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Title and closing guides for Texas deals

Plain answers to the questions buyers, sponsors, lenders, builders and brokers ask before a Dallas closing. Written by the Aurum Title team.

Title basics & Texas rulesWhat an attorney-owned title company does on a Texas deal, and what it does notAttorneys behind a title company change how the commitment, curative work and closing documents get handled. Here is what that means on a Texas deal, and where its limits are.8 min read

Lenders & problem titleTexas home equity loan closings: Section 50(a)(6) rules lenders and title must get rightA Texas home equity loan closes under the state constitution. Here are the 50(a)(6) closing rules, the T-42 and T-42.1 endorsements, and a lender checklist.11 min read

Residential closingsAssignments and double closings in Texas: what investors need from the title companyAssigning a contract or closing twice on the same day both work in Texas when the paperwork is right. Here is what the title company needs from investors, and what stops a flip.7 min read

Residential closingsWhy home closings get delayed in Dallas, and what agents can do about itMost late closings were visible weeks earlier. The common causes of delay on a Dallas home sale, the first warning sign of each and what an agent can do.11 min read

Commercial dealsEntity documents a Texas commercial closing needs: LLCs, partnerships, trusts and fundsBefore it insures a commercial sale or loan, the title company must confirm each entity exists, is in good standing and has authorized the person signing. Here is what that takes.10 min read

Land & buildersTitle issues that stall a development project in Texas, and how to clear them earlyUnreleased liens, missing access, plat requirements, old restrictions, severed minerals and entity gaps stop more projects than price does. Here is how to find and clear them in the right order.11 min read

Lenders & problem titleTRID timing for loan officers: the Closing Disclosure, the three-day rule and the title company's partThe lender owns the Closing Disclosure, but the title company supplies many of its numbers. Here is how TRID timing, tolerances and CD balancing fit a Texas purchase closing.11 min read

Lenders & problem titlePrivate, bridge and seller-financed loans: what the title company needsPrivate lenders, bridge lenders and sellers who carry a note all need the same things from the title company: clean instructions, recordable documents and an insured lien.8 min read

Lenders & problem titleLiens, heirship and probate property: clearing title in TexasJudgment liens, tax liens, missing heirs and unprobated estates can all be cleared. Here is how each Texas title problem is usually resolved and who does the work.10 min read

Residential closingsWhat a Texas real estate agent should send the title company on day oneA complete opening package lets the title company start the search, order the HOA and payoff letters and find signing problems in week one. Here is what to send.13 min read

Commercial dealsTitle objections and cure periods in a Texas commercial contractThe title review period is where a commercial buyer can still walk away over a title problem. How the deadlines run, what a good objection says and what happens if the seller will not cure.10 min read

Title basics & Texas rulesWho chooses the title company in a Texas deal?The contract names the title company, and the buyer has rights the seller cannot override. How the choice is made in Texas, and how agents can recommend one lawfully.7 min read

Title basics & Texas rulesOwner's policy vs lender's policy in Texas: what each coversThe loan policy protects your lender. The owner's policy protects you. Here is what each covers in Texas, what each costs and who usually pays.7 min read

Lenders & problem titleConstruction loan closings in Texas: mechanic's liens, draws and what the title company needsA construction lender wants its deed of trust recorded before any mechanic's lien can begin. Here is how Texas lien law works and what the title company checks at closing and on every draw.11 min read

Title basics & Texas rulesHow to read a Texas commercial title commitment: Schedules A, B, C and DSchedule A says what will be insured, B lists what the policy will not cover, C lists what must happen before closing, and D discloses who shares the premium.9 min read

Title basics & Texas rulesAre title insurance rates the same at every Texas title company?The premium is set by the state and identical everywhere. Escrow fees and other charges are not. Here is how to tell the difference and what to compare.7 min read

