are curable — through corrective deeds, lien releases, affidavits of heirship, or when necessary a quiet title action in chancery court.
What is heir property, and can it be fixed?
When land passes for generations without wills or probate, ownership fragments among many heirs, none of whom can sell or mortgage the whole. It is one of the most common title problems in our area. Fixes range from deeds gathering the heirs’ interests to quiet title or partition proceedings — and a will is the cheapest prevention there is.
What’s the difference between a title opinion and title insurance?
A title opinion is the attorney’s professional conclusion about the state of title based on what the records show. Title insurance covers you for what the records do not show — forged deeds, unknown heirs, recording errors. They work together: the opinion is the basis on which the policy is issued.