People who buy and sell real estate on the East End have plenty to think about before the deal closes. Whether it’s an individual purchasing a piece of oceanfront residential property or a consortium buying a commercial lot for a new retail development, the stratospheric price points that are common in today’s market magnify the importance of every decision.
One decision that often gets overlooked is choosing whom to trust to handle your title insurance. While the task of hiring a title insurance company usually falls to real estate and legal professionals, the decision can have dramatic repercussions for buyers and sellers.
The best title insurers are fully versed in the myriad challenges that are unique to the North and South Forks: land use regulations, easements, property liens and many other factors can easily complicate a sale and delay the time from contract to close – or even kill a deal at the 11th hour.
Attributes like efficiency, industry knowledge and professionalism are always paramount. But core competencies being more or less equal, local expertise is arguably the most important differentiator among title insurance companies on the East End.
Enter Advantage Title Group. With 37 years of service to the East End community, Advantage Title has created a reputation as one of the most trusted names in the business. And a big chunk of that reputation flows from its unsurpassed knowledge of the local market.
“We’re here on the ground,” says Chris Nuzzi, Advantage Title’s executive VP and regional director. ”Riverhead is different from East Hampton; Shelter Island is different from Southold. Understanding and respecting those differences, and being able to work with various buyers and sellers and land use professionals during the process is unbelievably important.”
A lifetime East End resident, Nuzzi grew up in East Hampton and was formerly a two-term town councilman in Southampton. He currently heads up Advantage Title’s Riverhead office.
“I just love to be able to work in the area I’m from,” he says. I grew up in this community, I respect every area of it and I love working with the people who are making it what it is.”
“We have our own counsellors and examiners on staff who have been doing this for a long time,” he continues. “Our team and I work directly with real estate agents and attorneys, gathering information on properties before the realtor even takes the listing or shows it to a buyer. For example, the realtor might need to know whether or not there’s an easement that provides access to the water. We also recognize the importance of going back through county records and finding that a lot of the decisions that were made many years ago can affect the sale of a property and what can and can’t be done with it today,” he says.
In a challenging market, Nuzzi stresses that there is absolutely no substitute for local knowledge and experience. And living in the community you serve certainly doesn’t hurt.
“Our entire staff, not just our leadership, has an understanding of what this community is,” he notes. “I think that speaks to the depth of what we represent and what I like to believe is a big part of our success.”
While his company has played a vital role in many thousands of transactions over almost four decades of doing business on the East End, Nuzzi is particularly proud of a recent deal Advantage helped facilitate – a deal that is consistent with Nuzzi’s focus on the overall health and vibrancy of his hometown community.
Advantage Title recently provided the title insurance work for the Town of East Hampton’s purchase of 30 acres of property along Wainscott Pond. The $56 million deal is the largest purchase the town has ever made through its Community Preservation Fund.
“As a former councilman, I loved the public service part of it,” Nuzzi says. “Even from a private standpoint, being able to be a part of transactions [like the Wainscott deal] are especially gratifying, because I think those are assets that are going to work for the best interests of the community for years to come.”
There’s no question that Nuzzi is a guy who’s very in tune with the market he and his company serve. He sees challenges ahead. But overall, he’s very bullish on 2025.
“I think 2025 will be a great year,” he says. “We’ve always been blessed with relative stability in the market. There are many things related to this local environment that will not change. There are always issues to be addressed, but as it relates to the beaches and the open spaces and the hamlet centers and the villages that dot all the towns surrounding the Eastern End of Long Island – those things are only growing and progressing and getting better.”
“Inventory should be OK,” he continues. “As confidence builds and as the desire to be here remains or even grows and as money frees up, the market could tighten. Pricing matters and desire matters for people. This is a market where desire plays an outsize role. And I see people’s desire to be here growing. I also think that [ending] the uncertainty associated with this national election – irrespective of anyone’s political affiliation – probably only helps in terms of determining a direction for people in terms of investment. So I think that will carry over into 2025.”
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