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First American hosts ‘Women in Title’ forum
Posted Date: Friday, May 19, 2017
An Ohio-based First American Title Insurance Co. (FATIC) sales representative envisioned a forum featuring some of the top women in the title industry.
A little more than one year later, her dream was realized at FATIC’s Women in Title gathering, a two-day event in California that included women executives from some of the largest title companies in the country.
Read on for more details.
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CFPB to supervise service providers, will ‘level the playing field’
Posted Date: Thursday, May 25, 2017
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently quietly announced its plan to expand its direct supervision to service providers, which Director Richard Cordray considers a weak link when it comes to some compliance issues.
An attorney who specializes in industry-compliance issues told The Title Report that the increased scrutiny will benefit service providers that have invested in compliance systems and training.
Read on for more details.
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Fidelity announces acquisition
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Fidelity National Financial (FNF) Chairman Bill Foley told analysts during an early May conference call that the company would continue to grow through strategic mergers and acquisitions.
That didn’t take long.
FNF announced late Monday that it would acquire one of the nation’s top real estate and property auction providers. Read on for details of the acquisition and reaction from Foley.
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Stewart acquires business partner
Posted Date: Thursday, May 25, 2017
Stewart Title has acquired a Utah title agency with offices in in Salt Lake City, Midvale, Orem and Spanish Fork.
The two companies have partnered since 1987 when the company joined Stewart’s network. The acquisition will enable Stewart to expand its direct operations in Utah and will provide new products and services for the title agency’s customers.
Read on for more details about the acquisition.
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New York title startup launches
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Two former executives of the wealth management company Betterment have raised nearly $5 million to start a title company that promises to speed the mortgage-closing process through technology.
The new company is operational in 11 states and hopes to be nationwide by the end of the year.
Read on for details on who is leading the new company and who is funding it.
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RamQuest executive assumes Old Republic role
Posted Date: Thursday, May 25, 2017
When searching for a senior executive to help implement its divisional growth strategies and business development processes, Old Republic didn’t have to look far.
It has selected a familiar industry name from a company it owns, someone who began his career in the title industry 25 years ago.
Read on for details of who Old Republic selected.
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Stewart makes senior leadership change
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Stewart Information Services Corp. selected a 25-year company veteran to replace Bruce Hawley, who retired earlier this month.
The new executive vice president and director of commercial services has handled regional, national and international clients who have closed deals in excess of $20 billion in all asset classes.
Read on for details of who will replace Hawley.
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Industry veteran launches title company
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2017
An industry veteran has founded a female-owned title company that is based in Allentown, Pa., and will provide title settlement services for buyers, sellers, builders and developers across eastern Pennsylvania.
The company’s founder also started an abstract company in 1996 and has served as chief operating officer at Coldwell Banker.
Read on for more details about the launch of the new company.
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OS National opens Las Vegas office
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 16, 2017
OS National (OSN) expanded its national footprint with the opening of an office in Las Vegas. The company also hired a former Stewart division president to lead its Nevada operations.
In addition to Las Vegas, OSN has offices in Atlanta, Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth and Phoenix.
Read on to learn who OSN selected to spearhead its charge into Nevada.
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Premier Title selects president
Posted Date: Friday, May 19, 2017
Premier Title and Escrow has replaced its long-time president, Lynne Kaneshiro, who will remain with the company in an advisory role until 2018.
Premier’s new president is a former vice president at Title Guaranty of Hawaii and also served in the state legislature on the staff of a state senator.
Read on for more details about the transition in leadership.
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Small-business owners like their prospects
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 30, 2017
According to the American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor, small-business owners feel better about the economy than they did one year ago, and more plan to hire either full or part-time employees to help grow their businesses.
Slightly more small-business owners are paying themselves a salary, and more are using social media to attract new customers.
Read on for more details.
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Fed plan could boost rates higher
Posted Date: Thursday, May 25, 2017
In minutes from its last meeting, released this week, the Federal Reserve signaled the members of its Federal Open Market Committee were open to the idea of unwinding some of the $4.5 trillion in bonds that are on the Fed’s balance sheet, as a result of Treasury purchases after the Great Recession.
