It doesn't matter if the house is only 7 years old. The Insurance Department
of the state you live in dictates how many years back the title insurance
company has to search in order to provide title insurance. Here in
Pennsylvania, we have to search back 60 years in order to get title
insurance. Title insurance is a must when buying real estate. Don't be
caught without it. The title search is one thing of the puzzle. Let's say
the current owners of the property come to closing sign the Deed and all the
closing papers. The attorney or title company gives the sellers their check
and the buyers move into their house. About, a year later the buyers get a
letter from an attorney representing the wife, who claims her husband
brought his girlfriend to closing and they purportrated a fraud. Not what?
If you have title insurance you file a claim, and the title insurance
company pays the wife off, the title insurance company goes after the
husband and his girlfriend prosecutes them if they can be found. However, if
you don't have title insurance your **** out of luck. You either pay the
wife off, or you loose the house. Caveat Emptor-Let the buyer beware.
"Caliban" wrote in message
arthlink.net...
"John R Weiss" wrote
"Caliban" wrote...
When purchasing a house (assume it's a cash payment, with no
mortgage):

Is who pays for the title search usually a negotiable point in the
contract?

"Everything is negotiable." However, if you want to expedite the
process,
it is
wise to follow the local customs regarding allocation of major closing
costs.

Since the title search benefits YOU most of all, it is reasonable that
you
pay
for it.

This makes sense.

Thank you for the other suggestions.

To anyone:
Let me add that I am looking at three houses. The oldest is 15 years old.
The youngest is 7 years old, and the original owner is selling it. (I have
paperwork from the county tax office confirming this.) All are in a large
neighborhood development less than 20 years old. I see on the Internet
that
title companies advertise examining the title for the last, say, 40 or 60
years. I am not convinced (yet) that whoever does the title search has
much
to do at all for either of these three homes, especially for the
7-year-old,
original owner house. Are there generally only fixed prices for title
searches? Or would it be worthwhile to shop around for someone who takes
into account the very little legal research needed (I think; could be
missing something) necessary, especially if I make an offer on the
7-year-old, original owner house?