The Commission, which is participating in the JoyNews Habitat Fair, says prospective homeowners must verify land ownership, conduct searches and ensure their transactions are properly registered before committing their hard-earned money. Acting Deputy Executive Secretary in charge of Operations at the Lands Commission, Surv. Mr Hokey says the risks are particularly significant given the nature of land ownership in Ghana, where a large proportion of land is held under customary ownership. And so, family lands, stools, skin lands, individual lands, a mix of all that. He says searches at the Lands Commission could take as little as a day in some cases, although more complex transactions may take longer.