News By Edition

The report detailed growth and profitability throughout the industry, addressed potential risks in the housing market and with data breaches, and offered its view on the future of Blockchain in the industry.

Read on for the latest from the analysts at the credit rating agency.

More transactions across its businesses and increased refinances spurred by lower interest rates helped First American Financial Corp. (FAF) produce improved third-quarter numbers, according to the company’s latest earnings statement.

CEO Dennis Gilmore said although the reduction in the Fed fund rate will impact the company’s investment income, he is optimistic FAF also will deliver strong financial results in the fourth quarter.

Read on for more details from the company’s latest earnings report.

The Closing Exchange has become the first signing-services preferred partner for AmTrust Title Insurance Co, the companies announced.

AmTrust said it is partnering with the best-of-the-best to provide its real estate customers with premier services from a trusted network of providers that have been thoroughly vetted.

Read on for more details about the partnership.

ATTOM Data Solutions has named a general manager for RealtyTrac, Home Disclosure and Homefacts.

Read on for more details.

DataTrace President Robert Karraa said the new solution will help title companies improve bottom line performance by improving the efficiency of their production workflow.

Read on for more information about the new solution.

SitusAMC has hired a former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Wells Fargo executive as its director of technology partnerships.

Read on for more details.

Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes reached its highest point since February 2018.

The increase in builder confidence comes despite a Commerce Department report that found housing starts declined in September as construction in the multi-family housing segment dropped.

Read on to learn what factors are causing optimism among the nation’s builders.

When it comes to selling a home, there are a variety of things that can produce stress, whether it’s deciding what repairs are worth making or juggling your life around showings.

A new report from Zillow which surveyed homebuyers, sellers, owners and renters found that more than nine out of 10 home sellers consider some aspect of selling a home stressful – including uncertainty over knowing how long the home sale process will take.

Read on for more details.

Rutledge Claims Management has named a chief operations officer.

Read on for more details.

Cook & James recently offered a cyber security and a self-defense course for Realtors.

Read on for more details.

As CEO of Westcor Land Title Insurance Co., Mary O’Donnell is one of the most-recognized executives in the title insurance industry.

Perhaps it’s her traveling across the country for years that helped her realize the story of title agents and the vital role they play needs to be more visible.

O’Donnell told The Title Report helping to tell that story will be part of her focus during her tenure as president of the American Land Title Association.

Covius’ loss mitigation services have been integrated with Clarifire’s business process automation platform.

Read on for more details.

OpenClose has hired a technology veteran for its newly created position of vice president of sales engineering.

Read on for more details.

Stewart CEO Frederick Eppinger spoke publicly for the first time since taking over the position on a conference call with analysts after the release of Stewart’s third-quarter earnings.

In his opening remarks, he touted the strength of the company’s brand, but he said priority No. 1 was to win back agency business.

Read on for details of how Stewart will try to win your agency business back.

Qualia has launched an enterprise-grade workflow automation tool for title and escrow companies.

Qualia said its new tool enables title and escrow companies of all sizes to create smart tasks associated with contacts, transaction types or actions on an order; assign tasks to individuals, roles or groups; and use the power of automation to manage multiple workflows at scale. 

Read on for more details.

Punctual Abstract has promoted a company veteran to vice president of sales.

Read on for more details.

Mortgage Cadence will integrate Covius’ title and appraisal solutions into its platform.

Read on for more details.

AM Best said its ratings reflect First American’s balance sheet strength as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

Read on for more details.

Fidelity National Financial (FNF) announced that its new Digital Closing Hub now is open to its agents nationwide.

The company said the closing hub is education-focused and will ensure that FNF’s independent agents have the knowledge and tools they need to utilize everything that adopting digital closings can give them and their customers.

Read on for more details.

Hundreds of title industry participants have gathered this week at the American Land Title Association’s ALTA One Conference at the Fairmount Hotel in Austin, Texas.

Read on for more details.

Black Knight, Inc. has launched a compliance solution designed to help clients streamline the compliance-testing process and make compliance validation easier and quicker, the company announced.

Black Knight Origination Technologies President Rich Gagliano said its new solution will significantly streamline loan-level testing, which can result in reduced operational costs.

Read on for more details about the new product.

DocMagic has launched a new mobile application it said provides full interoperability with DocMagic solutions, as well as other third-party mortgage software.

Read on for more details.

One of the Federal Trade Commission members involved in blocking Fidelity’s acquisition of Stewart is leaving the agency.

Read on for more details.

Quicken Loans Mortgage Services has promoted a company veteran to its newly created position of vice president of sales.

Read on for more details.

Sturgis Bancorp, Inc., whose holdings include Oak Title Services, had third-quarter increases in both profits and interest income, according to the company’s latest earnings statement.

Through the first nine months of 2019, Sturgis reported a double-digit increase in net income.

The company attributed its revenue growth primarily due to loan interest income. Read on for more details.

Realogy Holdings Corp. subsidiary Century 21 Real Estate has appointed a new chief growth officer, the company announced.

A company veteran, the new chief growth officer’s focus will be capturing share in emerging and diverse markets and driving growth through franchise sales.

He will report directly to Century 21 Real Estate president and CEO Michael Miedler.

Altisource Portfolio Solutions has appointed a vice president, enterprise sales.

Read on for more details.

During the third quarter, the number of properties with default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions hit the lowest level since the second quarter of 2005.

Read on for more details.

364 Title Group has acquired Guaranty Title Co. Carlsbad and New Mexico Guaranty Title Co., the company announced. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

364 Title Group President Luke Strawn said the acquired agencies provide the company “with a hub in New Mexico for escrow and title operations.”

Read on to learn more about 364 Title Group plan to integrate the acquired companies.

New Jersey-based Navesink Mortgage Services (NMS) LLC has completed its Series B-3 equity financing and appointed a CEO.

NMS provides digital mortgage income calculation services through LoanBeam and a secure mortgage fee payment solution through Appraisal Fee Services, LLC.

Read on for more details about the new CEO and his background.

Guaranteed Rate, Inc. has partnered with Notarize to enable a complete, end-to-end digital real estate experience.

Read on for more details.