In researching a title report for a client last month, I was shocked to learn that the property that we had just bargained for wasn’t buildable!

I read the deed, read it again, and finally made the call that I’m sure the Seller’s agent wasn’t happy to hear. His clients had thought they bought a buildable parcel, when in fact, they had not.

Just a few weeks ago, while doing some more title research, we discovered another adjustment to a deed that removed a couple of feet from our clients property, something that the current owner never even knew about!

These example illustrate our point. READ YOUR DEED AND TITLE DOCUMENTS. MAKE SURE YOUR REALTOR DOES TOO!

This includes, but isn’t limited to:

Any filed plats. Ask to see a copy of the plat, in the narrative there can often be restrictions to your ownership that you may not be aware of.

Review the local building codes and ask the City of County planner if there is anything extra that you should know about regarding your property, often times they’ll tell you important information! (Like stuff about White Salmon and Water meters, for example)

Ask to see exceptions that are listed on title! Often times there are exceptions to your title insurance report that don’t even relate to your property (especially in the case of subdivision) If you think an exception shouldn’t be on the title, ask your Realtor to inquire about removing that condition.

Make sure you are not the only eyes on the documents, Your Realtor should have the time and the attention to detail to inform you of potential. Often times, having an attorney on your team is also worth the investment!