Given we review the Prelim prior to listing, we've only had non-title issue try to torpedo a few past deals like unpaid child support and we have caught on title a few IRS liens...pre-MLS - no deal to kill.

ZERO 

ZIPPO 

NADDA

The first thing I do is open escrow. 

Review the preliminary title report.

If there are any concerns or issues, they are resolved upfront to ensure the issues do not delay the close of escrow.

I get everything done upfront, other than the items that cannot be cleared until we have a buyer and close escrow. 

I had a property that the owner had no abstract and he purchased it also without an abstract. We had an attorney work on it and the title company rejected the work about 3 times before we completed it to titles satisfaction.

Adding This: The one thing that has cost the most, otherwise solid sales did NOT happen at the title company, it happens after an over zealous Home Inspector writes a report detailing minor things that did not warrant an alarmest attitude.

The old short sale days brought up lien holders coming up out of the wood work.

  I sold a parcel of land / acreage with a couple of houses on it.  The Buyer was a builder/developer who planned to renovate the existing homes for rentals, then build some more homes on that property.

   A title law firm that rarely makes an error or misses anything failed to find out the Deed was faulty.  They had done a pre-search before I wrote the contract.

    They called me when we were well under contract.  "Fred, this property belonged to someone who died intestate (no will) some years ago.  The Deed that was created for the current owner is faulty; we've got to do a suit for  Clear Title."

    That law firm noticed about a dozen potential heirs of the deceased person.  I don't recall how, or if, any of those heirs responded but the required time (the Objection Period, per Florida Statutes 0045.031) went by and nobody laid claim to that parcel.

      As I recall the Seller was granted either a Judicial Deed or a Certificate of Title.

    So we did Close, but it was a nail-biting couple of weeks wondering if someone was going to lay claim to the land.

As Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Real Estate Svcs.  does, I open a pre-sale title/escrow account even before I have a signed listing. That lets me know who can sign and who cannot and what liens are outstanding. Surprises are minimized.

It has always been my practice to do the search and hold ... preliminary report is always the first step ... keeps me on top of any issues that need addressing.

Steven...good one here

Preliminary Title Report or pre-lims tell the trained eye what to expect regarding liens, a must know in this business Steven Hoeke ...attorneys use lien tools to collect & do battle BTW...

I open title with the title company before listing it in the MLS. Any issues are dealt with upfront. No surprises.

None, out title companies do a great job at getting things done.

There are homes in Santa Clarita, California that have a clause the makes the bew owner pay a donation to a charity everytime these homes sell.  It's an obstacle to explain and hard to overcome.

Steven Hoeke I am on the same page as Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Real Estate Svcs.