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States Title CEO: Why we acquired NATC
Posted Date: Friday, December 21, 2018
The combination of States Title and North American Title Co. (NATC) will create a technology driven company that uses predictive analytics to meet customer needs, according to States Title founder and CEO Max Simkoff.
In a blog posted on the company’s website, Simkoff explains what initially attracted his company to NATC and what he sees as possible for the merged operations.
Read on to learn more about Simkoff’s vision.
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7 predictions for 2019’s housing market
Posted Date: Thursday, December 20, 2018
The housing market will continue to cool in 2019, as homeownership rates rise and interest rates inch up, according to a new report from real estate brokerage Redfin.
Redfin also predicts the economy will grow in 2019 despite the cooling housing market and homebuilders will shift their focus to starter homes.
Read on to learn more about what Redfin foresees for 2019.
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Wyoming county creating land records Blockchain
Posted Date: Friday, January 4, 2019
A Blockchain subsidiary has signed a memorandum of understanding with a county in Wyoming to develop a Blockchain-based land records and information platform.
The county will partner with the Blockchain subsidiary to develop and implement the software needed to transfer and display information from its current land and property titling system to a new Blockchain-based system.
Read on for more information about the proposed Blockchain.
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CATIC appoints new CFO
Posted Date: Tuesday, January 8, 2019
CATIC has hired an industry veteran with nearly two decades of experience in the financial services industry to become its new chief financial officer (CFO).
The company’s newest hire succeeds Richard Lawrence, who stepped down as CFO, but retained his position as a CATIC director, senior vice president and treasurer until his previously announced retirement date in May 2019.
Read on for more details about the new CFO.
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ServiceMac selects Black Knight
Posted Date: Friday, January 4, 2019
ServiceMac has selected Black Knight’s MSP system to support the company’s mortgage servicing needs.
Read on for more details.
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Fidelity fills two counsel positions
Posted Date: Thursday, December 20, 2018
Fidelity National Title Group’s New Jersey Agency Operations has filled its New Jersey counsel and regional counsel positions.
Read on for more details.
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ARMs originations hit record high
Posted Date: Monday, December 31, 2018
The percentage of adjustable rate mortgages in November reached its highest level since Ellie Mae began tracking data in 2011.
Read on for more details from Ellie Mae’s latest report.
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Report: Nonemployer firms struggling to meet funding needs
Posted Date: Friday, January 4, 2019
A report from the Federal Reserve Banks of New York, Cleveland and Richmond found that a majority of nonemployer firms — small businesses with no employees other than the business owners — make less than $100,000 annually and use their own money to address financial challenges.
Despite these challenges, nonemployer firms have positive expectations for both future revenue and employment growth.
Read on for more details from the report.
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Alliant National agent receives NTP designation
Posted Date: Thursday, January 31, 2019
Alliant National Title Insurance Co. announced that Senior Vice President and Southeastern Region Agency Manager Tracey Webb recently received the National Title Professional designation from the American Land Title Association.
Read on for more details.
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Nebraska title agency sold
Posted Date: Tuesday, January 8, 2019
A Nebraska title agency has been sold as part of a larger acquisition of a homebuilder by Hubbell Realty, the companies announced.
The terms of Hubbell’s acquisition of Omaha-based Boyer Young Development Co. were not disclosed. Boyer’s holdings include The Home Company and Premier Land Title Co, a title agency based in La Vista, Neb.
Read on to learn what the principals involved in the deal had to say.
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IBM agrees to sell mortgage servicing unit
Posted Date: Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Mr. Cooper Group Inc. has agreed to acquire servicing rights underlying $24 billion in GSE mortgages, to enter into a subservicing contract for an additional $24 billion in mortgages, and to purchase the Seterus mortgage servicing platform from IBM.
Although it is selling its mortgage servicing unit, IBM still will have a presence in mortgage originations after the sale.
Read on for more details about the acquisitions.
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SoftPro integrates A.S.K.
Posted Date: Tuesday, January 8, 2019
SoftPro has integrated A.S.K. Services Inc.’s title production services into the SoftPro 360 business exchange platform.
Read on for more details.
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LoanLogics hires senior vice president
Posted Date: Tuesday, January 8, 2019
LoanLogics has hired a veteran mortgage technology executive to serve as its senior vice president of product management.
Read on for more details.
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Mortgage lenders cite less demand for loans
Posted Date: Tuesday, January 8, 2019
The profit outlook for mortgage lenders fell for the ninth consecutive quarter in the final three months of 2018 because of a decline in demand for loans to buy homes and refinance existing mortgages.
Read on for more details from Fannie Mae’s latest survey.
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MiT acquired by Newmark Knight Frank
Posted Date: Friday, January 4, 2019
The full-service commercial real estate services business Newmark Knight Frank has acquired MiT, a national title agency based in New York, the title agency announced.
MiT will operate as MiT National Land Services, a Newmark Knight Frank company. Marc Israel will continue to lead the agency as CEO.
Read on for more details about the acquisition.
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Fannie names new board chair
Posted Date: Friday, January 4, 2019
Fannie Mae announced that Jonathan Plutzik has succeeded Egbert Perry as chair of its board of directors.
Read on for more details.
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New American hires loan originator
Posted Date: Friday, January 4, 2019
New American Funding has hired a loan originator for its Cedar Rapids, Iowa, area.
Read on for more details.
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Title agency’s parent company acquired
Posted Date: Wednesday, January 2, 2019
A multistate residential mortgage lender based in Massachusetts is poised to expand with its acquisition of a direct-to-consumer lender also located in the commonwealth. The acquired company owns a national closing title company.
