Resources
Answered by IRIS
Questions, Answered by IRIS℠
The title search is the only diligence workstream in a real estate transaction that is customarily ordered after the decision it is supposed to inform. Everything in this answer follows from that.
IRIS is the title intelligence behind every Intelligent Title file, opening orders the moment they land, reading the record, pricing any state, and answering at any hour. Every answer on this page is an IRIS answer: the same knowledge, the same pricing engine, the same library IRIS uses in live conversation. If your question isn’t here, ask directly, the chat window on every page is IRIS, and the answer is instant.
The Fundamentals
Why the timing of the title search is the variable that matters.
What makes Intelligent Title different from other title companies?
Honestly, the search itself is standard work, and plenty of title companies do it well. What's different is how the file runs here. You can order the search on day one, on its own, with no contract and no policy commitment. Within 24 hours you have ownership, liens, encumbrances, judgments and taxes, and the legal description, plus the premium for your state and transaction. Every finding shows the record it came from and the date it was searched. IRIS answers pricing and status questions at any hour. The same file then runs all the way to your title insurance policy. The easiest way to see the difference is to try it on your next file. Start your order.
Why does the timing of a title search matter more than its price?
Price matters, and ours is simple. But timing is where the value is. The title search is usually the one piece of diligence ordered after the decision it's meant to inform. Appraisal, environmental, survey, insurance, and credit all start early. Title waits. Pre-Policy Intelligence℠ moves the search to day one, while what it finds can still shape the terms. Order it at the start of your next transaction and see what changes when you know the record first.
What actually changes when title work starts on day one?
Mostly, the rest of the file gets calmer. Lenders underwrite against a known record instead of assumptions. Attorneys advise with the full picture at engagement. Buyers and investors commit knowing what's recorded. And when something needs curative work, there's time to handle it well instead of racing a closing date. That's the whole idea, and the best way to understand it is to experience the difference once. Order on day one.
Why $149, and is it a fee added to my title policy?
It's a fair question, since nobody wants a new line on the closing statement. It isn't an add-on. The $149 pays for the search and examination, done at the start of your transaction instead of the end, and it is credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. The work is performed either way, and the findings belong to you. We'd like to write your policy, and we think the early start is the best reason to let us.
Isn't title insurance mostly claims? Why pay for the search separately?
That's what most people assume, and it's a reasonable guess about insurance in general. Title works differently. Claims cost just over four cents of the premium dollar from 2013 to 2022, according to ALTA and Milliman. In 2025 the industry paid $32 per policy in direct losses against $1,367 per policy in net premiums earned, according to the NAIC. Most of what you pay for is the work that keeps claims from happening: the search, the examination, and the curative work. Pre-Policy Intelligence delivers that work on day one, and the $149 is credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy.
How does ordering early protect against fraud?
No search stops every bad actor, and we won't pretend otherwise. What an early search does is take away the time fraud depends on. The share of title firms reporting at least one seller-impersonation attempt rose from 28 percent in a 2024 survey to 59 percent in a 2026 study, according to ALTA. FBI losses in its Real Estate crime category climbed from $145.2 million in 2023 to $275.1 million in 2025, according to the IC3 2025 annual report. Checking who owns the property against the record on day one gives everyone time to act if something doesn't match. Order early and give your file that time.
What does artificial intelligence change about title evidence?
AI is useful, and we use it. It also makes fake documents easier to produce. FinCEN has reported criminals using generative AI to create falsified identification, photographs, and video, and 58 percent of title professionals now rate deepfake image or voice technology as at least somewhat common in impersonation attempts, according to ALTA. When a document can be made in minutes, what you can rely on is the examined record behind it, with a source and a date on every finding. That's what we deliver, starting on day one.
So does IRIS replace the title professional?
No — and replacement was never the point. IRIS exists to arm the professionals on your file, not to remove them. IRIS opens your file, assembles the record, prices any state, and answers your questions at any hour. Every judgment call carries a licensed professional's signature, that's not a limit on IRIS, it's how your file gets both speed and accountability. Policies are underwritten by Stewart Title Guaranty Company and WFG National Title Insurance Company, and a dedicated title closer owns your file from open to close. You get fast answers and experienced people on the same file.
What goes wrong when title work waits until conditional approval?
Often nothing, and most files close. The work is the same either way; what changes is how much time you have. In ALTA's 2024 curative work study, title professionals reported that 36 percent of files on average needed substantial, nonroutine curative work. In the usual order of things, that work turns up weeks into the file, after the rate lock and the closing date are set. That's where delays, renegotiations, and lock extensions come from. Ordering on day one gives the same work room to breathe.
Isn't that just the cost of doing business?
For a long time it was, because there was no other way to do it. Now there is: the same search, ordered on day one, for $149, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. We'd suggest trying it on one file and comparing how it feels. Start your order.
When is my day one?
