Title insurance & escrow · Dallas, Texas
The gold standard in title & escrow.
Commercial and residential closings in Dallas, backed by a law firm and built for speed. Three of our four owners are Texas attorneys, and every file runs on the same systemized process from order to funding.
Prefer to talk first? (214) 306-8606
40+
transactions closed in our first six months, 2021
$1B+
structured finance led by our founder since 2011
75+
matters tried to verdict by our executive escrow officer
3of 4
owners are Texas attorneys
Why Aurum
Two advantages, on every file.
What our owners built the company around, for developers, investors, agents and lenders alike.
Backed by a law firm
Our owners include the managing partners of Atwood & McCall, PLLC, and our executive escrow officer is a board-certified trial attorney who leads real estate transactional matters there. Tangled title, old liens and high-liability transfers reach attorneys, not a queue.
Meet the partnersBuilt for speed
Every file runs on the same systemized process: the commitment, the curative list, the survey review and the lender's instructions tracked from the first day, so problems surface while there is still time to fix them.
What sets the pace of a closingAurum, Latin for gold
Quiet confidence for your largest deals.
Aurum stands for enduring value and quality you can rely on. Whether you are closing a commercial acquisition or a family home, the file is read the way a board-certified trial attorney reads a contract and run the way a commercial investor runs a closing: every date, every requirement and every dollar accounted for.
Texas sets title insurance premiums, so they are the same at every company. What you are choosing is the people who handle your file.
Our disciplines
What we close.
Each kind of deal raises its own title questions. Open yours to see what we check, who closes it and how to start the order.
Ownership
The partners.
Commercial finance experience and board-certified legal rigor, in one firm. Escrow officers Austin Pennington and Monday Locklear hold Texas licenses.
Who we serve
Built for the people who send us files.
Developers, commercial brokers and investors, residential agents and mortgage lenders across Dallas-Fort Worth.
I appreciate your thoroughness in adding critical dates and deadlines for this transaction- SO appreciated! Looking forward to helping close this out with Aurum.
H. Hicks · Client testimonial
The process
From contract to funding.
- 01
Open the order
Send the contract, the parties and the lender. An escrow officer confirms the file and the earnest money receipt.
- 02
Title commitment
We search the record, issue the commitment and walk you through the exceptions in Schedule B and the requirements in Schedule C.
- 03
Clear to close
Curative items, survey review, lender instructions and a settlement statement every party has approved.
- 04
Close and fund
Signing in our office or by mail-away, recording, funding and disbursement. The final policies follow.
Texas premium estimate
What will the title policy cost?
The State sets the premium. Enter the sales price for the owner's policy estimate.
Resources
Answers before you ask.
Commercial dealsHow to choose a commercial title company in DallasIn Texas the premium is the same everywhere, so the choice comes down to who examines the title, who runs escrow and how they handle commercial problems.
Why do I need title insurance?
Title insurance protects against covered losses from title defects that existed before you bought, such as forgery, an undisclosed heir or an improperly recorded document. You pay the premium once, at closing. Texas does not require it, but lenders require a loan policy, and only an owner's policy protects the buyer.
Are title insurance premiums the same at every Texas title company?
Yes. The Texas Department of Insurance sets title insurance premiums, so the same policy carries the same premium at every title company, and discounts or rebates are not allowed. Escrow fees and other closing charges are set by each company and can differ.
What is escrow?
Escrow is the neutral holding of money and documents by the title company until every condition of the sale or loan is met. The escrow officer receives the earnest money and closing funds, prepares the settlement statement and pays everyone at closing.
What is an escrow fee?
It is the title company's charge for handling the closing and the escrow. Unlike the title premium, it is not set by the state, so it varies between companies. On a standard Texas resale contract the buyer and seller each pay one-half unless they agree otherwise.
Who pays for what at a Texas home closing?
The Texas Real Estate Commission resale contract has a box for whether the seller or the buyer pays for the owner's title policy, so that is negotiated. The same contract lists one-half of the escrow fee as a seller expense and one-half as a buyer expense, and puts the loan title policy on the buyer. Commercial contracts set their own terms.
Who chooses the title company?
The buyer and seller name the title company in their contract. Under federal RESPA rules, a seller may not require a buyer using a federally related mortgage loan to buy title insurance from a particular company as a condition of the sale.
Ready to close?
Experience the gold standard in title.
Open the order online or call the Dallas team. A licensed escrow officer confirms it the same way every time: the contract, the parties, the dates.