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Fidelity reports ‘strong’ quarter, ‘banner’ year
Posted Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Fidelity National Financial, Inc.’s “strong” fourth quarter included a nearly 40 percent increase in pre-tax earnings, and its “banner” year included its highest pre-tax title margin in 17 years, according to the company’s latest earnings statement.
Fidelity Chairman William Foley said the company’s fourth quarter “was another strong quarter for our title business, finishing off a banner year.”
Read on for more details from Fidelity’s latest earnings report.
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Joseph gains OLTP designation
Posted Date: Monday, March 9, 2020
Dione Joseph recently became the newest recipient of the Ohio Land Title Professional (OLTP) designation.
Read on for more details.
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Real estate technology platform raises $23 million
Posted Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2020
A real estate technology company which last year had more than $1 billion in transactions in Utah and Arizona has raised $23 million through a Series B equity round of financing.
The company said the money will be used to expand to new markets, and to continue the buildout of its end-to-end home buying and selling platform, which has its own title insurance division.
Read on for more details.
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Fidelity adds digital opening package
Posted Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Fidelity National Financial, Inc. has expanded its WireSafe home buyer and seller program to include a new digital opening package for consumers purchasing a home through any of its title companies.
Fidelity said the new package immediately engages homebuyers and sellers with one of our title companies in a secure digital workspace.
Read on for more details.
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Security Title expands
Posted Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Security Title Insurance Agency has added another office in the St. Louis area, the company announced.
The company said it has taken over the former office of a shuttered title agency, and many of the former agency’s employees have joined the Security Title team. The company now has five closing locations in the St. Louis area.
Read on for more details.
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Millennial refinances hold steady
Posted Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2020
The percentage of refinances among millennials held steady in January.
Read on for more details.
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Cordray book details his near-firing
Posted Date: Friday, February 28, 2020
In the new book released by Richard Cordray on his time as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Cordray’s writing sounds much like his speeches and presentations during his time in office – thought out, straight forward and detailed.
So it comes as no surprise that nearly 200 pages into “Watchdog: How protecting consumers can save our families, our economy, and our democracy” the biggest revelation is mentioned with little buildup.
Read on for details from Cordray’s book, including the never-before-told story of how close he came to being fired.
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Southern Title employee earns CISSP certification
Posted Date: Thursday, February 27, 2020
Southern Title’s Director of Information Security and Technology Paul Noga recently earned his Certified Information Systems Security Professional certification.
Read on for more details.
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First American a ‘best company’ to work for
Posted Date: Thursday, February 27, 2020
First American Financial Corp. recently was named one of the 2020 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For.
Read on for more details.
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Realogy’s title group reports improved earnings
Posted Date: Thursday, February 27, 2020
Realogy Holdings Corp.’s division formerly known as Title Resource Group generated double-digit increases in both its fourth-quarter and yearly net revenue driven by a huge increase in refinances, according to the company’s latest earnings statement.
The company reported quarter and yearly declines in title purchase and closing units. However, significant increases in quarterly and yearly refinances produced improved numbers.
Read on for more details from Realogy’s latest earning statement.
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Radian Group names president of mortgage business
Posted Date: Thursday, February 27, 2020
Radian Group Inc. has selected one of its senior executive vice presidents to oversee its mortgage business, the company announced.
CEO Rick Thornberry said the executive selected for this new role has done an outstanding job working with the team to grow Radian’s mortgage insurance and risk services businesses, while keeping a sharp focus on managing the company’s risk-return profile.
Read on to learn who was selected for the position.
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The Closing Agent offering fraud alerts
Posted Date: Thursday, February 27, 2020
Orlando, Fla.-based The Closing Agent is enrolling certain homebuyers in a county fraud-alert system that notifies property owners if anything appears in the public record with their name on it, the company announced.
The Closing Agent President and CEO Barry Miller said his company is “driven to find new ways to protect our customers.”
Read on to learn more.
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Top markets for fix-and-flips
Posted Date: Thursday, February 27, 2020
More than half of the Top 25 markets for fix-and-flip properties are in the East.
Read on for more details.
