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New York targets ‘unscrupulous’ title practices
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 2, 2017
As New York attorney general, Andrew M. Cuomo unsuccessfully went after title agencies that performed settlement services, arguing that the exercise amounted to the unauthorized practice of law.
As governor, he’s now taking aim at inducements some title agencies use to lure business from attorneys and real estate professionals. The governor said these costs ultimately are passed along to unsuspecting consumers.
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Another dominant quarter for Old Republic
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Last year might have been the best yet for Old Republic’s title insurance division, but the results from the first quarter of 2017 show that business has not yet slowed down.
Old Republic issued its quarterly financial report, but did not host a conference call with analysts to discuss results, the first time in at least a decade it chose not to do so.
So for all the insight from Old Republic’s stellar first quarter, read on for details.
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Bank buys two Florida title companies
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 2, 2017
A national online platform for small-business lending recently completed its acquisition of two title companies in Florida with which it previously did business.
The bank’s CEO said the purchase will allow it to provide best-in-class service to small businesses across the U.S.
Read on for more details.
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And our Voice of the Title Agent contest winners are …
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 2, 2017
This year, for the first time, The Title Report and October Research, LLC, gave away a free registration to this year’s National Settlement Services Summit (NS3), along with three subscriptions to The Title Report, to lucky participants in our seventh consecutive Voice of the Title Agent survey. Read on to find out who will be at NS3 in San Antonio, Texas!
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Simplifile hires settlement account manager
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Simplifile added a new national settlement account manager who previously worked for First American Professional Real Estate Services.
Read on for more details.
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Loan defects on the rise
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 2, 2017
According to First American Financial Corp., defects, fraud and misrepresentation in mortgage loan applications increased during March.
Read on for more details.
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NAHB: Trump’s lumber tariffs will hurt housing market
Posted Date: Wednesday, April 26, 2017
This week, President Donald Trump imposed tariffs against lumber imported from Canada.
The administration believes the tariffs will help level the playing field for domestic lumber producers.
The National Association of Home Builders, however, fears the taxes will cost jobs and make homes less affordable. Read on for more details.
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ATG announces board appointments
Posted Date: Wednesday, April 26, 2017
In addition to reappointments to its board of directors, Chicago-based Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund also has appointed a chair and board director for its subsidiary, ATG Trust Company.
The appointees include the immediate past president of the Chicago Bar Association and one of the company’s top-issuing member agents for many years.
Read on for more details.
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RESE partners with Qualia
Posted Date: Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Real Estate Settlements & Escrow, LLC has deployed Qualia’s cloud-based title and closing software, both companies announced.
RESE’s CEO said its switch to Qualia will help the company reduce turn-times, increase efficiency, and provide a phenomenal customer experience.
Read on for more details.
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NS3 Preview: Effective marketing strategies, and more
Posted Date: Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Every business needs a good marketing strategy to survive.
Attendees at the National Settlement Services Summit (NS3) in San Antonio, Texas, will learn from two title experts about ways to stay on top of the trends, including at least 10 marketing ideas. The session is one of a number of business-building educational seminars slated for NS3 this year.
Read on for more.
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AmTrust expands New York team
Posted Date: Wednesday, April 26, 2017
The two new members of AmTrust Title Insurance Co.’s team will focus on expanding the company’s business in New York.
Read on for more details.
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LenderLive adds two vice presidents
Posted Date: Wednesday, April 26, 2017
The new hires bring experience from First American and Kensington Vanguard.
Read on for more details.
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Stewart beats first-quarter expectations
Posted Date: Monday, April 24, 2017
Driven partially by $10 million in additional title revenues, Stewart Information Services Corp. beat analyst expectations and reported a modest increase in revenues for the first quarter.
Among the other strong signs – Stewart reported fewer opened orders and fewer closed orders than a year earlier yet still found profitable margins.
Stewart CEO Matthew W. Morris said increased home purchases by millennials and higher home prices in coming months may offset declining refinance volume due to rising interest rates.
Read on for more details.
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Kensington Vanguard expands Florida footprint
Posted Date: Monday, April 24, 2017
Kensington Vanguard National Land Services has expanded its South Florida presence with the opening of a new office in Palm Beach County, the company announced.
The new office is in Boca Raton and will be managed by an industry veteran. The company already has offices in Miami, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Texas and Colorado.
“We’re excited to have a presence in the hot Boca market,” co-CEO Brian Cooper said.
Read on for more details.
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Optimism among small-business owners surging
Posted Date: Monday, April 24, 2017
Small-business owners are as optimistic about the country’s business environment as they have been since before the Great Recession, according to at least one index gauging their attitudes.
However, one advocacy group said that optimism is likely to wane if Congress doesn’t take action on health care and tax reform.
Meanwhile, a quarterly small-business survey conducted by Wells Fargo and Gallup found that small-business owners’ attitudes about revenues, cash flow and access to credit all improved.
Read on for more details.
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NS3 Preview: Lenders welcome agents to eWorld
Posted Date: Monday, April 24, 2017
For years, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has urged the adoption of eMortgages and eClosings as a way to make the mortgage process more understandable, more transparent and more efficient for consumers.
At the National Settlement Services Summit in San Antonio, Texas, three lenders will take the stage to tell attendees about the eWorld they live in, and how title agents can work with their lenders to succeed in it.
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Home prices rose in February
Posted Date: Monday, April 24, 2017
Home prices across the U.S. have risen for 58 consecutive months and hit a new, post-crisis high in February.
Read on for more details.
