Settling purchases for buyers without an agent is one of the services we provide across Maryland. We are the settlement company: we do not represent you or the seller. If you are the seller, read for sale by owner settlement instead.
Who writes the contract
If the home is listed, the seller’s agent may offer to write up your offer. That agent represents the seller, not you.
If neither side has an agent, you and the seller can use a contract one of you provides, or ask us to prepare one from the terms you have both agreed. Either way, the contract should cover the price, the deposit, financing, inspection, the settlement date and the notices Maryland law requires.
The risks you now carry
A buyer’s agent would normally watch these for you. Without one, they are yours:
- Deadlines: inspection, financing and appraisal periods run from the contract date, and missing one can cost you the right to cancel or your deposit.
- Price: no one is checking comparable sales for you. Your lender’s appraisal checks value for the loan, not for you.
- Disclosures: read the seller’s disclosure or disclaimer statement and any association documents as soon as you get them. Your windows to cancel are short.
- Your deposit: the contract says who holds it and when you can get it back. Read that part closely.
- Title: your lender’s loan policy does not protect you. The owner’s policy is optional in Maryland, and it is the protection that stays with you after settlement.
If you want someone on your side of the deal, hire your own attorney or agent before you sign.
What we do, and what we do not do
We do
- Prepare the purchase contract from the terms you and the seller have agreed, with the notices Maryland law requires, or check that a contract you have includes them
- Search the title and clear any problems before settlement
- Work with your lender on its closing documents
- Prepare the settlement statement and hold the settlement
- Record your deed and issue your owner’s policy, if you choose one, and your lender’s loan policy
We do not
- We do not represent you or the seller
- We do not negotiate the price or terms for either side
- We do not tell you what to offer or whether to buy
Who this is for
- Buyers purchasing from a for-sale-by-owner seller
- Buyers purchasing from a relative, friend, landlord or neighbor
- Experienced buyers and investors who prefer to handle the purchase themselves
- Buyers of a listed home who choose not to hire a buyer’s agent
From offer to keys without an agent
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Line up your financing
If you are using a loan, get preapproved first. The seller will want to see it, and your lender will need the contract as soon as it is signed. A cash buyer should have proof of funds ready.
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Agree on the terms
Settle the price, the deposit, the financing and inspection deadlines, the settlement date and who pays which costs. Ask for the seller’s disclosure or disclaimer statement before you sign.
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Sign a written contract
Both of you sign a written contract with the contingencies you want and the notices Maryland requires. Request a call back if you want us to prepare it from the terms you have agreed.
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Open the title order
Send us the signed contract through our order form or by phone, with your lender’s details. We start the title search right away.
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Inspect and get approved
Schedule the home inspection at once, so you can act within the contract’s inspection period. Your lender orders the appraisal and approves the loan.
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Settle
We clear the title, work with your lender and hold the settlement, at our Glen Burnie office or wherever suits you in Maryland, at no extra cost. Your lender must give you the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before. We email wiring instructions. Before you wire any money, call us at (410) 768-2300, the number on this website, to confirm them. Never use a phone number from an email.
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After settlement
We record your deed and issue your title policies. If the home is your principal residence, we give you the Homestead tax credit application at settlement.
What you will need
- A lender preapproval letter or proof of funds
- Photo ID for each buyer
- The signed contract, every addendum and the seller’s disclosure or disclaimer statement
- The home inspection report and any repair agreement
- Homeowners insurance details for your lender
- How you want to hold title, for example with your spouse as tenants by the entirety
How long it takes
With a mortgage, plan on about 30 to 45 days from signed contract to settlement. Inspection and other contingency periods usually fall in the first weeks, on the dates your contract sets.
A cash purchase can settle sooner, once the title is clear.
What it costs
Your costs at settlement usually include your lender’s charges, title insurance, the settlement fee, recording fees and your share of the transfer and recordation taxes. A first-time Maryland home buyer may pay less. The first-time buyer rule.
Our fee depends on what the purchase needs. Call us for a quote at (410) 768-2300, or get an instant quote for the title charges.
Maryland points to know
Your right to cancel over late disclosures
The seller must give you a property disclosure or disclaimer statement. If you receive it only after you sign the contract, you may cancel within five days of receiving it.
Savings for first-time buyers
If every buyer is a first-time Maryland home buyer who will live in the home, the state transfer tax is cut to 0.25% and the seller pays it. The seller also pays the county transfer and recordation taxes unless the contract expressly says otherwise.
Owner’s title insurance
In Maryland the owner’s policy is optional. Its premium is paid once, at settlement. Why title insurance matters.
Association documents
If the home is in a condominium or homeowners association, the seller must give you the association’s documents, and Maryland law gives you a short period after you receive them to cancel the contract.
“They were very prompt, communicated frequently, and we had absolutely no problems.”
“Maryland first title, did a nice job on my transaction. They were very prompt, communicated frequently, and we had absolutely no problems. Definitely recommended”