It depends on your seat in the transaction. SBA lenders: the letter of intent. Institutional lenders and mortgage originators: intent to proceed, after the Loan Estimate. DSCR and hard money lenders: the term sheet. Certified development companies: project intake. Attorneys: the engagement. Buyers and owners: before you sign, or the day you do. Creative finance: before the structure is drafted. Investors: the offer. Whatever your seat, the idea is the same: order the search when the decision is still being made.
Ordering and Your Policy
The short answers about ordering, price, the policy that follows, and what makes the experience different.
What is Pre-Policy Intelligence?
Pre-Policy Intelligence℠ is the title search and examination, ordered on day one instead of at conditional approval. You can order it on its own, with no policy commitment and no signed contract. The file it opens is the same file that carries through the commitment, the curative work, and the title insurance policy at closing.
What does it cost, and is it an extra charge on top of my title insurance?
Pre-Policy Intelligence is $149 for every property and transaction type, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. It isn't a charge on top of the policy. The fee covers the search and examination, which are performed either way, and the findings are yours.
What do I receive, and how quickly?
An initial response within 24 hours covering ownership, liens, encumbrances, judgments and taxes, and the legal description. Every finding shows the record it came from and the date it was searched.
Do I need a signed contract, a lender, or a policy order before I can order?
No. A letter of intent, a term sheet, a loan application, an engagement, or an offer is enough to start. Most people assume a title search needs a policy order first. It doesn't, and that assumption is why the search usually shows up after everyone has already committed.
Who can place the order?
Whoever needs the record: a buyer or owner, a borrower whose lender shares the order link, an attorney's client at engagement, an investor at the offer, or a borrower at project intake on a 504 file. Whoever orders receives the findings.
How do I order?
Go to the order page, tell us about the property and the people working on the transaction, and pay securely through Stripe. Your file opens the moment we receive the order, and your confirmation arrives by email.
What happens after the initial response?
The same file keeps going to closing: the title commitment, curative work handled alongside underwriting instead of behind it, endorsements, and the title insurance policy at closing, with the $149 credited in full against the premium. A dedicated title closer and closing team run the file from open to close. Nothing needs to be ordered twice.
Is the initial response a title commitment or a policy?
No. It's a preliminary title picture, the earliest documented view of what's recorded against the property. As the file moves along, we issue the formal title commitment and, at closing, the title insurance policy. The early findings inform both; they don't replace them.
Who underwrites the policy?
Policies are underwritten by Stewart Title Guaranty Company, founded in Galveston, Texas in 1893, and by WFG National Title Insurance Company, part of Williston Financial Group. Intelligent Title is a brand of American Commercial Title LLC.
What will my title insurance premium be?
It depends on the state, the transaction, and the amount of insurance, because each state regulates title rates in its own way (NAIC survey of state title rate laws). IRIS℠ can price a policy for your state and transaction at any hour, and our team confirms the figure on your file.
Who is IRIS?
IRIS, the Intelligent Real-time Information System, is the title intelligence behind every Intelligent Title file. IRIS opens your file, assembles the record, prices any state, and answers your questions at any hour. IRIS handles pricing and file status; every judgment call on your file carries a licensed professional's signature.
What if I close with a different title company?
That's your call, and the findings are yours to take with you. We'd still like to earn the policy: the search is done, the file is already open, and the $149 is credited in full against the premium when you close with an Intelligent Title policy.
Do you pay referral fees to lenders, brokers, or attorneys?
No. We pay no referral fees, commissions, marketing payments, or per file compensation for a Pre-Policy Intelligence order or a title insurance policy. The person ordering pays for the search, and the choice of provider stays with whoever holds it.
Is there portfolio or volume pricing?
Pre-Policy Intelligence is $149 for every file, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. For portfolio or white-label arrangements, write to us at orders@intelligentitle.com.
How do I reach you?
Orders and general questions: orders@intelligentitle.com, any time of day. Pricing or file questions: iris@intelligentitle.com, or open IRIS on any page.
SBA Lenders
Answered by IRIS.
We order title after we have a credit decision. Why would I spend anything at the letter of intent?
That order makes sense, and it's how most SBA files have always run. Here's what changes if you move it up: at the letter of intent, what the record shows is still something you can structure around. After the credit decision, it's a closing condition. My recommendation is to order at the LOI. It's the same search, you'll have it within 24 hours, and the $149 is credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. Try it on your next deal. Start the order.
This is a title search with a marketing name on it. What is actually new?
You're right that the search itself isn't new, and I won't pretend it is. What's new is when and how you can order it: on day one, on its own, before anyone has committed to a policy. You get a cited, dated record within 24 hours, and I can answer pricing and status any time you ask. Order it at your next letter of intent and experience the difference when the record comes first.
Our title company down the street has done our deals for fifteen years. Why should I change?