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RamQuest, SIGNiX integrate
Posted Date: Thursday, February 27, 2020
RamQuest, Inc. has integrated SIGNiX’s online document signing solution into its Closing Market digital network.
Read on for more details.
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New-home sales up for third straight quarter
Posted Date: Thursday, February 27, 2020
During the fourth quarter of 2019, new-home sales had the biggest gain in more than two years and the third consecutive quarterly increase.
Read on for more details.
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Fintech startup launches cloud-based title search
Posted Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2020
A Kentucky-based fintech startup has launched a title search management automation software-as-a-service (SaaS), the company announced.
The company said its cloud-based technology platform provides automated ordering of title searches for any residential or commercial property in the United States and streamlines the entire title search management process.
Read on to learn who is behind the company and its platform.
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Fidelity’s ratings affirmed following acquisition
Posted Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Following Fidelity National Financial agreement to acquire FGL Holdings, Moody’s Investors Service affirmed Fidelity’s Baa2 senior unsecured debt rating and the A2 insurance financial strength ratings of its primary title insurance subsidiaries.
Moody’s said outlook for Fidelity’s ratings remains stable based on the company’s good profitability in its core title business and solid balance sheet.
Read on to learn the rationale behind Moody’s assessment.
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RamQuest, CertifID integrate
Posted Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2020
RamQuest has integrated CertifID’s digital solution into its Closing Market digital network.
Read on for more details.
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Small-business optimism in record territory
Posted Date: Thursday, February 20, 2020
The National Federation of Independent Businesses’ (NFIB) small-business Optimism Index has started 2019 with one of the highest readings in the survey’s 46-year history.
NFIB Chief Economist William Dunkelberg said the year is off to an “explosive” start, with small-business owners expecting increased sales, earnings, and higher wages for employees.
Read on for more details from NFIB’s latest survey.
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Alliant National names executive vice president
Posted Date: Thursday, February 20, 2020
Alliant National Title Insurance Co. has promoted Rodney Anderson to executive vice president and national agency manager, the company announced.
Alliant National President and CEO David Sinclair said Anderson’s experience and passion for independent agents make “him the perfect person to lead our agency team.”
Read on to learn more about the newest member of Alliant National’s executive team.
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Investors Title produces record revenues
Posted Date: Thursday, February 20, 2020
Investors Title Co. set new records for fourth-quarter and yearly revenues, premiums, and earnings.
Chairman J. Allen Fine attributed the improved earnings to
a strong economy, increases in the level of home sales and average real estate values, and a sharp increase in the level of refinance activity.
Read on for more details from Investors’ latest earnings report.
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Stewart makes changes to National Agents team
Posted Date: Thursday, February 20, 2020
Stewart Information Services Corp. recently made changes to its National Agents team with the appointment of a senior vice president and a manager.
Group President Tara Smith said the additions “bring a wealth of knowledge and industry experience to the team that will ensure our focus continues to be growing our agency markets through new technologies and strategy.”
Read on for more details about the changes.
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Home affordability driving migration patterns
Posted Date: Thursday, February 20, 2020
More than a quarter of those searching for homes on Redfin during the fourth quarter searched for a home in another metropolitan area.
Read on for more details.
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Home prices continue to climb
Posted Date: Thursday, February 20, 2020
U.S. home-sale prices increased 6.7 percent year-over-year in January to a median of $306,400.
Read on for more details.
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Nashville agency launches smart tools, names CTO
Posted Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2020
A Nashville, Tenn.-based title and escrow company has launched a proprietary digital platform offering smart tools and transparent pricing and named a chief technology officer.
The company also recently secured $8.5 million in Series A financing led by Santander Innoventures, along with Greycroft, Liberty Mutual Strategic Ventures, Mucker Capital, Tribeca Early Stage Partners and others.
Read on to learn about the company’s expansion plans.
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Knight Barry acquires another Florida agency
Posted Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Knight Barry Title (KBT) has acquired Island Title in St. Augustine, Fla., the company announced. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
KBT Chief Operating Officer Craig Haskins said the company will continue to search for more Florida acquisitions, adding “it doesn’t matter where you are in Florida. If you’re interested in joining us, we’d love to talk to you.”
Read on to learn more about the company’s latest acquisition.
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