|
 Townstone owner ‘shocked’ by CFPB action
Posted Date: Thursday, October 29, 2020
The owner of a small Chicago mortgage company battling the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said he was “shocked” when the bureau targeted his firm for redlining.
Barry Sturner, owner of Townstone Financial, said he’s fighting the bureau because he doesn’t want the government to target companies because of the content of their political speech.
Read on for more of what Sturner had to say.
|
|
|
Old Republic’s title segment has ‘record’ performance
Posted Date: Monday, October 26, 2020
Paced by a record performance by its title segment, Old Republic International Corp. reported improved third-quarter numbers, according to the company’s latest earnings report.
The company’s title group set all-time third-quarter and year-to-date highs for both underwriting revenue and operating profit.
Read on to learn what Old Republic executives credited for the company’s third-quarter success.
|
|
|
First American acquires mortgage subservicing company
Posted Date: Monday, October 26, 2020
First American Financial Corp. has agreed to acquire the mortgage subservicing company ServiceMac, LLC, the companies announced. Exact financial terms were not disclosed.
First American also acquired a minority interest in ServiceMac’s parent company. First American said that interest will convert into equity of ServiceMac at the closing of the acquisition.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
Sun Title names COO
Posted Date: Monday, October 26, 2020
Michigan-based Sun Title has hired a chief operations officer, the company announced.
The newest member of Sun Title’s executive team has nearly 20 years of title experience, and previously served as an executive vice president for a large national title agency. Sun Title also announced plans to open a new officer later this year.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
|
Pavaso, Ellie Mae integrate
Posted Date: Monday, October 26, 2020
Pavaso’s eClosing platform now is integrated with the Ellie Mae Digital Lending Platform.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
Bowe Digital expands team
Posted Date: Monday, October 26, 2020
Bowe Digital recently expanded its team with the addition of a graphic design manager, a content writer and a marketing manager.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
SEC considering enforcement action against First American
Posted Date: Friday, October 23, 2020
The enforcement staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has informed First American Financial it plans to recommend an enforcement action against the company regarding its public disclosures following the exposure of consumer documents in 2019.
First American said it believes its disclosures and disclosure controls complied with the securities laws and an enforcement action is inappropriate.
Read on to learn more.
|
|
|
Stewart subsidiary acquires property valuation company
Posted Date: Friday, October 23, 2020
Stewart Appraisals Management, Inc. has acquired Pro-Teck Services Ltd., which does business as Pro Teck Valuation Intelligence. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Stewart CEO Fred Eppinger said the acquisition adds innovative technology, data and analytics to the company’s growing valuation businesses.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
Realty company, iBuyer partner
Posted Date: Friday, October 23, 2020
John L. Scott Real Estate has teamed with the end-to-end iBuyer platform zavvie to facilitate its new “Instant Purchase Plus+” program, the companies announced.
Debuting in the Portland, Ore., market, the program will provide local homeowners access to all-cash offers from iBuyers that are purchasing homes in their market.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
|
Typical home value rises
Posted Date: Friday, October 23, 2020
The year-over-year growth in typical home value in September was the largest in nearly two years.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
NATIC revamps on-demand educational platform
Posted Date: Friday, October 23, 2020
North American Title Insurance Co. recently launched a revamped version of its on-demand educational platform within its agent portal.
Read on to learn more.
|
|
|
Survey: Homeowners adapting well to pandemic
Posted Date: Thursday, October 22, 2020
A national survey showed homeowners who completed purchase and refinance transactions during the COVID-19 pandemic have adapted well to eSignings and remote closings and were very satisfied with their overall closing experience.
Eighty-two percent of respondents said they preferred eSigning documents prior to closing and more than two-thirds of borrowers said in the future they would prefer remote closings over in-person.
Read on to learn more.
|
|
|
NFIB urges Congress to approve more PPP funds
Posted Date: Thursday, October 22, 2020
In a letter to the U.S. senators, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) urged them to pass legislation authorizing more funding for the Paycheck Protection Program.
NFIB Vice President Kevin Kuhlman said one-in-five small-business owners will have to close their doors over the next six months if economic conditions do not improve.
Read on to learn more.
|
|
|
Realogy Title Group releases enhanced mobile app
Posted Date: Thursday, October 22, 2020
Realogy Title Group has released of a new version of its Title!Snap mobile application, which offers real-time title transaction information to real estate agents.
