[redwitch]

Sounds like she got back her initial purchase price of the house or at least the initial value of the land itself, just not the appreciation of the land and, possibly, not the house itself.

The biggest concern I would have with not getting title insurance is that there might be a farmer's estate somewhere down the line that has a claim. Another possibility is a sub-sub-contractor -- they frequently don't get paid and end up filing mechanic's liens. The third reason to get a policy is to protect the actual measurements of your plot. If it is later determined that a surveyor was off, you have some protection.

Basically, though, I agree that if you won't lose any sleep over not having it, then don't get it. Personally, I'd be awake nights waiting for the nasty knock on the door telling me something was wrong and losing the property but that's me (and my luck, sometimes).