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RamQuest integrates with CertSimple
Posted Date: Monday, April 24, 2017
RamQuest users now have access to CertSimple’s property tax certification in all 254 Texas counties.
Read on for more details.
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AmTrust continues aggressive expansion
Posted Date: Friday, April 21, 2017
AmTrust Title Insurance Co. has hired two former Fidelity executives to guide its expansion into the Caribbean and Latin America and to develop its Southeast base.
The move comes the same month the New York-based company announced it had hired two former Stewart executives to establish offices in Austin, Dallas and Houston.
Read on for more details about the company's latest move to increase business in the Southeast.
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Beige Book: Low inventories slow home sales
Posted Date: Friday, April 21, 2017
The Federal Reserve’s April Beige Book found that home sales across the country slowed due to low inventories.
The Federal Reserve also reported that overall economic activity continued to expand at a modest to moderate pace nationwide and inflation remained in check, even as companies in some areas had more difficulty finding skilled workers.
Read on for more details.
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North American opens new office in Minnesota
Posted Date: Friday, April 21, 2017
North American Title Co. (NAT) has expanded into an area which had an 8.5 percent increase in home sales and a 7.7 percent jump in median sales prices last year.
NAT also has hired a closer and a closing assistant for the new office.
Read on for more details..
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Mortgage rates dip below 4 percent
Posted Date: Friday, April 21, 2017
For the fifth consecutive week, the average rate for 30-year, fixed rate mortgages dropped, according to a Freddie Mac survey.
Read on for more details.
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CSC adds 57 counties to eRecording network
Posted Date: Friday, April 21, 2017
Corporation Service Company added 57 counties in 25 states to its eRecording network during the first quarter of 2017.
Read on for more details.
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Movement Mortgage issues 2017 projections
Posted Date: Friday, April 21, 2017
Despite an anticipated downturn in home sales nationwide this year, Movement Mortgage is projecting a 25 percent year-over-year increase in residential mortgages.
Read on for more details.
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Accenture buys BeesPath’s ClosingBridge
Posted Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Accenture purchased BeesPath’s ClosingBridge platform to enhance its Mortgage Cadence loan origination technology suite, the company announced.
The company also has hired the former president of BeesPath to speed the integration of ClosingBridge with Mortgage Cadence and to oversee product advancement.
Read on for more details.
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Global engineering firm buys Bock & Clark
Posted Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2017
The global engineering and consulting firm NV5 has acquired Bock & Clark (B&C).
With has eight offices and annual sales revenues of $39 million, B&C is the largest company providing ALTA surveys in the U.S. Leaders from both companies cite synergies between the firms that will benefit both.
Read on for more details.
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OS National opens Houston office
Posted Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Although OS National LLC already has an office in Dallas/Fort Worth, the company said its new Houston office will become its hallmark Texas location.
“We are pleased to welcome clients and partners to the opening of our Galleria Houston location for retail business,” OS National Managing Partner Jamie Wunder said in a press release.
In addition to the Texas locations, OSN has offices in Atlanta, Phoenix and Las Vegas.
Read on for more details.
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SoftPro, APG partner
Posted Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2017
SoftPro has integrated its business exchange platform with American Property Guard (APG), the companies announced.
SoftPro 360 users now can order property tax certificates, county assessor data, tax maps and HOA contract information from APG directly from within SoftPro.
Read on for more details.
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First International hires branch manager
Posted Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2017
The new hire has more than 20 years of closing and managerial experience with both law firms and national title underwriters.
Read on for more details.
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ClosingCorp inducted into Ellie Mae Hall of Fame
Posted Date: Monday, April 17, 2017
ClosingCorp, a leading provider of residential real estate closing cost data and technology for the mortgage and real estate services industries, today announced it was inducted into the Ellie Mae Hall of Fame
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eClose360 by NotaryCam Wins Innovation Award
Posted Date: Monday, April 17, 2017
NotaryCam, Inc. announced that its eClose360 patented online notary platform has been awarded an Innovation Award from the PROGRESS in Lending
Association.
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Cybersecurity expert launches new company
Posted Date: Monday, April 17, 2017
Cybersecurity is a big concern for small businesses. An industry expert has started a company that provides security-related services and consulting especially designed for title and settlement service providers as well as financial services firms.
The security services offered by the new company can be tailored to small operations or large agencies.
Read on for more details.
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Study: Small business more efficient at hiring
Posted Date: Monday, April 17, 2017
If you own a small business such as a title or settlement company, you know that hiring employees can be time consuming and costly.
A new report from Lever indicates small and mid-sized businesses are more efficient at the hiring process than large companies. Even so, small businesses usually go through 86 job candidates before selecting one.
Read on for more details.
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Westcor agents gain options
Posted Date: Monday, April 17, 2017
Westcor Land Title Insurance Co. has integrated E-Closing’s cloud-based title production software, the companies announced.
The integration will allow Westcor agents to generate closing protection letters and policy jackets directly from the E-Closing production system.
Read on for more details.
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Foreclosures decline during first quarter
Posted Date: Monday, April 17, 2017
An analysis by ATTOM Data Solutions found foreclosure activity decreased in 102 of 216 markets across the country.
Read on for more details.
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ePN, Closers’ Choice partner
Posted Date: Monday, April 17, 2017
The integration will enable Closers’ Choice users to eRecord within the company’s services gateway.
Read on for more details.
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Mortgage delinquencies down in January
Posted Date: Monday, April 17, 2017
The percentage of mortgages at least 30 days delinquent dropped slightly during January 2017, according to a report by CoreLogic.
Read on for more details.
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