If your name on your ID has changed from the name shown on title, you will need to bring documented proof of the name change such as a marriage license, divorce decree or recorded name change.

Prior to the closing, your agent may provide you with a Good Faith Estimate or you can contact our office to receive a Preliminary HUD-1 statement to verify the funds associated with the closing.  If monies are to be brought to closing by you, they will need to be in the form of certified funds or money order or you may wire the funds directly to our bank.  Certified funds or money orders should be made payable to yourself and endorsed to our office at the time of closing. If the funds you bring are in excess of the amount needed at the end of the closing, a refund check will be issued for the difference.

Your mortgage broker will typically require this prior to closing.  Bring the declarations page and invoice / proof of payment, if available.

If applicable - Any allowances payable at closing MUST be documented with invoices.  Please make sure the invoice reflects the amounts on the contract and include name and address for the check to be issued.

Your loan officer may notify you of additional items that may need to be brought to the closing to satisfy conditions of the loan (pay stubs, tax filings, gift letter or other documents).  Verify with your loan officer if you have any special issues.

If the Lender requires a termite letter, an original termite infestation letter dated within 30 days of the closing must be brought to closing. Termite Letters or Georgia Official Wood and Infestation Reports typically cost between $35 to $50.  Below are some links to different termite companies:

• Allgood Pest Solutions
• Terminix
• Zone Pest Control

Please note that per the 2007 Georgia Association of Realtors Purchase and Sale Agreements, the termite letter is the responsibility of the Buyer. Ask your Agent or Loan Officer whether or not you will need to bring a termite letter to closing.

Owner's Title Insurance is an optional insurance coverage ensuring title to your property.  Dickason Law Group uses both First American Title Insurance and Old Republic and Mississippi. We  strongly recommend the one -time purchase of title insurance for the following reasons:

• While Lender's coverage is required, Lender's Title Insurance does NOT provide protection for the Buyer.
• A title search is performed on the property, but there are several types of title problems that can arise, such as liens, mortgages, easements, and other defects in title (such as forged or fraudulent documents) that were either not discovered, not yet recorded, or filed incorrectly.
• For example, a recently filed document is still valid, but would be impossible to find since it can take several weeks for a document to physically appear on record after it is filed.

The consequences of defects in title:

• Defects in title could mean that you will be held responsible for unpaid taxes, liens, or mortgages on the property.
• Even more so, you can lose your house to the rightful owner, and your down payment!

How Owner's Title Insurance works:

• If you have Owner's Title Insurance and your policy covers the defect in title, then you simply file a claim with the Title Company and they either negotiate a settlement or take the case to court.
• Regardless, you, having paid the one-time premium, are not responsible for any attorney's fees or damages.
• If the Title Company loses the claim in court and the house is taken away from you, your down payment will be returned to you.