Joe Gentile · Federal Title & Escrow Company

Reissue Rates Explained

Written by Joe Gentile on September 12, 2019.

What is a reissue rate? Simply put, it is a homebuyer discount on the cost of an owner’s title insurance policy. The following sets forth the requirements along with the most common questions we encounter from homebuyers. (Our title...

Why Picking The Right Closing Date Matters

Written by Joe Gentile on April 22, 2019.

There’s one detail of the closing process that regularly gets overlooked: selecting a closing date. This often-overlooked detail can make a big impact on your entire closing experience. Here are some tips when trying to select a closing...

Owner’s Title Insurance: You Have Options Despite What Your Title Company Might Tell You!

Written by Joe Gentile on April 8, 2019.

You Have A Choice: Every day I take phone calls or receive emails from prospective clients who are shopping for a title company. And every day it always amazes me when they are genuinely surprised to learn that there are two different title...

Location Surveys, When Are They Needed?

Written by Joe Gentile on March 18, 2019.

When purchasing a property, there are many different expenses, a lot of which seem to overlap. One expense that is frequently questioned is whether it is worth it to obtain a location drawing, a boundary survey or no survey at all. Most...

What is FIRPTA?

Written by Joe Gentile on April 14, 2016.

The rules of FIRTPA changed February 16, 2016 when the withholding rate on properties over $1 million increased to 15%. Read our coverage of the increase of FIRPTA withholding to learn more. The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act,...

Loan payoff includes more than just principal balance

Written by Joe Gentile on March 20, 2013.

In about half of the settlements that I conduct a seller will stop me and comment, “The payoff is too high, I owe less than what’s listed.” This is because the seller is confusing the mortgage principal balance with the payoff amount. The...

How to take advantage of property tax appeal process

Written by Joe Gentile on January 10, 2010.

The decrease in home prices does have some advantages, one of which is the opportunity to challenge property tax assessments. Often I find myself seated at closing with a homebuyer who has purchased a property for far less than the county...

Maryland First-time Homebuyers: True/False

Written by Joe Gentile on May 7, 2009.

If you’re a first-time homebuyer in Maryland, you may have heard conflicting information about tax credits and other incentives offered in Maryland, so we’ve dispelled a few common myths. As long as you have not owned a principal...

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Author: Joe Gentile

Reissue Rates Explained

Why Picking The Right Closing Date Matters

Owner’s Title Insurance: You Have Options Despite What Your Title Company Might Tell You!

Location Surveys, When Are They Needed?

What is FIRPTA?

Loan payoff includes more than just principal balance

How to take advantage of property tax appeal process

Maryland First-time Homebuyers: True/False

Settlement Observer

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The HELOC scam is a bigger threat during COVID-19 pandemic

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The HELOC scam is a bigger threat during COVID-19 pandemic

Financial assistance for Maryland homebuyers

Buying a home during coronavirus – and closing at a safe distance