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A Basic Understanding of CC&Rs 

The Declaration, Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (also known as CC&Rs) is a recorded document that creates and governs a common-interest community. A common-interest community is real estate which can...

Authority and Acknowledgments

A statement of authority provides evidence there is an entity and establishes the authority of one or more persons to act on behalf of an entity. A statement of...

Beneficiary Deeds 

A Beneficiary Deed is a deed signed by the owner of his or her real property during the owner’s lifetime, recorded in the land records for the county where...

Colorado Withholding Tax

The sale of Colorado real estate by nonresidents, with some exceptions, is subject to a withholding tax in the anticipation of Colorado income tax that will be due from...

Commit to Knowing Your Title Commitment 

A title commitment is the result of an order being placed with a title insurance entity usually pursuant to a mutually executed contract to buy and sell real property. ...

Easy Tips for Staging 

1 | Declutter & Organize 

  • Time to purge all those old clothes! Donate or trash any old items you don’t use anymore.
  • Clear off surfaces such as, kitchen countertops,...

Endorsements and Exceptions 

Endorsements

An endorsement provides affirmative insurance coverage against risk or a title defect not otherwise covered by the policy or specifically excluded by the policy in its exclusions. Although there are some standardization...

FIRPTA Withholdings and Exceptions 

When is FIRPTA Applicable?

If the seller is not a US citizen or legal US resident, the buyer may be required by law to withhold a certain percentage of the...

Foreclosure Timeline

Learn more about the Colorado Foreclosure Timeline and helpful resources during the process.

HOA Retrieval Service & Checklist

First Integrity Title Company’s Homeowner Association (HOA) Department continues to assist your sellers in obtaining and distributing HOA Common Interest Community (CIC) documents when requested. First Integrity Title’s HOA...

How to Avoid Cyber Fraud 

Cybercriminals continue to create new ways to fraudulently obtain funds from settlement agent escrow accounts. There is no single solution for cyber threats and not all methods are foolproof....

Mineral Rights

In Colorado mineral rights can exist as a separate estate, treated independently of the ownership of the surface estate. Owners of land in Colorado can sever some or...

Owner’s Extended Coverage

 There are certain title issues that arise which need to be dealt with immediately. As a general rule, when you receive the Title Commitment for your transaction, the first thing...

Power of Attorney 

A Power of Attorney (“POA”) is a document that allows for a Principal to hand over authority to an Agent to act on behalf of the Principal. Another name...

Probate Requirements  

In Colorado, probate is the legal process by which title to assets are transferred from the decedent to his or her devisees or heirs where the ownership of the...

Real Property Transfer Declaration   

The real property transfer declaration (TD-1000) is one data set among many data sets that assists county assessors in properly determining the value of real property for the purpose...

Reissue Rates Explained

A reissue rate (also known as a short term rate) is a discount rate on the cost of an owner’s policy and/or a refinance loan policy. The requirements for...

Solar Panel Purchase Transactions

Solar panels can be owned free and clear but more than likely, there is a lien on the solar panels. Buyers, sellers and their agents should be aware...

The Home Buying Process 

 1 | Prepare Finances 

  • Find a mortgage lender and obtain pre-qualification or pre-approval to determine your loan qualifications.

2 | Hire Real Estate Agent 

  • Agent provides full services for house hunting, contract preparations, negotiations,...

Title Requirements for Entities 

The legal capacity of the seller and buyer to execute closing documents is a common issue that arises in real estate closings when entities are involved. Knowing what title...

Transfers After Acquisition 

The topic of transferring property after acquisition and the effect of the transfer on title insurance coverage comes up fairly frequently. The typical scenario is one where a person buys a piece of...

Trust First Integrity   

Title insurance is a charge which protects your investment against loss arising from flaws and defects already existing in the title for as long as you or your heirs...

Types of Deeds 

A deed is a legal instrument, in writing, duly executed and delivered, whereby the owner of real property, otherwise referred to as the grantor, conveys to another, referred to...

Understanding a Deed of Trust 

The preferred method in Colorado to secure loans against real property is a deed of trust. A deed of trust is given as security for a debt. When a...

Understanding the Closing Process 

When purchasing a home, there are so many details to take care of that it can feel overwhelming. The last thing you need to worry about is a problem...

Ways to Get More Listings

working your data base 

  • Work FSBO’s and expired’s. Consider working expired listings that aren’t “recently” expired.
  • Be an expert in the market. Understand the statistics (daily) and preview as many properties as...

Why Title Insurance? 

Title insurance is a charge which protects your investment against loss arising from flaws and defects already existing in the title for as long as you or your heirs...

Your Guide To A Seller’s Net Sheet 

Seller net sheets are an invaluable tool for real estate brokers when they first meet with their listing clients. There are a lot of closing related costs traditionally paid...