That move, coupled with an expected federal-funds rate increase in June, could push interest rates higher, faster, than expected. How could that affect the housing market? Fannie Mae Deputy Chief Economist Mark Palim will speak to that at the National Settlement Services Summit in San Antonio.
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Voters favor restructuring CFPB
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2017
A recent poll that found voters believe the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) should be run by a bipartisan committee instead of a single director will likely provide more ammunition to the agency’s critics.
The CFPB has been under attack by Republicans who believe the agency’s structure is flawed and that Director Richard Corday should be fired.
Read on for more information.
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Pennsylvania title company changes name
Posted Date: Thursday, May 18, 2017
Do the words “title” and “insurance” accurately explain what title companies do?
A title company in Philadelphia says no, and has changed its name to more precisely reflect its role in the real estate process.
The company also announced a new technology that enables users to filter property by property type, zoning, size, value and more. Read on for more details.
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First American adds board member
Posted Date: Thursday, May 18, 2017
First American Financial Corp. has appointed a former partner and managing director of the global management consulting firm The Boston Consulting Group to its board of directors.
FAF Chairman Parker S. Kennedy said the new board member’s understanding of the complexities of large businesses and his grasp of customer needs will make him an important contributor.
Read on for more details.
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ReQuire expands its portfolio
Posted Date: Friday, May 5, 2017
In the past year, ReQuire Holdings has added four companies to its portfolio.
Its latest acquisition is a Pittsburgh-based valuation risk management company. The CEO of the acquired company said the purchase is a good fit because the companies are complementary and have few redundancies.
Read on for more details.
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Castle & Cooke expands Connecticut footprint
Posted Date: Friday, May 19, 2017
Independent mortgage lender Castle & Cooke has opened another branch in Connecticut and named an industry veteran to oversee it.
Read on for more details.
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North Carolina completes first eClosing
Posted Date: Thursday, May 18, 2017
In an attempt to give its lenders a competitive edge, North Carolina has taken several steps to modernize the mortgage process.
Read on for more details.
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DocMagic, BeSmartee integrate
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 16, 2017
A new integration between DocMagic and BeSmartee will reduce the time from initiating a loan application to receiving disclosures.
Read on for more details.
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Black Knight integrates FormFree
Posted Date: Friday, May 19, 2017
Black Knight Financial Services said an integration with FormFree will reduce the loan approval process by days.
Read on for more details.
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Qualia, FasTrax partner
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2017
A new integration enables Qualia users to order release tracking directly from their title production system.
Read on for more details.
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GainClients launches new service
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 30, 2017
GainClients has introduced a new lead-generating service designed to keep industry professionals connected with existing and prior clients.
Read on for more details.
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LendingQB integrates SimpleNexus
Posted Date: Thursday, May 25, 2017
LendingQB has integrated SimpleNexus’ mobile lending application with its loan origination system.
Read on for more details.
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Stewart appoints group senior vice president
Posted Date: Thursday, May 18, 2017
Stewart Information Services Corp. has selected the former CEO of Title365 to oversee its business operations and strategy for in its Western region.
A company executive said the new hire’s industry experience and proven track record of discipline and focus in completing real estate transactions make him a good fit for Stewart.
Read on for more details.
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WFG names senior vice president
Posted Date: Friday, May 19, 2017
WFG National Title Insurance Co. has recruited a former vice president of a national title underwriter with more than 35 years’ experience in the settlement services industry to grow its agent base in Florida.
A company executive said the new hire goes above and beyond what agents expect from an underwriter and already is familiar with his team.
Read on for more details.
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Westcor names two vice presidents
Posted Date: Thursday, May 25, 2017
Westcor Land Title Insurance Co. has named a senior vice president to oversee its Southeast and Midwest operations and vice president to launch its Florida commercial operations.
Read on for more details.