Realogy Title Group President and CEO Donald Casey said the enhanced app is a “huge leap forward in our ability to help them deliver the superior homebuying experience consumers demand.”
Read on to learn more.
|
|
|
Old Republic hires New York counsel
Posted Date: Thursday, October 22, 2020
Old Republic Title has hired a vice president and New York state counsel.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
Median home price spirals upward
Posted Date: Thursday, October 22, 2020
During September, the national median home price had its biggest annual increase of any month since 2012.
Read on to learn more.
|
|
|
Howard Hanna names manager
Posted Date: Thursday, October 22, 2020
Howard Hanna Real Estate Services has named a manager of its office in Chelsea, Mich.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
Stewart names leader of Pacific Northwest operations
Posted Date: Monday, October 19, 2020
Stewart Title recently hired a former senior vice president at WFG to oversee its Pacific Northwest operations.
Stewart’s newest senior division president will be responsible for managing and overseeing direct operations strategy and growth in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.
Stewart Group President Steve Lessack said the company’s goal is to build a best-in-class leadership team. Read on to learn more.
|
|
|
Fidelity’s ‘strong’ rating affirmed
Posted Date: Monday, October 19, 2020
Fitch Ratings has affirmed Fidelity National Financial, lnc.’s long-term issuer default rating at “BBB+,” its senior unsecured rating at “BBB” and its insurer financial strength rating at “A” (strong) on FNF’s rated operating subsidiaries.
Fitch said the affirmation of FNF’s ratings reflects its view “the group credit profile of the combined organization remains in line with rating expectations.”
Read on to learn more.
|
|
|
Survey: Industry warming to digital solutions
Posted Date: Monday, October 19, 2020
Even before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, more people within the title industry were willing to embrace digital solutions, according to a survey by PropLogix.
This year’s survey included responses from real estate agents about how many title companies they refer to their clients and the things most important to them when choosing title companies.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
|
|
Sales of luxury homes soar
Posted Date: Monday, October 19, 2020
During the third quarter, the increase in sales of luxury homes was the largest since 2013.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
Investment company gains majority stake in Houston title agency
Posted Date: Thursday, October 15, 2020
A Texas investment company has become the majority stakeholder group of Select Title. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The investment company said it will provide business development support and help expand Select’s growth in the commercial title industry across Texas.
Read on to learn what executives from both companies had to say about the investment.
|
|
|
Investors Title’s excellent rating affirmed
Posted Date: Thursday, October 15, 2020
AM Best has affirmed the financial strength rating of A (excellent) and the long-term issuer credit ratings of “a” of both subsidiaries of Investors Title Co (ITC).
AM Best said ITC Group’s operating performance consistently outperforms the industry, driven by its lower-than-average loss and loss adjustment expense ratios.
Read on for more details.
|
|
|
Small-business owners becoming more optimistic
Posted Date: Thursday, October 15, 2020
Small-business owners surveyed in September were more optimistic than they had been the prior month, reflecting improvements in both foot traffic and sales, according to the latest NFIB Optimism Index.
During September, the percentage of owners who said it was a good time to expand increased slightly to 13 percent.
Read on for more details from the survey.
|
|
|
|
Third-quarter foreclosures plummet
Posted Date: Thursday, October 15, 2020
ATTOM Data Solutions said the foreclosure level in the third quarter was the lowest since it began tracking quarterly filings in 2008.
Read on to learn more.
|
|
|
Avanze Tech Labs names CEO
Posted Date: Thursday, October 15, 2020
Mortgage technology startup Avanze Group has hired a president and CEO for its technology unit, Avanze Tech Labs.
Read on for more.
|
|
|
Snapdocs gains $60 million in new funding
Posted Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Snapdocs announced $60 million in new funding which it called a massive endorsement of its work to simplify the mortgage closing process.
The company said the Series C round was led by YC Continuity, with participation from all existing investors, including Sequoia Capital, F-Prime Capital and Founders Fund, as well as new investors Lachy Groom and DocuSign.
Read on to learn more.
|
|
|
First National Title names executive vice president
Posted Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2020
First National Title Insurance Co. (FNTI) has added an executive vice president, business development to its leadership team, the company announced.
The newest member of FNTI’s leadership team has more than three decades of industry experience, having previously held executive roles in sales, legal, and compliance.
Read on to learn what FNTI President and CEO Chris Phillips said about the hire.
|
|
|