My idea of a perfect settlement would go like this:

Myself, the Buyers and their Agent, the sellers and their agent, and the lender (just in case) all arrive to the table 15 minutes early. We all discuss the buyers future plans, discuss where the sellers are moving, show each other pictures of our children, and once we are done get down to closing.  Everyone has already seen the HUD since the package got to my office  yesterday. The buyers love the rate and term of their loan. The sellers take their proceeds and embark on life's next great journey.  The wire is in, keys are exchanged, we all hug, shake hands, and after 45 minutes total settlement time, live happily ever after.

Even though most settlement do go like this, there are the few that turn into disasters.

Please share with me and the AR community your nightmare settlement stories. Not only to vent. Not only for entertainment. But by understanding why and how things go wrong, we can all learn what we can do avoid these nightmare scenarios.

-Chris Breck,  American National Title