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CATIC hires vice president
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2017
CATIC has hired a former Stewart regional and senior counsel to manage the company’s Massachusetts underwriting department and service its agents throughout that state.
The company’s CEO said the new vice president’s experience in commercial and residential underwriting gained during nearly two decades in the title industry will benefit CATIC.
Read on for more details.
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Title Alliance adds board member
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Title Alliance’s newest board member is an influential Philadelphia real estate attorney who has been involved in several large development projects.
Read on for more details.
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Coast Title hires contract administrator
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Coast Title’s new contract administrator said she’s motivated by the smiles from people closing on homes.
Read on for more details.
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Foreclosure actions decreasing
Posted Date: Thursday, May 18, 2017
According to ATTOM Data Solutions, foreclosure-related activities in the U.S. in April dropped to their lowest since November 2005.
Read on for more details.
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Delinquency rates slowly declining
Posted Date: Friday, May 19, 2017
CoreLogic’s Loan Performance Insights Report found the percentage of mortgages seriously delinquent during February reached its lowest level in nearly a decade.
Read on for more details.
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Home inventory continues to decline
Posted Date: Thursday, May 18, 2017
Low interest rates and a shortage of new homes drove down inventory in April, but a valuation officer with Summit Valuations expects the market to adjust.
Read on for more details.
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NS3 Preview: Good and collected funds
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 30, 2017
At the same time as there is an increase in email scams targeted at the settlement services industry, there is continued discussion, particularly at the state level, as to what is considered good funds and whether collecting good funds is enough to protect agents and their customers.
During the National Settlement Services Summit, two leading escrow professionals will provide insights into the latest.
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March home prices peak in many areas
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 30, 2017
According to Black Knight Financial Services’ Home Price Index, average home prices peaked in 15 metropolitan areas during March.
Read on for more details.
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SoftPro wins gold in 2017 American Business Awards
Posted Date: Friday, May 26, 2017
SoftPro was named the winner of Gold Stevie Awards in both the Company of the Year - Real Estate and Customer Service Department of the Year categories in The 15th Annual American Business Awards.
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Fannie Mae Wins Four Securitization Awards from GlobalCapital
Posted Date: Friday, May 26, 2017
Fannie Mae (FNMA/OTC) has been named winner of four awards by international financial trade publication, GlobalCapital. The annual awards honor companies that most successfully navigated the securitization market in 2016.
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NS3 Preview: Get a first expert look at PHH Corp.
Posted Date: Thursday, May 25, 2017
On May 24 the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments for the en banc hearing for PHH Corp. v. CFPB. Where are we in terms of RESPA Section 8 in light of the most recent developments in PHH Corp.?
What are the practical impacts of Section 8(c)(2)? These are just a handful of questions that Ken Markison of the Mortgage Bankers Association and Loretta Salzano of Franzén and Salzano, P.C., will be tackling at the National Settlement Services Summit (NS3) in San Antonio.
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Alliant National names digital strategist
Posted Date: Thursday, May 25, 2017
Alliant National Title Insurance Co. has hired a digital strategist to help its independent agents market themselves.
Read on for more details.
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NS3 Preview: Experienced lenders set to share insights
Posted Date: Friday, May 19, 2017
Some of the most valued and experienced voices in the industry will be on stage at the National Settlement Services Summit in San Antonio, Texas, June 7-9.
That is highlighted by a lender executive panel featuring the MBA chairman-elect, the former president of Ginnie Mae, and the CEO of WFG.
Read on for more details of the expert insight to be shared.
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NS3 Preview: The value of policies, procedures
Posted Date: Thursday, May 18, 2017
Richard Horn, founding attorney at Richard Horn Legal, PLLC, will lead a panel discussion about compliance management system policies and procedures, featuring industry insight from Title Source Chief Operating Officer Brian Hughes and Wells Fargo Home Lending Senior Vice President Brian Webster during the 2017 National Settlement Services Summit (NS3) in San Antonio.
Read on to learn more about the session and the summit.
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