As if going through the process of buying a house isn't stressful enough, having a crappy title company is even worse.
I should've gotten the hint, when the title company told me they were going to send a courier to pick up the earnest check for our house. Waited, waited, waited some more... by 4p, I called the title company again, and their response was a surprised one:
"*gasp*, the courier hasn't been by yet, oh my! Well maybe they'll stop by on Monday".
Um, yeah, that's not professional! Don't tell me something and then not do it (one of my pet peeves)! So many papers, so many deadlines that they asked from us, and when it comes time for the title company to do something in return, they weren't as quick to respond.
Closing day...got a call from the title company at 10:43a, "Hi, can you and your husband be at our office by 12:30p to sign your paperwork, oh and bring at least $200 extra, just in case there are some unforeseen fees we haven't add. Thanks!"
Mind you, I work in Central City Phx, my hubby works in Scottsdale.... AND we still had to get a certified check or money order.
Got to the closing, our Realtor was there, the notary was there...title company, no where in sight (and it was in their building). Started signing papers, read them first and saw, pages after pages of our names misspelled (letters added, letters intertwined, other spellings of our names), it was endless. The notary's response... just cross out the misspelled name (or word) , date it and write out the correct spelling. That's real reassuring....such an important document, signing our lives away for the next 30 years and the title company wasn't in sight, to take back the papers, correct the spellings of our names, reprint the papers and have us sign them.
Sheesh... every time the notary left to ask the title company a question, our Realtor would look at us and apologize...
So, in end, avoid this like the swine flu...Ask your Realtor or broker who the title company is and if you are able to change it, do so.