Fifteen years of good work deserves respect, and I'm not asking you to question it. This is about sequence, not skill. When the search is ordered at the letter of intent, curative work has time instead of a deadline, and the same file carries straight through to the policy. I'd suggest giving us one deal to show you. Order at the LOI, and if it closes with our policy, the $149 is credited in full against the premium.
Most of our files are clean. Why pay on deals that never reach authorization?
Most are clean, and that's good news. The trouble is you can't tell which ones aren't until someone reads the record. The search and examination are performed either way, and the findings are yours to keep. At $149, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy, it doesn't take many surprises caught early to pay for itself. Order on your next LOI and see what the early read tells you.
Who pays the $149, the bank, the borrower, or the project?
Your fee policy decides, and any of the three works. On 504 files, title searches and abstract costs are eligible project costs under SBA SOP 50 10 8.1. The price is the same $149 whoever pays, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. Pick the payer and place the order at the letter of intent.
Is this a second charge on top of the title bill I already pay at closing?
I understand the worry, and it's not. When the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy, the $149 is credited in full against the premium, so you never pay twice for the same work. The search is already done by then, which is exactly why the file that opens at the LOI is the one we'd like to close.
What is my exposure if your search misses something?
That's the right thing to ask before trusting anyone with your lien. Policies are underwritten by Stewart Title Guaranty Company and WFG National Title Insurance Company. Every finding shows the record it came from and the date it was searched, and every judgment call carries a licensed professional's signature. Order early, read the record, and let the policy stand behind it.
How does this touch my workflow? I am not adopting another portal.
Fair enough. Nobody needs another login. There's no portal to adopt: one order at the letter of intent, one document back within 24 hours, and you can ask me for pricing or file status any time. Order on your next deal and see how little changes on your side.
Who do I call at 6pm on a Friday when a closing is moving?
You call me. I answer pricing and status around the clock, and your file has a named closer and closing team behind me for anything that needs a person. The honest answer, though, is that ordering at the LOI means fewer Friday calls in the first place. Start your next file early and see for yourself.
Twenty-four hours is a marketing number. What is the turnaround reality?
I'd be skeptical too. Here's exactly what the 24 hours covers: the initial response on ownership, liens, encumbrances, judgments and taxes, and the legal description. Curative work takes as long as third parties take, and I can't speed up a lienholder. That's the reason to start at the letter of intent. Order there and hold us to it.
Show me the SBA hook. Where does the program actually care about title?
Right in its own procedure. SBA SOP 50 10 8.1 says lien position on real estate is generally evidenced by a title insurance policy, and lenders have to document proper lien priority (13 CFR 120.920). All of that starts with the record. My recommendation is to read it at the letter of intent, then let the same file carry you to the policy.
A lien shows up after SBA has authorized the loan. Walk me through what that actually costs me.
It's rare, but it's the scenario worth planning around. A late lien reopens terms and conditions you thought were settled, and if proper priority was never obtained, the guaranty itself can be at risk under SBA SOP 50 10 8.1. Reading the record at the LOI avoids both. Order on your next deal and see what you know before authorization.
Institutional Lenders
Answered by IRIS.
We order title at conditional approval and our files close. Why move the order up?
They do close, and that's a real track record. The question is how much of the file's clock the search uses. Purchase loans averaged 36.8 days in March 2026, with 26 of those days after the rate lock, according to the ICE Mortgage Monitor. Ordering at intent to proceed moves the search out of that window. Try it on your next file and see what the lock period feels like.
We run a national vendor panel with negotiated pricing. This duplicates what we already buy.
A negotiated panel is valuable, and nothing here asks you to take it apart. What we offer is a search you can order before the commitment stage, on its own, with no policy commitment, for $149, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. The initial response comes back within 24 hours with a source and date on every finding. Run a file through us and experience the difference.
This is a preliminary title report. We get those already.
You're right, the content will look familiar. The difference is timing and terms: you can order it earlier, on its own, and every finding shows its record source and search date. The price is a flat $149, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. Order it at intent to proceed on your next loan and see what earlier gets you.
Our post-closing defect rate on title is low. Where is the loss I am not seeing?
A low defect rate is something to be proud of. What it doesn't show is the exceptions your team cleared under deadline to get there. That work happens either way; the only question is whether it happens with time to spare. Order at intent to proceed and give your team that time.
If the borrower pays the $149, how is it disclosed?
It's straightforward. If the borrower pays, it's disclosed as a title service on the Loan Estimate with the "Title -" label (12 CFR 1026.37(f)). Many lenders simply absorb it instead. Either way, it's $149, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. Your compliance team applies the rules; I just describe them.
Is the borrower paying twice for the same search?
No, and that's worth being clear about with borrowers. When the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy, the $149 is credited in full against the premium. The fee pays for work that was actually performed, and the findings belong to whoever ordered them. Nobody is billed twice.
