Title insurance companies

[Ricardo Green]

Is it wise to go with a title insurance company that the sellers attorney recommend?

[Clint Votruba]

A lot more information is needed to answer your question completely but here are some of my thoughts. 

First, in my area of Illinois, the Seller chooses the title company to fulfill his obligation to pay for the Buyer's Owner's policy.  Buyer has the option of choosing another title company to pay for his obligation to pay for the Lender's Policy, but then it would be a "split closing" which is terrible.  Even then, Buyers insist that Seller use a well known title company, Chicago Title, First American or Fidelity National, or at least a Policy underwritten by those companies.  Regardless, as a Buyer's attorney, I would never agree to an out of state title company unless I knew about them. Sometimes, when you buy a bank owned property, the bank uses an out of state title company.

Second, if you, the Buyer, are paying for the Owner's and Lender's Policy, then you should choose your own Title Company and I don't see why the Seller's attorney would care who you choose since you are paying all the premiums and costs.  In this case, use a local title company well known to everyone and a place in which you can stop and get updates on the transaction.  

Third, if you, the Buyer, are purchasing a property located in a state in which you live and the Seller's attorney want to go with a title company in another state, a company with whom you are not familiar, I would say "no." as you will be wiring funds to a company about which you know nothing.

Perhaps if you told us the state in which you live and where the property is located, someone could give you a state specific answer to your question.

Good luck.