Escrow & 1031Commercial escrow with multiple parties: holdbacks, prorations and the closing statementA commercial escrow officer holds every party's money and documents until each condition is met. Here is how holdbacks, prorations and the closing statement fit together.9 min read

Escrow & 1031Closing on Dallas property from out of state: mail-away and remote closingsYou do not have to fly to Dallas to close. Here is how mail-away signings, Texas online notarization and powers of attorney work, and what the title company must approve.8 min read

Escrow & 10311031 exchange closings in Texas: how the title company and your intermediary work togetherIn a 1031 exchange the qualified intermediary holds the money and the title company closes both sales. Here is how the two work together in Texas.10 min read

Residential closingsHow a Dallas home closing works, step by stepA Texas home closing runs on the contract's deadlines. Here is what the title company does at each step, from earnest money to recorded deed.10 min read

Residential closingsBuying a Dallas home with cash: do you still need title insurance?No lender means no one requires title insurance. It also means the owner's policy is the only title protection on the deal. What cash buyers and investors should know.8 min read

Land & buildersSurvey and boundary issues on commercial land in TexasOn commercial land, the survey decides what the title policy will insure. Here is how to order it, what to look for, and how Texas title rules treat boundaries, easements and access.8 min read

Land & buildersMineral rights and title insurance on Texas landA Texas title policy usually excepts the minerals and does not say who owns them. Here is what the exception means, what the mineral endorsements cover, and how buyers protect the surface.7 min read

Land & buildersLand assemblage with multiple sellers: how title and escrow keep it togetherAn assemblage is several purchases that only make sense together. Here is how the contracts, title commitments, survey and escrow are set up so every parcel closes or none do.8 min read

Land & buildersHow builder lot takedown closings workA lot takedown is a string of closings under one contract. Here is how the plat, the developer's lender, the builder's lender and the title company line up for each one.7 min read

Land & buildersBuying raw land in North Texas: the title checklistRaw land carries risks a finished building hides: severed minerals, no insurable access, unlocated easements, rollback taxes and platting rules. Here is the title checklist.10 min read

Multifamily & self-storageSyndicating a multifamily deal in Texas: what the title company handlesVesting in the SPE, the contract assignment, signing authority up the entity chain, investor money reaching escrow and a closing statement the lender will accept.8 min read

Multifamily & self-storageBuying an apartment complex in Dallas: the title and escrow checklistWhat the title company checks, what the buyer must deliver and where apartment closings in Dallas usually slow down, in the order it happens.9 min read

Multifamily & self-storageBuying a self-storage facility in Texas: the title issues that come upUse restrictions, survey and access, storage rental agreements and Chapter 59 liens, the line between real estate and business, and the closing statement on a Texas self-storage purchase.8 min read

Multifamily & self-storageAgency and HUD multifamily loans: the title requirements lenders expectWhat Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and HUD require from the title policy, the survey and the closing, how Texas forms fit, and how the agent and underwriter divide the work.9 min read

Commercial dealsWhich title endorsements to ask for on a Texas commercial dealTexas allows only promulgated endorsements, at promulgated premiums. Here are the ones that matter on commercial deals, what each covers and when lenders expect them.8 min read

Commercial dealsIndustrial and warehouse closings: title, survey and easementsThe survey, the easements, minerals and pipelines, tenant leases and the endorsements that matter on a warehouse, distribution or flex industrial closing in Texas.8 min read

Commercial dealsIndependent or national title company for a Dallas commercial deal?The policy form and premium are identical either way in Texas. The real difference is who handles your file, how decisions get made and how the team works with your lender.7 min read

Commercial dealsHow to choose a commercial title company in DallasIn Texas the premium is the same everywhere, so the choice comes down to who examines the title, who runs escrow and how they handle commercial problems.8 min read

Commercial dealsHow long does a commercial closing take in Dallas?A Dallas commercial closing takes as long as the contract, the lender and the title work allow. Here is what controls each step and how to keep it moving.7 min read

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