Dear Wayne County Property Owners or Perspective Owners,

During the current year the Federal Trade Commission, once again cited the metro Detroit area as one of the two anti-competive markets in the nation for the provision of title insurance services.  As a result, the residents of Wayne County and its surrounding communities have not been afforded the opportunity to comparison shop for what is a very necessary and costly component of real estate acquisition.

To assist you in a comparative exercise while selecting your title insurance provider I have constructed an easy to use rate chart.  This information is consistent with the Federal statute intended as a consumer safeguard for real estate purchases commonly known as RESPA.  The rate calculator pertains to the cost of title insurance incident to the purchase and closing of property in Wayne County, Michigan.

The links to the left refer to various support sources which highlight the need for this consumer information long before a closing takes place. Shopping before the closing is critical during a time when most individuals are making the largest financial investment of their lifetime.

It is my hope this information utilized early within a real estate transaction will result in a more competitive arena for title insurance and a stimulated housing market for Wayne County, Michigan

Bernard J. Youngblood
Wayne County Register of Deeds

FTC Definition of Title Insurance

Title insurance is the business of insuring the record title of real property for persons with some interest in the estate, including owners, occupiers, and lenders.  A title insurance policy insures against certain losses or damages sustained by reason of a defect in title not shown on the policy or title report to which it refers.

Currently over 90% of US title insurance policies are insured by five companies in the 18 billion dollar industy (Forbes, Inside America's Richest Insuance Racket 11/13/2006.)

Title Insurance Rate Calculator

To assist in your decision for the purchase of this component of closing costs, you can use our rate calculator as a basic guideline for expected charges. This guideline is for estimation purposes only, please consult with an attorney, real estate agent or other fiduciary for specifics to your transaction.  You can find our rate calculator by clicking here, or using the "Compare Rates" tab from the menu above.