What is my exposure if you are wrong, and does it follow the loan to the investor?
That's the question a careful lender should ask. Policies are underwritten by Stewart Title Guaranty Company and WFG National Title Insurance Company. Investors expect a policy and reject unacceptable title impediments under Fannie Mae Selling Guide B7-2-05, and that risk sits with you either way. That's the strongest argument for looking early. Order at intent to proceed.
Why is the trigger the Loan Estimate rather than application?
Because the rule sets it there. Regulation Z bars imposing fees on the consumer before the Loan Estimate is received and intent to proceed is given (12 CFR 1026.19(e)). If your institution absorbs the fee, you can order sooner. Either way, intent to proceed is the natural day one for your files.
Who do I reach after hours when a lock is expiring?
Me, at any hour, for pricing and status, with a named closer and closing team behind me for anything that needs a person. Ordering at intent to proceed is how fewer locks ever get to that point. Start your next file there.
We have title relationships in every market we lend in. Do those go away?
No. Those relationships took years to build, and nothing here requires exclusivity or a policy commitment. I'd suggest starting one file with us at intent to proceed and seeing the difference the timing makes. When that file closes with our policy, the $149 is credited in full against the premium.
Quantify the rate lock argument for me.
Fair ask. Lock extensions are priced; published wholesale schedules, like this Land Home Financial Services rate lock policy, charge for every extension. A title matter found inside the lock window becomes a cost someone pays. The same matter found at intent to proceed is just a task. Order early and keep it a task.
What does this do for post-closing delivery and my warehouse line?
It helps more than people expect. Investors require a policy and reject unacceptable title impediments (Fannie Mae Selling Guide B7-2-05), and aged loans on a warehouse line often trace back to document problems (OCC Comptroller's Handbook). Clearing exceptions before closing protects the delivery file. Order at intent to proceed and deliver clean.
DSCR and Hard Money Lenders
Answered by IRIS.
Speed is the product I sell. If I order title at term sheet, I have added a step before I have a deal. Why would I slow myself down?
Speed is your edge, and I'd never ask you to give it up. This doesn't add a step. It moves the search into the quiet days before the clock starts, so the payoff and lien problems that stall a fast close show up while they're still easy. Order at the term sheet and see how much faster the back half runs.
This is a title search with a marketing name on it. My title company already runs one on every file.
They do, and the work itself isn't new. What's new is the sequence. You can order it at the term sheet, on its own, for $149, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy, with no policy commitment. Give it one file and experience the difference.
I close in seven to ten days already. What does a 24-hour response actually change for me?
It won't make a seven-day close shorter, and I won't claim it does. What it does is tell you on day one whether this is the clean file you priced for, before you promise anyone a funding date. Order at the term sheet and quote your date with confidence.
I am asset-based. If title comes back with problems, I simply don't fund. Why pay to find out sooner?
That's a sound discipline. The difference is what your options look like. Declining on day eight is the expensive version of that decision. At the term sheet, you can still reprice or restructure, and plenty of those files can still be funded. Order early and keep your options open.
Who pays the $149, me or the borrower, and what happens to it if I do not fund?
Either side can pay; that's your call. When the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy, the $149 is credited in full against the premium. Either way, the search was performed and the findings belong to whoever ordered them. Decide the payer and order at the term sheet.
I fund thirty to fifty loans a quarter and many are repeat borrowers with portfolios. At $149 a property that is a line item I have to defend.
At your volume, that's a fair thing to watch. Portfolio and white-label arrangements are handled directly with our team at orders@intelligentitle.com. And with repeat borrowers, the entity and vesting work you pay for once carries into the next file. Write to us and let's set it up around your pipeline.
My loans are non-recourse and asset-based. If your search misses a lien, I have no borrower to chase. What is my actual exposure?
That's exactly why you should care about the record. The policy, underwritten by Stewart Title Guaranty Company or WFG National Title Insurance Company, stands behind your lien position. The early search is what keeps you from ever needing to lean on it. A licensed title professional makes every judgment call. Order at the term sheet.
How does this touch my process? I am not rebuilding my pipeline for a vendor.
You shouldn't have to. You order at the term sheet the same way you order a valuation, and nothing else in your pipeline changes. The curative work just runs alongside underwriting instead of behind it. Try it on your next file.
I have used the same title company for years and they turn my files around. Why should I move?
Fast turnaround is worth a lot, and you don't have to give it up. The question is whether your search can be ordered at the term sheet, on its own, before anyone is committed. Ours can, for $149, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy, with an initial response within 24 hours. Give us one file and compare.
It is six on a Friday and my borrower has to fund Monday. Who actually picks up?
I do, for pricing and status, around the clock. A dedicated closer and closing team sit behind me for anything that needs a person. I don't clear title; a licensed title professional makes that call. The best fix for Friday nights, though, is ordering at the term sheet.
