|
First American among Best Workplaces for Diversity
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 26, 2017
First American Financial Corp., a leading global provider of title insurance, settlement services and risk solutions for real estate transactions, announced that Fortune and Great Place to Work have recognized First American as one of the 2017 Best Workplaces for Diversity for the second consecutive year.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
|
Stewart helps Meals on Wheels
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Stewart Title Lubbock presented Meals on Wheels with donations from the company’s recent Closings for a Cause campaign.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
Old Republic announces notable Q4 events
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Old Republic’s fourth-quarter financial report will include net realized investment gains of approximately $150 million as a result of managed sales of investment portfolio securities.
The company also announced that the North Carolina Department of Insurance issued a final order terminating its supervision of Old Republic’s mortgage guaranty insurance subsidiaries chartered in that state.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
First Excel parent acquires homebuilder’s assets
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 26, 2017
A homebuilder with operations in Virginia, the District of Columbia and North Carolina has expanded its footprint with the acquisition of an Atlanta-based homebuilder.
The transaction is expected to close in January. The homebuilder said the acquisition will help it expand into markets in the southeastern U.S.
Read on for more details about the acquisition.
|
|
|
Investors Title adds VP
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Investors Title has hired a vice president of its Commercial Services Division.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
Title First hires special counsel
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Title First Agency has hired an experienced attorney and manager to serve as special counsel to its president.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
LoanSphere integrates ComplianceEase
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 26, 2017
A new integration will enable users of LoanSphere Empower to audit loans for regulatory compliance using ComplianceAnalyzer with TRID Monitor.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
Realogy subsidiary acquires real estate firm
Posted Date: Thursday, December 21, 2017
A Realogy subsidiary has acquired an independent brokerage firm based in the San Francisco area that has $120 million in annual sales.
With the acquisition, Realogy’s subsidiary now has more than 250 real estate professionals in the northern California area.
Read on to learn about the newest member of the Realogy family, which includes Title Resource Group and Guaranteed Rate, Inc.
|
|
|
NAR: Net neutrality rollback may harm small businesses
Posted Date: Thursday, December 21, 2017
The National Association of Realtors believes the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to rollback net neutrality rules could harm small businesses like many real estate professionals.
The association said allowing broadband providers to charge increased fees for faster Internet service will put small businesses at a disadvantage.
Read on to learn more on why the association objects to this change.
|
|
|
Demotech affirms Sierra Title’s FSR
Posted Date: Thursday, December 21, 2017
Demotech Inc. has affirmed the financial stability rating assigned to Sierra Title Insurance Guaranty Co.
Demotech said Sierra’s rating is assigned to insurers who possess exceptional financial stability related to maintaining positive surplus.
Read on to learn more details about Sierra’s financial stability rating.
|
|
|
Median downpayments increase
Posted Date: Thursday, December 21, 2017
The median downpayment in the third quarter rose above $50,000 in many markets.
Read on for more details from ATTOM Data Solutions’ report.
|
|
|
PropLogix services available through Qualia
Posted Date: Thursday, December 21, 2017
PropLogix’s HOA estoppel certificates and municipal lien searches now are available directly through Qualia’s platform.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
Mortgage Network adds loan officer
Posted Date: Thursday, December 21, 2017
Mortgage Network, Inc. has hired a mortgage loan officer for its Portland, Maine branch.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
Michigan title agency chooses eClosings platform
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 19, 2017
A Michigan title agency has selected Pavaso’s platform to deliver eClosings.
The agency now is able to conduct totally digital as well as hybrid eClosings. The agency’s CEO said Pavaso’s platform will allow it to provide a simple online closing and settlement process for borrowers.
Read on for more details about the partnership.
|
|
|
Industry groups weigh in on tax proposal
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 19, 2017
As the House and Senate prepare to vote on tax reform, the American Land Title Association and the National Association of Realtors have weighed in on what many consider the most-sweeping tax reform in decades.
Both associations praised certain elements of the bill they believe will benefit homeowners and communities.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
loanDepot set to launch new products
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 19, 2017
The nation’s second largest non-bank consumer lender is set to launch new products designed to streamline the real estate process for both consumers and real estate professionals.
Through a joint venture with a tech-enabled direct home buyer and seller, loanDepot is set to offer new loan products.
