Title & Closing Guides
Plain-English answers to the questions people ask most about buying, selling and refinancing in Kansas.
Title companies and title insurance
- What Does a Title Company Do?What a title company actually does in a Kansas real estate deal, what it doesn't do, who chooses it, and why it matters to buyers and sellers.
- How Much Does Title Insurance Cost in Kansas?How title insurance is priced in Kansas, why it's a one-time premium, what changes the cost, and how to get the exact figure for a $300,000 or $400,000 home.
- Who Pays for Title Insurance in Kansas?Who pays for owner's and lender's title insurance in Kansas and the Kansas City area, how the contract decides it, and when it gets negotiated.
- Is Title Insurance Worth It?Is owner's title insurance worth the one-time cost? What it protects, what happens without it, and when buyers are tempted to skip it.
- Title Company or Real Estate Attorney?Do you need a title company or a real estate attorney in Kansas? What each does at closing, when you need both, and how it differs from attorney states.
- How to Read a Title CommitmentWhat a title commitment is, how to read Schedule A and Schedule B, the difference between requirements and exceptions, and what to question before closing.
- Title Exceptions and Exclusions, in Plain EnglishWhat a title exception is, the difference between exceptions and exclusions in a title policy, and common exceptions on Kansas homes.
Closing, escrow and costs
- What Escrow Means on a HouseWhat escrow means when buying a house in Kansas, how escrow at closing differs from a mortgage escrow account, and whether you get escrow money back.
- Earnest Money: What It Is and When You Get It BackWhat earnest money is, how much is typical in Kansas, who holds it, how it's paid, and when you get it back if the deal falls through.
- Your Closing Disclosure, ExplainedWhat the closing disclosure is, when you get it, what to check line by line, whether it's final, and what changes restart the three-day wait.
- Closing Costs in Kansas City, on Both Sides of State LineWhat closing costs look like in Kansas City on both sides of the state line: buyer and seller costs, title insurance, tax prorations, and how to estimate yours.
- Kansas Closing Costs for Buyers and SellersWhat buyers and sellers pay at a Kansas closing: lender fees, title insurance, settlement and recording fees, property tax prorations, and how to estimate them.
- Missouri Closing Costs for Buyers and SellersMissouri closing costs for buyers and sellers in Kansas City and St. Louis: title insurance, settlement fees, recording, and how property tax prorations work.
- Protect Your Closing Funds From Wire FraudHow real estate wire fraud happens, warning signs, how to verify wiring instructions before you send closing funds, and what to do if you've been targeted.
Deeds and ownership
- Quitclaim Deeds in KansasWhat a Kansas quitclaim deed does, when it's used, why it's risky for buyers, how it's signed and recorded, and how it differs from a warranty deed.
- Warranty Deeds in KansasWhat a Kansas warranty deed guarantees, general vs. special warranty deeds, how they compare to quitclaim deeds, and how they're recorded.
- Kansas Transfer-on-Death DeedsHow a Kansas transfer-on-death deed passes a home outside probate, how it's signed and recorded, its limits, and the Missouri beneficiary deed equivalent.
- Adding or Removing a Name From a Kansas DeedHow to add someone to or remove someone from a house deed in Kansas, what it costs, the mortgage and tax issues, and when a title company or attorney is needed.
- Quiet Title: Clearing Ownership in CourtWhat a quiet title action is, when Kansas property owners need one, how long it takes, and how it clears clouds on title before a sale.
- Clouds on Title and How They're ClearedWhat a cloud on title is, common causes on Kansas properties, how each is cleared, and why to start before you list your home.
- Property Liens and What They Mean at ClosingCommon property liens in Kansas, how they're found, whether you can buy or sell a home with a lien, and how liens are paid off at closing.