Our main office is in Ocala. Title searches, title insurance, escrow and closings that come to you across Marion County.
Element Title Group's main office sits at 948 NE 3rd St in Ocala, a few minutes from the Marion County Courthouse. We handle title searches, title insurance, escrow and settlement for buyers, sellers, realtors, lenders, builders and investors throughout Marion County and across Florida, and we close where it suits you: at our office, at your kitchen table, at your agent's office or online.
Florida is a title company state, which means a licensed title agent can handle your closing start to finish. No attorney is required, though you are always welcome to have one involved. Your file moves through four stages: we open the order and order the title search, we clear anything the search turns up, we prepare the settlement statement and collect funds, then we record the deed with the Marion County Clerk and disburse.
Florida charges documentary stamp tax on the deed at $0.70 per $100 of the sale price, or part of $100, everywhere except Miami-Dade County. On a $350,000 Ocala home that is $2,450. If the buyer is financing, the state also charges documentary stamp tax on the promissory note at $0.35 per $100, plus intangible tax on the new mortgage. Who pays which item is negotiable in the contract, and local custom in Marion County is that the seller pays the deed stamps.
These figures are current state rates and are shown to help you plan. Recording fees, endorsements, taxes and prorations vary by transaction, so ask us for a net sheet with your actual numbers.
Florida publishes promulgated title insurance rates, so the premium is based on the policy amount rather than on which company you choose. What differs between title companies is the service: how fast the search comes back, how clearly the numbers are explained and whether anyone answers the phone in the last 48 hours before closing. That is where we compete.
No. Florida allows a licensed title agent to conduct the closing, which is what we do. You may hire an attorney to review documents if you wish, and we work alongside one whenever a party prefers it.
Often yes. Florida permits Remote Online Notarization, so many sellers and buyers sign online with a commissioned online notary. Where a lender or document type requires wet signatures, we send a mobile notary to you instead.
It depends on the sale price, the loan and what the contract assigns to each side. Sellers usually look at deed stamps, title insurance under Florida's promulgated rates, recording and prorated taxes. Ask for a net sheet and you will see every line before you commit.
Cash transactions can close in about a week once the search is clear. Financed purchases track your lender's timeline. Tell us your target date when you open the order and we will work backward from it.
More: all service areas · closing costs by state · owner's vs lender's title insurance · mobile and remote closings