Read on for more details of loanDepot’s joint venture.
|
|
|
Mortgage delinquency rate declines
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 19, 2017
During September, the percentage of homes in some form of foreclosure dropped to its lowest level in 11 years.
Read on for more details from CoreLogic’s loan report.
|
|
|
NextDeal enhances security protections
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 19, 2017
NextDeal has instituted two-factor authentication for users of its products to prevent cyberfraud.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
Black Knight adds Homebot app
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Black Knight has added an app designed to help lenders continuously engage their client base and increase borrower retention efforts.
Read on for more information.
|
|
|
Third-quarter title premiums flat
Posted Date: Thursday, December 14, 2017
The amount of premiums written in the third quarter ended a streak of 10 consecutive quarters in which title premiums increased, according to an analysis by the American Land Title Association.
Depending on the fourth-quarter results, the industry may still challenge the $14.3 billion in title premiums written in 2016, which was the industry’s best year since 2006.
Read on for more details from the third quarter of 2017.
|
|
|
Rate hikes may reduce home affordability
Posted Date: Thursday, December 14, 2017
As widely expected, the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark short-term interest rate during its December meeting.
The Fed also anticipates three rates hikes in 2018, which some economists predict will raise mortgage rates and make homes less affordable.
Read on to learn why outgoing Fed Chairperson Janet Yellen said the economy is performing well and there’s less to lose sleep about.
|
|
|
Business optimism hits Reagan-era high
Posted Date: Thursday, December 14, 2017
Encouraged by the prospect of tax cuts, small-business owners in November were as optimistic about the economy as they’ve been since Ronald Reagan was president.
Those surveyed by the National Federation of Independent Business continue to raise concerns about finding qualified workers, but think 2018 will be a great year.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
Pavaso links with Cook & James
Posted Date: Thursday, December 14, 2017
Pavaso has added Atlanta-based Cook & James to its network of local and national title and attorney partners.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
PathSoftware integrates DocMagic
Posted Date: Thursday, December 14, 2017
PathSoftware has integrated DocMagic’s document production, automated compliance and comprehensive eMortgage services into its mortgage loan origination software.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
AmTrust hires underwriting counsel
Posted Date: Thursday, December 14, 2017
AmTrust Title Insurance Co. has hired a regional underwriting counsel who will be based in Virginia.
Please read on for more details.
|
|
|
Predictions for 2018’s housing market
Posted Date: Thursday, December 14, 2017
One economist is predicting homes will sell more quickly in 2018, and tax reform will encourage some homeowners to stay put longer and others to move away from high-priced cities.
While the economist does not foresee a housing bubble next year, she does predict low inventories will continue to drive prices upward.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
NTC expands eRecording coverage
Posted Date: Thursday, December 14, 2017
Nationwide Title Clearing (NTC) is expanding its eRecording services to include nationwide eRecording of mortgage documents.
NTC said the expansion is possible because of its newly completed county requirements database. NTC’s CEO said eRecording is essential to creating and maintaining a fully electronic workflow, but made more difficult because county requirements vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
AmTrust hires underwriting counsel
Posted Date: Thursday, December 14, 2017
AmTrust Title Insurance Co. has hired a Midwest underwriting counsel.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
Millennials more likely to buy in Midwest
Posted Date: Thursday, December 14, 2017
Millennial borrowers were more likely to purchase a home in the Midwest in October, according to Ellie Mae’s latest Millennial Tracker.
Read on for more details from this report.
|
|
|
|
First American acquires lien release business
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 12, 2017
First American Financial Corp. (FAF) has reached an agreement to acquire Bank of America’s (BOA) lien release business.
As part of the agreement, which is expected to close during the first quarter of 2018, FAF will provide lien release services to BOA.
Read on to learn how the acquisition is expected to complement and enhance FAF’s existing lien release business.
|
|
|
New Jersey agency expands footprint
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 12, 2017
A New Jersey title agency has opened its fourth branch office.
The company’s newest office is 25 miles away from New York City in a county where the median home price is $424,900, and the median list price is $222 per square foot.
The company’s president said the new location was chosen based on its growing business in that area. Read on for more details.
|
|
|
Report: Residential real estate activity ‘restrained’
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Real estate contacts throughout the country reported that sales activities were restrained by low home inventories and rising home prices from mid-October through November.