Most of my borrowers vest in an LLC, often one formed last week. Does that break your 24-hour response?
No. New entities are common in your world, and we're used to them. Entity vesting is part of the initial response: the vested owner and chain of conveyance, each with its record source and search date, so you can check it against the operating agreement. Order at the term sheet and have it before you fund.
My loans are business-purpose, so RESPA and TRID do not apply to me. Does that change how the $149 works?
It mostly changes your freedom on timing. Business-purpose loans sit outside Regulation X and Regulation Z by their own terms (12 CFR 1026.3, 12 CFR 1024.5), so when to order is a business decision. Your counsel applies the rules; I only describe them. My recommendation is the term sheet.
Mortgage Bankers and Brokers
Answered by IRIS.
My borrower will ask why there is a $149 charge before they are even approved. What am I supposed to say?
They will ask, and they deserve a straight answer. Tell them it's the title search, ordered now instead of later, for $149, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. It's a cost they'd have anyway, just moved earlier so there are no surprises near closing. Order at intent to proceed and let the borrower see the difference.
We already order title on every file. What is different here besides who I call?
The search and scope are the same, so that's a fair point. The difference is you can order it on its own at intent to proceed, and the initial response comes back within 24 hours, with a record source and date on every finding. Try it on one file and experience the difference.
A meaningful share of my pipeline never funds. Why buy title work on files that will not close?
That's the reality of origination, and you know your fallout better than anyone. The search is performed either way, and the findings belong to whoever ordered them. Against production expenses of roughly eleven thousand dollars per loan reported by the MBA, knowing early is the inexpensive part. Order at intent to proceed.
My processor orders title at conditional approval and we hit our dates. Why change a process that works?
If you're hitting your dates, your processor is doing a great job. The process works until a file needs serious curative work, and substantial curative files take many hours to resolve, according to ALTA's curative work study. Ordering at intent to proceed gives that file the time it needs so it doesn't cost you extension days.
Who eats the $149, me, the borrower, or the lender?
Whoever orders it pays, and any of the three works. The price is the same $149, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. Pick the payer that fits your model and order at intent to proceed.
Is this a duplicate charge? The borrower already pays a title search fee on the Closing Disclosure.
It's a fair concern, and no. When the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy, the $149 is credited in full against the premium, so the search isn't paid for twice. Order early and walk your borrower through a closing statement with no surprises.
If your search is wrong and I have to re-disclose or extend a lock, what is my exposure?
Nobody wants that call. The underwriters, Stewart Title Guaranty Company and WFG National Title Insurance Company, carry the indemnity on the policy. More practically, ordering before the lock is set is what keeps a finding from turning into a re-disclosure or extension in the first place. Order at intent to proceed.
I get referrals from a title company. Does using you put that relationship at risk?
That relationship matters, and ordering a search doesn't require you to change it. What we offer is the search on day one and a policy that closes on the same file, with the $149 credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. Try it on one file and decide for yourself.
How does this touch my workflow? I am not adding a system for one fee.
You shouldn't have to. It's one order at intent to proceed, alongside the appraisal. Nothing else in your workflow changes; the curative work just runs parallel to underwriting. Start with your next file.
Who do I call at six on a Thursday when my closing is Friday?
Me. I answer pricing and status around the clock, with a dedicated closer and closing team behind me. Anything that needs judgment carries a licensed professional's signature. And the files that start at intent to proceed tend not to need that Thursday call.
Regulation Z says I cannot charge before intent to proceed. Does a $149 title order at intent to proceed create a problem for me?
You're right to check. That rule is exactly why intent to proceed is the trigger. Regulation Z restricts fees before the Loan Estimate is received and intent to proceed is given (12 CFR 1026.19(e)(2)(i)). Your compliance counsel applies it to your files; I only describe it. Once intent is given, order.
RESPA Section 8. If I am sending files to you, is any part of this a referral question?
Good instinct to ask. We pay nothing for referrals. Regulation X treats a referral as not compensable, while permitting payment for services actually performed (12 CFR 1024.14). Your counsel applies that to your arrangements. The borrower or you pay for the search, and that's all.
Certified Development Companies
Answered by IRIS.
The third-party lender orders title. Why would the CDC order anything at intake?
They do, and the bank's title work protects the bank's first lien on its own schedule. Your second lien rests on the same record, though. Reading it at project intake costs $149, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. Order at intake and see the record before either lien is set.
Our closing counsel catches these matters. Why add a step ahead of them?
Good closing counsel is essential, and this doesn't replace them. It gives them the record at intake instead of near the closing package, which is where their pressure really sits. Order at intake and hand your counsel a head start.
This is just a title search. What is different besides the name?
You're right, it's the standard search. The difference is you can order it on its own at intake, with a record source and search date on every finding, for $149, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. Title searches are eligible 504 project costs under SBA SOP 50 10 8.1. Try it on your next project and experience the difference.
