On 24 Mar 2007 22:05:12 -0700, wrote:

I am buying a small house not in the best shape but anyway. Never owed
a house before.

1. Remember that the Agent ONLY represents the Seller, not you. His
job is to be nice to you and then screw you over as much as legally
possible.

2. In my city, the title insurance companies do the cheapest jobs of
transferring title. The title insurance protects your and they
arrange the closings for you - often by mail.

However, if you get a loan from any bank or savings and loan or
credit union, then they are the best at arranging the closing for you
and they have rules they must play by that keeps them honest.

3. If owner financing is involved then the owner is probably going to
provide everything for you. This is the case where you need an
attorney or knowledgable friend to help you - and title insurance. In
my state, we honor a 'contract to sell' where you pay for 20 years and
then get title. Definitely not a good thing to do if you are the
buyer.