Expert answers from Michigan's trusted cash home buyers. Questions? Call (269) 389-9961 anytime.
A title company performs a title search to verify the seller has clear ownership, discovers any liens or encumbrances (unpaid taxes, mortgages, judgments, mechanic's liens), issues title insurance protecting both buyer and lender, prepares closing documents, coordinates fund transfers, and records the new deed with the county.
By convention, the seller typically chooses the title company in Michigan (though this is negotiable). In a cash sale, the buyer often has a preferred title company. Either way, the title company must be licensed in Michigan.
There are two types: lender's title insurance (required by mortgage lenders) and owner's title insurance (optional but highly recommended for buyers). As a seller, you're typically not buying title insurance — you're warranting that you have clear title to sell. Owner's policy costs $800-$2,000 and protects the buyer's ownership for as long as they own the home.
Common liens: mortgage (cleared at closing from sale proceeds), property tax liens, HOA liens, mechanic's/contractor's liens (filed by unpaid contractors), judgment liens (from court judgments against the owner), and IRS/state tax liens. All must be resolved before or at closing. The title company identifies these in the title search.
Standard Michigan title search: 5-10 business days. Rush searches can be done in 2-3 days for an additional fee. Properties with complex histories (multiple owners, foreclosure, probate, commercial use) may take longer. The title company begins the search as soon as they receive the purchase agreement.
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