News By Edition

Cybersecurity tactics and increased sophistication of online scams were detailed by experts during the first annual Williston Financial Group Executive Summit.

Bruce Phillips, MyHome chief information security officer,  was among those who shared their experiences, encouraging companies not to make scammers’ jobs easier and showing how fraudsters latch on to individuals’ usernames.

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First American Financial Corp. subsidiary Mother Lode Holding Co. has acquired a pair of Wisconsin-based title insurance businesses and multiple title plants in the state.

Mother Lode Holding Co. provides title insurance, underwriting and escrow services for residential and commercial real estate transactions through its 17 operating subsidiaries in the U.S.

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October Research, LLC debuted its new “Keys to Real Estate” podcast, hosted by Chief Knowledge Officer Mary Schuster, on May 16.

Industry professionals can now hear from some of the most knowledgeable thought leaders on topics impacting the real estate transaction while on the go delivered weekly via various podcast platforms and YouTube.

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Companies that embrace change and stay adaptable during market shifts are the ones that will succeed and grow.

That’s the message Taylor Morrison Executive Vice President and President of Financial Services Tawn Kelley plans to deliver in her keynote address at the National Settlement Services Summit (NS3) May 21-23 in Naples, Fla.

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An industry veteran with title agency and underwriting experience has been tapped as First National Title Insurance Co.’s new director of strategic accounts.

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Automated employment and income verification provider Truv announced it’s now an authorized mortgage lender report supplier for Fannie Mae’s Desktop Underwriter validation service.

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Foreclosure filings in April were down 4 percent compared with the prior month and April 2023, according to ATTOM.

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North Carolina-based Investors Title Co. posted year-over-year hikes in both revenue and income in its first quarter earnings report.

Revenues increased 4.1 percent to $53.5 million, compared with $51.3 million in the first quarter of 2023, primarily due to increases in premiums written and higher net investment gains.

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Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D., chief economist at GraphsandLaughs, LLC, will share his passion and knowledge of the housing market and economy as a featured speaker at the National Settlement Services Summit (NS3) in Naples, Fla.

Among the topics he plans to cover is the question he hears a lot: when will the Fed cut interest rates?

A new report from Reuters showed a majority of economists expect two cuts to the U.S. Federal Reserve’s key interest rate, with the first coming this fall.

Those results were collected during a May 7-13 poll and represent a significant leap in the number of economists forecasting a rate cut this year. In April, approximately half of respondents held that view.

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Tampa, Fla.-based Majesty Title Services has appointed a new relationship manager, promoting a team member who joined the company in 2018.

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Homesellers are cutting prices, and the time it takes to sell is going up quickly, across popular markets in Florida and Texas, among other areas, according to Redfin.

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The FNF Family of Companies is putting forth a new tool to help title agents detect seller impersonation fraud before final transactions takes place.

Fidelity National Financial leaders said title agents can quickly verify property information when they open a new order, including the owner’s name and mailing address, occupancy, assessed value and estimated mortgage balance.

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Doma Holdings, Inc. experienced a 20-percent-plus quarterly revenue drop in the first quarter, according to the company’s recent earnings report.

In April, the company announced it had entered into an agreement and plan to merge with Title Resources Group (TRG), subject to stockholder and regulatory approvals. The deal is expected to be finalized this year.

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A new title insurance technology platform from Voxtur Analytics Corp. offers access to competitive pricing for title and settlement services.

Company leaders said the platform aims to “offer users the best solution for their given situation, whether that is traditional title insurance or the Voxtur attorney opinion letter title alternative.”

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Denver-based real estate transaction technology provider Settlor has enhanced security features for its customer portal.

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Rocket Companies has brought on its first group chief technology officer, appointing a long-time artificial intelligence and fintech leader across multiple companies.

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The equity-rich portion of mortgaged homes declined for the third straight quarter in Q1 2024, according to property data curator ATTOM.

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Fidelity National Financial, Inc. reported strong earnings results for the first quarter, including year-over-year revenue increases for its title segment.

Total title segment revenue in the first quarter came in at $1.66 billion, a 7 percent year-over-year increase from $1.55 billion. Adjusted pre-tax title margin was 10.7 percent compared to 10 percent in the first quarter of 2023.

