Just before you get ready to move into your new home, the final steps include title and closing services. The Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties team offers guidance with buying and selling real estate. We work with the best in the business to make sure you have a pleasant experience during closing.

Weissman PC is BHHS Georgia Properties’ strategic Partner for title and closing services.

Weissman PC is a real estate and litigation law firm with extensive residential real estate closing practice. They provide practical legal expertise distinguished by superior customer service and full use of the latest closing technology. Weissman has a proprietary closing platform, ClosingConnect, that streamlines the closing process for agents, buyers, and sellers. It allows registered users to share and view the status of a file and certain documents online to create a simple, seamless, and smarter way to prepare for closing.

With over 50 lawyers, Weissman PC has locations throughout metro Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, for the convenience of homebuyers and sellers. By using new technologies and employing the best lawyers and closing staff, Weissman provides an unmatched closing service. Weissman also serves as General Counsel to the Georgia REALTORS®.

As part of closing, a title search will need to be done. Weissman employees will search through court records to make sure all liens have been satisfied and that there are no lien holders that have outstanding claims on the property. The title search will also ensure that the person selling or financing the property holds the title and rights to sell it. If the title is clear, a letter will be issued saying so. A sale or home loan cannot proceed if there are issues with a title.

Title closing companies can offer title insurance policies. At closing, the buyer takes the title to the property through the execution and delivery of a deed by the seller. Owners’ title insurance protects the buyers and buyers’ heirs from financial loss in the event a problem develops regarding ownership rights.

Since a title search is done in advance, a title should be clear. However, there are times when documents may get overlooked. It is a buyer's option, but the experienced Forever Agents℠ at BHHS Georgia Properties recommend title insurance as an important protection for such a valuable investment.

Closing costs for a home purchase vary greatly based on the property, loan agreement, and negotiation. In Georgia, typical closing costs for the home buyer can range between two to five percent of the price of the home. Closing costs typically include:

• Origination fee: The administrative costs associated with processing a mortgage. This is typically 1% of the loan amount.
• Application fee: Fee a lender charges to process an application.
• Underwriting fee: What the lender charges to verify the buyers’ financial information before final approval of the loan.
• Appraisal fee: What the appraisal office charges to assess the home’s fair market value by comparing properties that were recently sold in the same area.
• Inspection fee: What a home inspector charges for a complete inspection of the home.
• Title insurance: What the title company charges to protect the buyer and/or lender if an ownership dispute is found during a title search.
• Credit report fee: The fee charged to pull a credit report from the three major credit bureaus.
• Escrow deposit: Some lenders will require two months' worth of property tax and mortgage insurance payments to be in an escrow account at closing.
• Escrow fee: Also known as a closing fee, this is what a closing company charges for their services.
• Title transfer costs: What the state or local government charges to transfer the title from the seller to the buyer.
• Homeowners insurance: Evidence of a homeowner’s insurance policy will need to be available at closing.
• Recording fee: What a city or county charges for recording public land records.
• Prepaid interest: Interest that accrues on the loan between closing and the date of the first mortgage payment.
• Property tax: All local property taxes incurred within 60 days of a home purchase must be paid during closing.
• Attorney fee: What an attorney charges to prepare and review the home purchase agreement and any other contracts.

The seller is typically responsible for the Realtor commission fee, although they may sometimes agree to pay the buyers’ closing costs in addition to the commission to make the sale. Because there is so much variation in both buyer and seller closing costs, affiliating with a trusted law firm is paramount to ensure you fully understand all your closing costs.

The talented Forever Agents℠ at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties are prepared to help buyers and sellers through the closing process. We also offer help with insurance, home warranties, and other aspects of property transactions. If you are interested in finding a new home, contact one of our offices to find a real estate agent in Georgia to help you find your dream home.