Hazard Insurance may Delay Your Real Estate Closing
Under the new TILA/RESPA Integrated Disclosures (“TRID”) real estate settlement practices, consumers (those taking out a mortgage to buy a home) must receive and acknowledge the Closing Disclosure, a document showing where all the money is going, a minimum of 3 business days before the actual closing can occur. This means that if any dollar amount changes on the Closing Disclosure, and it has to be acknowledged again, the closing will be delayed for at least another 3 days.
How is Hazard Insurance delaying closing?
One of the biggest issue is old custom. Prior to TRID, it was common for hazard insurance quotes to be obtained a day before closing or even the night before closing. This is because previously there was some leeway regarding dollar amounts and time tables, but not anymore.
So, if the the realtor or real estate attorney do not remind the client to get hazard insurance lined up, the closing could be delayed until a quote is received, updated on the Closing Disclosure, received and acknowledged by the client and a new closing date can be arranged between all parties.
Conversely, I have also seen a closing delayed because the hazard insurance quote was obtained TOO EARLY. Due to changes in the purchase price, the appraised value, or issues discovered during inspection or the walk through, the cost of hazard insurance could change. If the insurance salesman or broker does not take the proper steps to keep everybody informed of any such changes delays may occur.
With the change in laws and the addition of stricter requirements and guidelines, it is more important than ever to hire an experienced real estate attorney to handle your closing. Do problems happen? Sure they do. But you want somebody with the experience and the know-how to limit problems, to spot them when they occur, and to resolve them in a quick and painless manner.
If you are looking to buy a house or condo in Connecticut, let us handle your real estate closing matters. We charge flat rate fees on closings, and we offer FREE phone consultations, so you can make sure we are the right attorney for you.
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