Could This Happen to You?
Joe and Mary decided to move to Florida to purchase their waterfront dream home. They had worked for many years to save enough money to retire in the lifestyle to which they had become accustomed. They sold their home up north and took the proceeds of that sale to buy the house in St. Petersburg. They worked extensively to locate the perfect retirement home. After examining the real estate market in the Tampa Bay area, they decided that the Boca Ciega Bay area in south St. Petersburg would be the right place. After signing the standard real estate contract, the real estate agent sent them directly to a title company to assist in the closing. They looked at a survey at the closing but they did not closely review it. They also obtained a copy of a Title Insurance Commitment at the closing, which they also did not closely review. At the closing, everything went smoothly. The sellers were friendly, the realtors were cordial and the closing agent seemed to know what he was doing. Unfortunately, no one at the closing really knew what they were doing.
