I remember many years ago the law firm I was with had almost all our residential purchase clients happily come in bringing their "same day mortgage commitment" from a large state-wide bank - ready to close on their new home ASAP; schedule our closing now please.  For almost two years, his bank cornered the residential mortgage market  with it's "same day commitment," other banks couldn't or wouldn't compete with that.

 (With a smile) Then I read the second to the last page (not the page they signed, rather the page they didn't read) to the borrowers, it contained the "subject to" paragraph.  The "written commitment" was subject to an appraisal, subject to a lender's title insurance policy commitment, subject to verification of employment, etc.  What we in the industry started calling the "un-commitment."

So I see a 5-second title report as a possibility, with a one-page attachment that includes a standard list of "subject to," such as verification that there are no outstanding tax, sewer, water, judgment and other liens.