We have never missed a debenture funding over a title issue. Why change now?
That's a strong record. Files are getting more document heavy, though, and half now need nine or more sources, according to ALTA's study of title production. Ordering at intake turns the record from something you discover late into something you schedule. Keep the record going; order at intake.
Who pays the $149 on a 504 project?
The CDC, the borrower, or the interim lender, whichever fits your practice. Title searches and abstract costs are eligible 504 project costs (SBA SOP 50 10 8.1), and the $149 is credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy.
Is this a duplicate of the title charge already in the project budget?
No. When the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy, the $149 is credited in full against the premium. The fee pays for work performed, the findings belong to whoever ordered them, and nothing is paid twice.
What is our exposure if your search is wrong?
That's the right question for anyone holding a second lien. Policies are underwritten by Stewart Title Guaranty Company and WFG National Title Insurance Company. Every finding shows its source and search date, and a licensed title professional makes every judgment call. Order at intake and start from a record you can check.
How does this fit our intake process without adding staff work?
It shouldn't add any. One order at intake, one document back within 24 hours, and you can ask me for status or pricing at any hour. Every judgment call carries a licensed professional's signature. Place the order with your next intake.
Who is available when we are assembling a package against a submission deadline?
I am, for status and pricing, around the clock, with a named closer and closing team behind me. Reading the record at intake is what keeps package week calm. Start your next project that way.
We work with the same interim lenders and their title companies every project. Does that change?
No. Those working relationships are valuable, and there's no exclusivity here. Both liens simply start from one record, read at intake. If the file closes with our policy, the $149 is credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. Try it on one project.
Explain how this helps the two-lien structure specifically.
A 504 project is a first lien, a second lien, and an interim loan, all resolved in sequence (13 CFR 120.801). One surprise in the record can move two lien positions at once. That's why it belongs at intake. Order there and give both liens the same clear start.
A lien surfaces late. What does that actually do to our funding date?
It's more than a short delay. Debenture funding runs on published monthly dates, with a cut-off roughly two weeks before pricing (SBA Information Notice 5000-869666). A late lien can push you to the next cycle. Reading the record at intake is how you keep your date.
Attorneys and Closing Counsel
Answered by IRIS.
I have been in business twenty years, I order my own title work at week fourteen. Why change now?
Twenty years of practice earns you the right to do it your way. Here's the one thing that shifts: at week fourteen, a finding becomes a delay conversation. At engagement, it's a drafting decision. My recommendation is to have your client order at engagement. It's the same search, and the $149 is credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. Try it on your next matter.
This is just a title search with a new name?
The search is the same work, you're right. What's new is ordering it at day one instead of late in the file, on its own, with a record source and search date on every finding. Have your client order at engagement and see what earlier gives you.
My paralegal pulls the record herself, and we have done it that way for years.
That's real skill, and it doesn't go away. This gives your team a sourced starting point within 24 hours, so their hours go to analysis instead of retrieval. Try it on your next engagement and see where your paralegal's time goes.
I have a title company I have used for years, and I am not going to disturb that relationship.
That loyalty is earned, and I'd never ask you to disturb it on a file you've already placed. What I'd suggest is letting your next client order the search from us at engagement, on its own, and seeing what it's like to start with the record in hand. If that file closes with our policy, the $149 is credited in full against the premium.
Who pays the $149, and how does it sit in an engagement letter?
It's a flat $149 for every file, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy, so it's easy to disclose as a client cost. How you bill it is your call and your jurisdiction's rules. Most counsel have the client order directly at engagement.
If we later order a commitment, am I paying twice for the same search?
No. The commitment comes from the same file, and when that file closes with an Intelligent Title policy, the $149 is credited in full against the premium. It's never a second charge for the same work.
What is my exposure if your examination misses something?
That's the right question for anyone relying on a record. Every finding shows its source and search date, a licensed title professional makes every judgment call, and the indemnity sits with Stewart Title Guaranty Company and WFG National Title Insurance Company through the policy. Have your client order at engagement.
How does this touch my workflow, and what is the turnaround reality?
One order, one sourced document, with the initial response within 24 hours. Nothing in your closing process has to change. Try it on your next matter and experience the difference.
Who do I call at six in the evening? My file does not stop at five.
Neither do I. I answer pricing and status around the clock, and behind me sit a dedicated title closer and a full closing team. Anything that needs judgment goes to a licensed title professional. Have your client order at engagement, and the evening calls get simpler.
Who does your examiner work for, and where does that leave me on agency?
Our examiner works for Intelligent Title and examines to underwriter standards. We deliver the sourced record. The legal opinion and the representation stay entirely with you.
I practice in an attorney state. Who is permitted to issue the opinion, and does an outside examiner complicate that?
