Dallas closing due diligence · October 12, 2026
Read the title commitment as a routing document.
Confirm what the commitment describes, identify what the proposed policy would not cover, track what must happen before issuance and route property-specific questions to the right professional.
Quick answer
The title commitment comes before closing; the title policy is issued after closing. The commitment says a title company is willing to issue a policy if its stated conditions are met. It is not the policy itself and does not guarantee that no title issue exists or will arise.
Use the commitment to start specific conversations with the title agent, your real-estate professional and, when legal meaning or contract rights are at issue, a Texas attorney. Do not rely on a generic list to accept an exception or waive a deadline.
Private review board
Route the commitment; do not interpret it alone.
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Mark the conversations you have completed. The board stays in your browser, stores nothing and does not decide whether title is acceptable or a contract right exists.
1. Verify the document and transaction identity
The current TREC One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale), Form 20-19, became effective July 1, 2026. Your executed contract controls the transaction, while the title commitment is a separate pre-closing document. Confirm the form and revision you signed, the commitment number and effective date, and any later commitment updates.
Texas Department of Insurance Form T-7 places the proposed policy, proposed insured, ownership interest, record title and legal description in Schedule A. Compare those entries with your contract, lender documents and the property you believe you are buying. A spelling, vesting or description question belongs with the title agent and qualified counsel—not an online template. TDI Form T-7 · Current TREC resale contract
2. Read Schedule B as proposed limits—not a defect verdict
TDI says a title commitment lists potential issues, exclusions, or exceptions. It does not guarantee that there are no current issues or that none will arise in the future. Read the listed items carefully because they can become exclusions or exceptions under Schedule B of the policy.
Request the recorded instrument behind a specific exception when you need to understand it. Ask how an easement, restriction, mineral reservation, survey matter or other exception affects the exact property and your plans. The words “standard exception” do not tell you whether an item matters to a planned addition, fence, pool, rental use or access route. TDI title insurance FAQ
3. Track Schedule C requirements separately
Form T-7 says the company will issue the proposed policy upon payment of charges and compliance with Schedule C requirements. Treat each listed requirement as an open workflow item: identify who must provide the release, payoff, affidavit, correction, approval or other document; ask what evidence will close it; and request an updated commitment when appropriate.
A requirement is not automatically your personal obligation, and this guide cannot decide whether it was satisfied. Keep the title company’s written status separate from a seller promise, lender condition or verbal update.
4. Reconcile the commitment with the survey and the physical property
A title commitment, survey, inspection and appraisal answer different questions. Put the legal description and recorded exceptions beside the survey and your intended use. Ask qualified professionals about a mismatch, encroachment, access question, boundary concern or improvement that does not appear where expected.
The Texas option-period guide can help organize the broader inspection-to-decision work. The Dallas fixer-upper guide covers repair bids and permit questions. Neither replaces title or legal review.
5. Separate title charges from cash-to-close totals
TDI’s Schedule D rule requires disclosures about the estimated title premium and who receives portions of it. Final closing funds can also include many non-title items. Compare the commitment, lender disclosures and closing statement by description rather than assuming every charge with “title” or “closing” in its name buys the same protection.
Use the Dallas cash-to-close guide to keep down payment, prepaids, credits, deposits and outside costs in separate lanes. Ask the title agent and lender about discrepancies; do not wire funds from emailed instructions without independently verifying the destination through a trusted channel.
6. Preserve the contract clock and the final handoff
The signed contract—not this article—sets delivery, objection, cure and closing terms. Record the dates your agent or attorney identifies, leave time for review, and do not assume the option-period deadline and title-review deadline are interchangeable.
Before closing, ask whether the commitment changed, how accepted resolutions are documented, which exceptions will remain, and when the final owner policy should arrive. Keep the final policy, survey, deed and closing records together after purchase.
Buyer next step
Turn every unclear item into a named question.
Write down the schedule, item number, underlying document, property plan it may affect and the professional responsible for answering. Preserve the response and any updated commitment with your closing file.