News By Edition

Fidelity National Financial, Inc. had a 62 percent gain in title earnings from a year ago, according to the company’s latest earnings report.

 Fidelity also announced staffing cuts to both its field operations and corporate offices estimated to save $200 million, and said it would continue to closely monitor the market.

 Read on for more details from Fidelity’s first-quarter earnings report.

NotaryCam has held its Help a Hero promotion for Memorial Day and Veterans Day since 2013.

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Florida-headquartered Nationwide Title Clearing, Inc. CEO John Hillman and co-owner Ed Marsh recently donated $25,000 to the St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation Caregiver and Healthcare Worker Fund.

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CloseSimple recently launched a texting platform designed for title and escrow companies.

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Lower mortgage rates and the resulting increase in refinances spurred Investors Title Co. to a quarterly record in net premiums, according to the company’s latest earnings statement.

Investors Title Chairman J. Allen Fine said a strong economy prior to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic contributed to a healthy pipeline, which sustained the company through the first quarter.

Read on for more details about Investors Title’s first-quarter performance.

A new digital home loan lender that allows consumers to apply for loans directly from their phones and receive pre-approvals in as little as 15 minutes has launched.

 The Rhode Island-based company operates in Texas, Florida, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Virginia. The company plans to expand to 10 additional states by the end of 2020.

 Read on for more details.

Orlando, Fla.-based The Closing Agent has expanded its footprint in Florida with the opening of an office on Merritt Island, the company announced.

 President and CEO Barry Miller said the new office was designed with a focus on social distancing, and provides a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere that prioritizes the safety of employees, clients and agents.

 Read on for more details.

South Bend, Ind.-headquartered Meridian Title Corp. has added three account managers to its sales team.

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Pavaso has launched a remote ink-signed notarization solution that allows a signer and notary in different locations to complete the signing and notarization of real estate closing documents on paper.

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WFG National Title Insurance Co. has hired a southeast agency area production manager.

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Driven by a more than 100 percent increase in refinances, Realogy Title Group generated a significant improvement in its first-quarter earnings, according to the company’s latest earnings report.

 Realogy said it has implemented cost-savings measures in response to the economic disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

 It said those measures are expected to lower operating costs by $80 million to $100 million each full quarter they are in effect.

The retail insurance subsidiaries of BB&T Insurance Holdings, which offer title services through BridgeTrust Title, have rebranded, the company announced.

The Charlotte, N.C.-based company said the rebranding is designed to simplify the firm’s overall identity and reflect a streamlined operational structure that provides clients with easier access to the company’s resources.

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AccuTitle has integrated TitleWave’s order, tracking, and receiving functions into its title management platform, the company announced.

 AccuTitle said the integration will enhance user workflow by reducing data entry, eliminating the need to look for or maintain searcher relationships. The integration also offers the ability to send notes and documents to supplement orders.

 Read on to learn what AccuTitle CEO Bill Bartzak had to say about the integration.

The percentage of homes considered equity-rich during the first quarter declined slightly.

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Black Knight, Inc. has hired two industry veterans to join its data and analytics organization.

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Refinance activity for millennials reached an all-time high in March as interest rates plummeted.

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A survey by the NFIB Research Center found that 77 percent of small-business owners successfully have submitted applications for Paycheck Protection Program loans.

 Nearly all of the small-business owners surveyed expressed concerned about increases in liability claims, with 38 percent saying they are very concerned about increased liability when re-opening their business.

 Read on for more details from the survey.

JetClosing has launched a digital mortgage refinancing solution designed for lenders, agents and homeowners, the company announced.

 CEO Dan Greenshields said the new offering allows homeowners to refinance their investment to take advantage of historically low rates from the comfort and safety of their homes, eliminating the need for face-to-face interactions.

 Read on for more details. 

AmTrust Title Insurance Co. has appointed a vice president of national business development.

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Zillow is forecasting home sales will drop 60 percent this spring and will not full recover until the end of 2021.

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PropLogix recently launched an interview-style podcast called Title Talks.

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Stewart Information Services Corp. has executed several targeted cost savings measures prompted by economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stewart said those cost-saving measures include reduced staffing across multiple business lines and corporate operations, and lower discretionary spending levels related to temporary labor, professional services, business promotion, and travel.

Read on for more details about the cost-cutting measures.

An end-to-end digital solution that connects homebuyers and sellers to local real estate agents has partnered with Qualia to power its national expansion and transition toward contactless closings, the companies announced.

The company said Qualia’s cloud-based solution has allowed it to mobilize its team quickly and stay connected digitally in compliance with social distancing orders.

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Demotech recently assigned its “strongly recommended” designation to Alliant National Title Insurance Co.’s commercial real estate operations, the company announced.

 Alliant National CEO David Sinclair said the designation reflects its capacity, depth of experience, financial backing and the robust framework of controls it uses to service agents.

 Read on for more of what Sinclair said about the rating.

Sourcepoint has hired a vice president of global title operations.

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Adeptive Software has added the Zipwhip texting application to its ResWare platform.

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loanDepot has named a senior vice president, chief information security officer.

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After hitting the pause button in March because of the coronavirus pandemic, several iBuyers have announced plans to resume buying homes, including Offerpad, Opendoor, Redfin and Zillow.

The iBuyers have adopted safety measures to better protect people looking to buy or sell, and are rolling out their services in selective cities across the country.

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Knight Barry Title recently expanded its footprint in Wisconsin with the acquisition of a title agency in Oneida County. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

 Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Knight Barry Chief Operating Officer Craig Haskins said the company is maintaining its momentum when it comes to expansion.

 Read on for more details about Knight Barry’s latest acquisition.

Orange Coast Title Co. has developed a closing app it said is designed to ensure safe, reliable communication between buyer, borrower, seller and escrow.

 Orange Coast said it will urge customers to use its “ClosingWires” app for wire instructions rather than relying on email systems that can be vulnerable. It said it will add other precautions for customers who don’t use the app.

 Read on for more details.

International Document Services, Inc. has expanded its eClose platform to include eNotes.

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WFG National Title Insurance Co. has hired a national escrow advisor.

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The new supply of homes for sale listed above $1 million fell 29 percent between mid-March and mid-April.

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Real house prices decreased between January 2020 and February 2020, according to the latest First American Real House Price Index.

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North American Title Insurance Co. (NATIC) has hired a state agency manager for Texas.

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North American Title Insurance Co. has added a vice president, regional underwriting counsel for North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Mississippi.

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