We don't issue opinions or practice law, so we're not stepping on your role. Where an attorney opinion is required, as in Fannie Mae Selling Guide B7-2-06, we deliver the examined record with sources so the attorney issuing the opinion has it earlier. Have your client order at engagement.
What is my real exposure for advice given before anyone read the record?
I won't speak to any state's standard of care; that's yours to judge. The practical point is sequence: advice given before the record is read rests on assumptions. Have your client order at engagement, and advise with the record in hand.
Real Estate Buyers and Owners
Answered by IRIS.
I am not even under contract yet. Why would I pay for a search now?
That's a fair question, and a lot of people ask it. You don't need a contract or a lender to order. You can order the search on its own for $149, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy, and read the record before you commit to anything. My advice is to order before you sign, or the day you do. Start your order.
Isn't title work the lender's job?
It feels that way, and your lender does order title. But the lender's title insurance protects the lender's loan, as the CFPB explains. A search you order early answers your questions, on your timeline. Order before you sign and see the record for yourself.
My agent said the title company handles all of this.
Your agent is right that it gets handled, usually close to closing. This is the same search read earlier, while you still have room to talk about price, terms, and timing. Order before you sign and go into the negotiation knowing more.
I get a title commitment before closing anyway. What does this add?
You do, and it's an important document. This is the same search and examination, delivered at the start instead of near the end. The commitment still comes; it just stops being the first time you learn something about the property. Order early and experience the difference.
Is this $149 on top of my closing costs, or instead of something?
It's not an extra closing cost. It's a flat $149, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. You're paying for the search earlier, not paying for it twice. Order before you sign.
What happens to my $149 if my plans change?
Plans change, and that's normal. The fee covers the search and examination, which were performed either way, and the findings are yours to keep. When you close with an Intelligent Title policy, the full $149 is credited against the premium.
My deposit is already committed. What is a search actually protecting at that point?
It's still worth having. Deposits are usually committed on assumptions, and a sourced record at or near contract lets you set terms and contingencies knowing what's actually recorded. Order the day you sign, and read the record while it still helps.
Do I need my agent's or lender's permission to order this?
No. You order it directly, the findings belong to you, and it doesn't interfere with your agent's or lender's process. Start your order.
Twenty-four hours sounds like marketing. And who do I talk to at ten at night?
I get the skepticism. The initial response arrives within 24 hours, and I answer pricing and status at any hour, including ten at night. A dedicated title closer and closing team handle your file, and a licensed title professional makes every judgment call. Order and see how it feels to get answers when you need them.
I own my home free and clear and I am not selling. Why would fraud against my title be my problem?
It makes sense to think fraud only matters when you're selling. Unfortunately, impersonation often targets owners who aren't, especially people who own property free and clear or don't live there, as the FBI has warned. A search shows you what's recorded against your property right now. If you'd like peace of mind, order one.
I am refinancing, or pulling equity out. Does the timing argument still apply?
It does. Refinances often turn on releases and payoffs from older loans. Reading the record before you apply means an old lien that was never released shows up before your rate is locked, not after. Order before you apply.
It is $149 against a purchase worth hundreds of thousands. Does it really move the needle?
For most people, a home is the largest thing they'll ever own. Reading the record costs $149, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy, and it happens while price and terms can still change. My advice is to order before you sign. Start your order.
Creative Finance
Answered by IRIS.
I have closed fifty subject-to deals without a search up front. Why change now?
Fifty deals is real experience, and I'm not questioning it. Your structure is only as good as the recorded facts under it, though. Reading the record costs $149, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy, and it happens before you draft, not after you sign. Order before your next structure and experience the difference of knowing what's underneath it.
This is just a title search. I pull the county record myself in twenty minutes.
Your county lookup is useful, and you clearly know your way around it. It's one source, though. Half of title files need nine or more sources, and 27 percent need documents obtained in person, according to ALTA's study of title production. A full search and examination covers the rest, with sources and dates, within 24 hours. Order before you draft.
The seller told me the balance and said the loan is current, and I have a signed authorization.
That's a good start, and the seller may be completely right. A payoff authorization covers one loan. The search shows everything else recorded, including older mortgages that were never released, judgments, and taxes. Order before you draft and build on the whole picture.
My closing attorney or title company handles this when we get to the table.
They'll do their job well. This is the same search they'd run, ordered before you draft instead of at the table. It replaces nobody in your process. Order it when the seller conversation gets serious.
I look at ten properties to structure one. Am I paying $149 ten times?
Only if you order on all ten. It's $149 per property, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. Order on the ones you're serious about, and if you run volume, write to us at orders@intelligentitle.com about portfolio pricing.
What if I read the record and decide not to structure the deal?
That's a legitimate outcome. The fee covers the search and examination, performed either way, and the findings are yours. More often, what the record shows changes the structure rather than ending it. Order before you draft.
What is my exposure if you miss a lien on a wrap I am already servicing?
