As soon as I know I will be representing an owner and bringing their Honolulu home on the market, I always order a preliminary title report from First American Title on Kapiolani Blvd.  Clients often ask why I do this.  The short answer is that I want to avoid last minute surprises after a Purchase Contract is accepted and escrow is opened.

The last preliminary title report I reviewed indicated the property for sale had a lien placed against it.  The owner knew nothing about the lien, but that should never be the case.  If someone obtained a judgment and placed a lien on your property, you’d expect to be notified, wouldn’t you?

Well, things don’t always happen as they should.  I investigated the facts and this turned out to be a clerical error.  The lien was placed against the property before my client purchased it and the lien should have been paid when the original owner sold the home to my client.  And that’s exactly what happened except the recorded lien was not removed. The escrow company checked their records and verified that the lien had been paid and ultimately corrected the title.

This just proves that a little forethought and prevention can save you a lot of trouble and angst in the closing process.  Selling or buying a home can be stressful and it’s my job to minimize the stress as much as possible.

If you are considering a home sale or purchase, contact Michael Zimmerman to minimize the stress of your next move.

 
Contributed by Michael Zimmerman
Direct:  808-457-9683
Michael@Michael-Zimmerman.com
www.Michael-Zimmerman.com
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