The rates for title insurance are regulated by the State of Maryland. The settlement fee and others charged by the title company are not. You can shop fees, but the rates should be the same.

Gen an enhanced policy. A little more money, but worth it.

Shop around. Your realtor will try to steer you towards a company that they routinely do business with. This benefits the realtor only, not the client. See link below for recent example.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-05-02/business/bs-bz-northrop-federal-lawsuit-20130502_1_creig-northrop-team-home-buyers-settlement-services

No, it's not worth shopping around. The title company that is doing your settlement needs to be associated with the company in order to issue the policy and provide the needed information to your lender. 20:47 was on the right track but it doesn't matter where they bought it, just that the seller can provide you with a copy or the HUD that shows the Title Insurance policy. With this, you can request a re-issue rate that will provide you a good discount. The initial rates are registered with the State from my understanding and some Title companies will try to tell you the discount percentage decreases with age of the policy. The title policy is how the title companies make their money and pay their bills, not the $200-300 they charge for processing your settlement. Save yourself the headache and just pick the best title company!

Yes. You should try to figure out where the last owner purchased his/her policy. Sometimes you can get a discount.

Yes, and ask for a substantial discount. The prices are negotiable.

Is shopping around worth the time (MD) ?