The mortgage lender said the acquisition will enable it to expand mortgage lending into Virginia, Illinois, Maryland and Pennsylvania, and that it will be hiring additional staff to coordinate its Internet mortgage division.
Read on for more details about the acquisition.
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Washington title agency sold
Posted Date: Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Washington-based Kitsap Title, LLC has acquired Mason County Title Co., the companies announced. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Both companies will retain their names and market as the larger Aegis Land Title Group.
Jointly, the companies now provide title and escrow services in most of the South Puget Sound and Hood Canal areas of Western Washington. Read on for more details about the purchase of the 27-year-old company run by a third-generation family of title insurers.
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LenderLive unit acquisition completed
Posted Date: Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Computershare Loan Services (CLS) has completed its acquisition of LenderLive Financial Services, LLC and its operating subsidiary LenderLive Network, LLC, the company announced.
CLS said the acquisition will strengthen its growth in the U.S. mortgage services market, adding scale to existing fulfillment and secondary market services provided by Credit Risk Solutions (formerly Altavera) and Capital Markets Cooperative.
Read on for more details about the unit acquisition.
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Home price increases outpacing income growth
Posted Date: Wednesday, January 2, 2019
For the second consecutive month, all three key drivers of First American’s Real House Price Index increased compared with a year ago.
Read on for more details.
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Howard Hanna names sales director
Posted Date: Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Howard Hanna Real Estate has named a new sales director for its Norwin, Pa., office.
Read on for more details.
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Blockchain platform launches lien-alert system
Posted Date: Monday, December 31, 2018
A company that touts its system as the first enterprise-ready, Blockchain-secured platform for real estate and title recordkeeping has launched a monitoring suite that allows lenders to be alerted to liens placed against them.
The company said wrongful or invalid liens placed against individuals or businesses are a new favorite with identity thieves.
Read on for more details about the lien-alert system.
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Black Knight, Quicken Loans extend contract
Posted Date: Monday, December 31, 2018
Quicken Loans, the nation’s largest home mortgage lender, has signed a contract extension to continue using Black Knight’s LoanSphere MSP, the companies announced.
Black Knight CEO Anthony Jabbour said the partnership with Quicken Loans strengthens both companies’ mutual commitment to transforming the mortgage experience for the benefit of consumers.
Read on for more information about the contract extension.
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Home affordability hits 10-year low
Posted Date: Monday, December 31, 2018
The U.S. median home price in the fourth quarter was at the least affordable level since the third quarter of 2008.
Read on for more details from ATTOM Data Solutions’ Q4 2018 U.S. Home Affordability Report.
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Homebuying sentiment declines
Posted Date: Monday, December 31, 2018
A declining percentage of consumers thought the fourth quarter of 2018 was a good time to purchase a home, according to a survey by the National Association of Realtors.
Read on for more details.
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FEMA hears concerns, closings to resume
Posted Date: Friday, December 28, 2018
A day after withering pressure from industry and legislators came against ruling by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the agency reversed course, ending a policy that could have put as many as 1,400 home closings a day in jeopardy during the federal government shutdown.
Trade associations and legislators reached out to FEMA, urging the agency to reverse its determination that the agency cannot issue new contracts for flood insurance under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), nor renew current policies, because of the lapse in funding during the shutdown.
Read on for more details, about the situation and its resolution.
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DocMagic, SecurityNational launch eClosing platform
Posted Date: Friday, December 21, 2018
DocMagic, Inc. and SecurityNational Mortgage Corp. (SNMC) announced the successful launch of DocMagic’s Total eClose platform.
Since rolling out the platform in September, SNMC said it has reduced borrower time at the closing table to as little as 15 minutes and has become one of the first national lenders to offer a true eClosing solution that involves no paper whatsoever.
Read on for more details.
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Americans okay with digital monitoring to prevent cyber threats
Posted Date: Friday, December 21, 2018
A majority of Americans believe it’s acceptable for organizations to conduct user digital activity and behavior monitoring to provide defense against threats and breaches, according to the Dtex 2018 Privacy & Cybersecurity Index.
Nearly eight out of 10 respondents said they would trust a company less if they discovered that it was monitoring consumers’ digital activities without their knowledge.
Read on for more details from the index.
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Encompass adds enhancements
Posted Date: Friday, December 21, 2018
Ellie Mae has enhanced its Encompass Consumer Connect with the addition of identity, employment and income verification.
Read on for more details.
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Proper Title expands team
Posted Date: Friday, December 21, 2018
Proper Title, LLC recently announced three new hires and one new promotion.
Read on for more details.
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CFPB by any other name
Posted Date: Thursday, December 20, 2018
In one of her first moves at the helm of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Director Kathy Kraninger brought to a halt a costly rebranding of the agency.
Kraninger said she cared more about the mission of the bureau than what it is called.
Read on to learn more of what Kraninger had to say about the controversial name-change initiative.
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New American Funding acquires mortgage company
Posted Date: Thursday, December 20, 2018
New American Funding has acquired Minnesota-based Marketplace Home Mortgage, the companies announced. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
New American said the acquisition will strengthen its market presence nationwide and specifically in the Minnesota area, as well as add more than $1 billion in mortgage production next year.
Read on for more details about the acquisition.
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Median home price increased in November
Posted Date: Thursday, December 20, 2018
Home sales in November declined in 65 of the 74 largest metro areas.
Read on for more details from Redfin’s report.
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