Home builders complained of rising costs for labor and materials, and in some markets affordability is becoming an issue.
Read on for more details from the Federal Reserve’s latest Beige Book.
|
|
|
Homeowner equity increased during third quarter
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 12, 2017
During the third quarter, U.S. homeowners collectively saw their equity increase by nearly $871 billion, according to CoreLogic.
Read on for more details from the company’s analysis.
|
|
|
Berkshire Hathaway acquires title agency
Posted Date: Friday, December 8, 2017
Berkshire Hathaway has acquired an independently owned title insurance agency that handles residential and commercial transactions across North Carolina and South Carolina.
A Berkshire executive said the acquisition will further the company’s efforts to integrate all the elements of the real estate transaction into a seamless experience.
Read on for more details
|
|
|
Redfin expands into District of Columbia
Posted Date: Friday, December 8, 2017
Two months after expanding its mortgage operations into Illinois, the technology driven real estate brokerage Redfin now is serving homebuyers in the District of Columbia.
The company’s mortgage operation, which is integrated with Title Forward, plans to launch in additional states next year.
Read on to learn about Redfin’s vision for the homebuying process.
|
|
|
CATIC hires chief HR officer
Posted Date: Friday, December 8, 2017
CATIC has hired a senior vice president and chief human resources officer with more than two decades of experience.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
Home price appreciation continued in October
Posted Date: Friday, December 8, 2017
Although home prices are expected to dip slightly during November, CoreLogic is forecasting that home prices will increase through next October. Read on for more details.
.
|
|
|
Premium Title selects Pavaso for eClosings
Posted Date: Thursday, December 7, 2017
Premium Title has partnered with Pavaso to provide lenders with an eClosing solution that enables them to digitally deliver all closing documents to borrowers for review prior to closing on any device.
Both companies believe the collaboration is a solid step toward providing a better, easier closing experience for borrowers.
Read on for more details about this latest integration.
|
|
|
Orange Coast selects CFO
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2017
Orange Coast Title Co. has hired a vice president and chief financial officer.
The newest member of Orange Coast’s executive team has more than 25 years of financial and general management experience serving multiple industries.
Read on to learn why President and Chief Operating Officer Rich Macaluso believes the new executive is a good fit for the company.
|
|
|
Arkansas title agency moves corporate headquarters
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2017
An Arkansas title agency in existence for more than a century attributed the need for relocating its corporate headquarters to growth in the northwest part of the state.
The company’s chief operating officer said the new headquarters will help the company step up the experience for customers and associates, while making the company more efficient and more visible.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
Cloud-hosting solution for title agents launched
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2017
A national title insurance servicing company has created a cloud-hosting solution for title agents and law firms.
The solution not only allows title agents and law firm employees to safely work away from their offices, it also assists with ALTA compliance and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau regulatory issues.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
The hottest fourth-quarter housing markets
Posted Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2017
A recently released index identified the housing markets likely to have the strongest sales activities during the fourth quarter.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
|
|
New Jersey title agency expands
Posted Date: Thursday, November 30, 2017
A New Jersey-based title agency has opened a new office in Monmouth County. The new office is in Freehold, N.J., which has seen a significant population increase in recent years.
The agency’s president called the move a logical step in terms of proximity to the company’s client base and expansion into a growing area.
Read on for more details about the strategic move.
|
|
|
NAR: Montgomery right choice for FHA
Posted Date: Thursday, November 30, 2017
According to the National Association of Realtors, the industry is excited about Brian Montgomery’s anticipated return as commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration.
This week, the Senate Banking Committee voted to approve Montgomery’s nomination and send it to the full Senate.
Read on to learn why NAR believes Montgomery is the right person for the job.
|
|
|
Anticipated tax reform driving business optimism
Posted Date: Thursday, November 30, 2017
During October, more small-business owners expecting higher sales and said now is a good time to expand their businesses than during the previous month.
The National Federation of Independent Business believes that anticipation of Congress passing tax reform in the near future is also making small-business owners more optimistic.
Read on for more details from NFIB’s latest index.
|
|
|
Home affordability improved in September
Posted Date: Thursday, November 30, 2017
Homes became more affordable during September as real house prices decreased compared with August, according to First American Financial Corp.’s Real House Price Index (RHPI).
Read on for more details from First American’s latest index.
|
|
|
|