Title Search?

Anyone ever hear that you need to TIP the guy that does the title search? I heard that the other day and Im accually suprised bc there is a fee!

Anyone else you think we need to tip?

TIA

It's not the guy that does the title search that you tip - the title company handles the title search and it's included in your premium.

It's the title CLOSER that you tip - the person that comes to the closing. This is very usual and customary and should be around $100

The title closer is a freelance person that is hired by the title company. They aren't actually their employee. They charge the title company a nominal fee and basically make their living through tips and 'pick-ups' (a fee they receive when they pay-off the seller/owner's existing mortgage(s)).

The salaries at the title company are paid through the insurance premium that you pay (which is state regulated). These people anylse the title search, clear title, type reports and policies, record deeds and mortgages and all other tasks associated with the issuance of the policy.

The title search is conducted by a person that is called an 'examiner' or an 'abstracter.' The title company hires them (they are also usually freelance) to conduct the property search/research on the ownership and lien history of the property. There is no separate charge at closing for this research. The title company pays this party our of the premium. However, the title company is allowed to add additional charges if there is an extra lot (meaning it's really more than one search) or there is really a lot of research that was done. (This second part is unusual. You would see it more on a commercial transaction.)