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A recent study conducted by Washington, D.C.-based ndp | analytics attempted to quantify the research and curative work done by title insurance professionals during a property transaction.

Data showed that 36 percent of all transactions require extensive, non-routine title clearance efforts. It also found that 1 out of 3 transactions include difficult files, which require substantial curative work.

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Texas-based TitleLogix Solutions has launched its National Tax Certification Services, which makes use of a multi-dimensional web-based platform that was developed internally.

TitleLogix can now produce and deliver a tax certificate for any property in the county.The property tax service application supports the automated ordering and manufacturing of ad valorem tax and HOA certificates and related products.

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Cincinnati-based fintech platform Payload has earned SOC 2 Type II certification and a renewal of its PCI DSS Level 1 certification.

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CATIC has brought on a real estate professional and attorney with more than 20 years of industry experience as its new Rhode Island title counsel.

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A new Zillow survey finds that nearly all adults still pine for at least one feature of their childhood dream home.

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Stewart Information Services Corp. reported a year-over-year companywide revenue increase for the first quarter, and title segment earnings essentially matched the start of last year.

First quarter title segment operating revenues decreased 1 percent, year-over-year, primarily as a result of residential volume declines in direct and agency title operations.

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Texas-based halFILE Systems Corp. has announced a rebrand for its title plant management software, which has served the title industry for more than three decades.

The platform is available in both cloud-based and desktop applications. Company leaders touted ease of access in the cloud, saying the platform “operates as if it was on-premises with little to no latency.”

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Real estate technology provider Blend Labs, Inc. has brought in a new $150 million investment through a partnership with private equity firm Haveli Investments.

Blend will use the vast majority of the proceeds to repay all amounts payable under its existing credit agreement, and the remainder for general corporate purposes.

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Western Alliance Bank has named a new head for its business escrow services group, promoting a former chief strategist and managing director.

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Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. is launching MSP Digital Experience, a conversational interface for ICE’s mortgage loan servicing system.

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Roughly 1 in 5 new mortgages went to low-income homebuyers in 2023, down from close to 1 in 4 in 2020. Meanwhile, high-income buyers have gained share because they’re more prepared to weather the storm of high home prices and mortgage rates, according to Redfin.

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Philadelphia-based LodeStar Software Solutions has established SettleWise, its in-house national title insurance company. Co-founder and CEO Jim Paolino sat down with The Title Report to talk about the new company.

SettleWise will support conventional purchases, refinances, commercial, construction, FHA loans, VA Loans and HELOC transactions nationwide and be headquartered in the Philadelphia area.

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Stewart Title National Commercial Services is putting forth its interactive endorsement guide, which will provide users with lists of most requested endorsements among other features.

The guide also directs users to Stewart’s virtual underwriter, which offers attorneys, title offices and lenders access to the essential information needed to keep underwriting transactions moving.

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Miami-based Skyline Lien Search is rebranding as Skyline Title Support, with the move becoming effective May 6, the company recently announced.

Leaders said the change “symbolizes the company’s longstanding commitment to providing a wide array of property-related services.” Plans also call for a new website and enhanced online presence.

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An integration between verification provider Truv and point-of-sale platform BeSmartee will aim to deliver fast, affordable borrower verifications for mortgage lenders, the companies said.

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Doma Title Insurance tapped a long-time title professional and banking account executive as its new agency manager for the state of Georgia.

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New data from Redfin shows that no major metropolitan areas have falling home prices for the first time since 2022.

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Arizona-based Standard Title & Escrow is adding a new office to its expanding footprint, with leaders citing increased demand for services across the state.

The new Phoenix office will offer a range of services, including real estate title insurance, escrow and closing services, and guidance to help clients navigate the complexities of real estate transactions.

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The CATIC Family of Companies has published its annual inclusion report, highlighting company diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives as well as progress in regard to company demographics.

 In 2020, the company implemented “The Initiative,” which continues to be primarily focused on increasing access to homeownership for underrepresented groups, particularly Black, indigenous and people of color.

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Latest reporting from the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Beige Book shows moderate economic activity expansion as well as “cautious optimism” among respondents.

Ten out of 12 districts experienced either slight or modest economic growth — up from eight in the previous report ­– while the other two reported no changes in activity.

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