That's a serious concern when you're servicing the payments. Every finding shows its source and search date, a licensed title professional makes every judgment call, and the indemnity sits with Stewart Title Guaranty Company and WFG National Title Insurance Company through the policy. Order before your next structure.
Where does this fit before I have the seller signed? I do not want to slow the conversation down.
You shouldn't have to. Order it when the seller conversation turns serious. The initial response comes back within 24 hours, before terms are drafted, so you negotiate from documents instead of recollections.
I structure at night and on weekends. Who answers then?
I do, for pricing and status, at any hour. A dedicated title closer and closing team run the file, and a licensed title professional makes every judgment call. Order whenever you're working; I'll be here.
Do you have a problem with creative structures? Will you refuse to close a subject-to?
We examine the record, not your business model. Whether a policy can be issued is decided by a licensed title professional, and ordering a search commits neither of us to a policy. Order before you draft and let's see what the record shows.
Due-on-sale is the thing everyone warns about. What does reading the record actually change?
It's right to take it seriously. The search doesn't change a lender's rights under 12 U.S.C. 1701j-3, and nothing here gets around them. What it does is show you which loans are recorded before you build a structure on them. Order before you draft.
I am vesting into a land trust or an LLC. Does that change what I need?
It makes the record more important. We report the vested owner and chain of conveyance as recorded, with sources, before the vesting is drafted. Your counsel decides the structure. Order before you draft.
Real Estate Investors
Answered by IRIS.
I pull my own records off the county portal. Why would I pay $149 for something I can do myself?
Your portal read is real work, and it catches a lot. It isn't the whole record, though. Half of title files need nine or more sources, and 27 percent need documents obtained in person, according to ALTA's study of title production. The $149 is credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. Order at the offer and compare it with what you pulled.
I have bought sixty houses. I know what a title problem looks like. Why change now?
You clearly do. The change isn't about spotting problems; it's about finding them while they're still part of the price, instead of a reason to ask for more time. Order at the offer on your next deal.
This is a title search with a new name. Every closing I do includes one.
It's the same search, ordered earlier. You can order it on its own, with no contract and no policy commitment, for $149, credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. Try it at the offer and experience the difference the extra time makes.
My last deal fell through on the day of closing and the listing agent still brings it up. How does this make my next offer better?
That's a tough spot, and agents do remember. An offer written on an examined record is a stronger offer. You're no longer promising diligence you haven't done, and you become the buyer who shows up ready. Order at the offer and let that be the reputation agents remember.
I write ten offers to get one deal. That is $1,490 an acquisition. Make that pencil.
Fair math. You don't need to order on all ten. Order on the offers you intend to win, and talk to us at orders@intelligentitle.com about volume. One better priced acquisition can cover a lot of searches.
Half my deals are assignments or double closes. Whose search is it, and does it travel?
The findings belong to whoever ordered them, with sources and a search date on every item. That's exactly what an end buyer or their lender wants to see. Order at the offer and bring the record with you.
Say you miss something and I am already forty thousand into a rehab. What is my exposure?
That's the nightmare scenario, and it's worth asking. The underwriters, Stewart Title Guaranty Company and WFG National Title Insurance Company, carry the indemnity through the policy. The early search is what keeps your rehab dollars out of a property with a problem to begin with. Order at the offer.
I close with the same attorney and title company on every deal. Why add another party?
A closing team you trust is worth keeping steady, and we don't replace your attorney. What we add is an examined search at the offer, on its own, and then the policy on the same file, with the $149 credited in full against the premium when the file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. Try it on one deal.
I write offers at nine on a Sunday night. Who is there?
I am, for pricing and order status, at nine on a Sunday or any other time. A dedicated closer and closing team sit behind me, and a licensed title professional makes every judgment call. Order when you write the offer.
I do forty deals a year. What is the volume number?
At forty deals, it's worth a direct conversation. Portfolio and white-label pricing is handled by our team at orders@intelligentitle.com. The standard price stays flat at $149 for every property, credited in full against the premium when each file closes with an Intelligent Title policy. Write to us and let's set it up.
My deals come from tax sales and foreclosure auctions. The clerk already tells me it is buyer beware. What can you tell me that quiet title cannot?
The clerk is being honest with you. The clerk can't guarantee clear title, and some governmental liens survive the sale, as the Duval County Clerk of Courts notes. Quiet title is the fix after you already own it. Reading the record is how you know before you bid. Order before the auction.
My money is in holding cost and exchange deadlines. Convince me on the calendar, not the risk.
Fair enough, let's talk calendar. The 45-day and 180-day exchange limits can't be extended for hardship, according to the IRS. Curative work doesn't care about your deadline. Examine the record before you identify the property, and keep your calendar yours. Order at the offer.
Your question is about your file?
That is where I come in. Ask me about pricing or the status of your file and I will answer right now.