News By Edition

Worth National Title Insurance Co.’s origin story is “really no different” than others in the underwriting industry, according to its CEO and President George Stablein. Stablein and Norma Scott, executive vice president and agency director for Worth National Title, spoke with The Title Report about how the business got started, the challenges they’re facing, and their future plans. Read on to find out more.

Rocket Companies announced a $9.4 billion all-stock acquisition agreement with Mr. Cooper Group Inc. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter, pending regulatory approval. Read on to learn more.

Independence Title CEO Kevin Tacher and Stephanie Zalai, the firm’s operations manager, received awards from Stewart Title for their work preventing title fraud. “As a former firefighter, protecting people is in my DNA,” Tacher said. Tacher spoke with The Title Report about the steps his firm takes to prevent title fraud and escrow fraud. Read on to find out more.

Borrowers are increasingly opting for non-traditional mortgages, according to the results of a survey by HomeLight. Specifically, non-qualified mortgages are having a moment, according to HomeLight. Read on to learn more.

Allied Title & Escrow announced the launch of a software system designed to provide agents with tools for lead generation, market insights, and client engagement. The company’s CEO called the software “a game-changer for agents looking to grow their business.” Read on to learn more.

Truly Title Inc. has promoted an industry veteran to serve as its Western Region president. Read on to learn more details.

PropStream is partnering with BeachesMLS to provide what company leaders say will be improved lead generation for BeachesMLS members. Read on to find out more.

Young Americans are losing their momentum when it comes to homeownership, according to a new report from Redfin. Read on to learn more.

While affordability continues to be a challenge, many loan officers believe prospective homebuyers are more willing to take some chances in the housing market, according to a new report from HomeLight. Close to three-fourths of loan officers surveyed by HomeLight say they’ve seen a rise in buyers’ willingness to take chances with options such as fixer-uppers, unconventional financing, or accepting higher mortgage rates. Read on to learn more.

Cornerstone Capital Bank launched two joint venture (JV) companies with homebuilders in Texas and North Carolina. With the addition of the two, Cornerstone has now formed and managed JV mortgage companies for 15 homebuilders nationwide. Read on to learn more information.

Two of the country’s top real estate agents said title companies should focus on effective human interaction during a complimentary webinar in The Title Report’s “Evolving Realtor Relationships” series. Read on to learn more.

SingleSource Property Solutions recently promoted a 19-year company veteran to the position of chief innovation officer. Read on to learn more.

Truework announced the creation of Truework Intelligence, an automated verification platform for mortgage lenders and property managers. Read on to find out more.

Home sales fell by double digits in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena after January’s Los Angeles wildfires, according to a new report from Redfin. Read on to learn more.

Shore Bancshares Inc. announced that its title subsidiary will cease conducting real estate closings by March 31. According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the title company will continue to operate as necessary to complete any work in progress. Read on to learn more information.

AM Best has assigned excellent financial strength and long-term issuer credit rating to Premier Land Title Insurance Co. of Coppell, Texas. Premier’s parent company is builder PulteGroup Inc. The outlook assigned to these credit ratings is stable. Read on to learn more.

Radian Group Inc. announced that Radian Guaranty has issued a line of credit of up to $1 million to the Philadelphia Accelerator Fund, a non-profit loan fund supporting the production and preservation of affordable housing and community development projects to benefit low-income communities. Read on to find out more.

AmTrust Title Insurance Co.’s new underwriting counsel will assist with the company’s service support in New York and the tri-state area. Read on to learn more.

Southern Title announced it hired an industry veteran as its new director of sales and marketing. Read on to learn more details.

Buyers and sellers didn’t jump back into the housing market as expected in February, but lower mortgage rates should encourage them in March, according to a report from Zillow. Read on to find out more.

Increased construction activity is playing a role in lowering housing costs in some parts of the country as the spring homebuying season begins, according to Sam Williamson, senior economist at First American. As the construction of new homes increases relative to the size of the housing market, there is more downward pressure on home prices, according to Williamson. Read on to find out more.

In advance of the 2025 Voice of The Title Agent in-depth report being launched next week, several survey participants were chosen as prize winners. Read on to find out who won an NS3 registration, a subscription to The Title Report, a wireless speaker with a built-in wireless charger, and a copy of Dr. Mark Calabria’s book, Shelter from the Storm: How a COVID Mortgage Meltdown Was Averted.

Real estate brokerage leaders are overwhelmingly optimistic about their economic, housing, and business outlooks for 2025, according to the latest Delta Real Estate Leadership Survey. The annual study surveyed over 100 brokerage executives whose firms collectively generated more than half of all residential real estate transactions last year. Read on to find out more.

Westcor Land Title Insurance Co. promoted a 30-year industry veteran to vice president of sales enablement. Read on to find out more.

Chicago-based title insurance underwriter Advocus announced the launch of GO Live, a new virtual closing system that can be used by attorneys and their clients.

Read on to learn more.

The Midwest is home to three of the five metro areas where home prices are rising fastest, according to a report from Redfin. Read on to learn more details.

First American Data & Analytics’ February 2025 Home Price Index report showed that national house price growth is at its slowest pace since March 2012. First American Chief Economist Mark Fleming noted the slow pace was amid ongoing affordability constraints and rising inventory. Read on to learn more details.

HouseWhisper, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered real estate agent assistant, announced its official launch, along with nearly $10 million in seed funding from Mayfield, PSL Ventures, and 75 and Sunny Ventures. This system was founded by former Zillow executives. Read on to learn more.

Real estate software firm Inside Real Estate announced the acquisition of ListAssist, a property search solution. The leaders of the firms are hoping to team up to provide “engaging search experiences for their clients,” by leveraging artificial intelligence, according to Inside Real Estate CEO Joe Skousen. Read on to learn more.

Chicago-based title insurance underwriter Advocus recently announced a series of strategic leadership additions, including national president and chief operating officer. Read on to learn more.

Jeff Cook Real Estate LPT Realty has introduced a mobile app for home buyers and sellers looking for homes for sale in South Carolina and North Carolina. Read on to learn more.

ATTOM has released its February 2025 Foreclosure Market Report, which shows foreclosure filings were up from January but down from a year ago. Read on to learn more.

Title professionals continue to be targeted by attempts to steal funds from real estate transactions, but consumer education and staff training are helping mitigate losses, according to the American Land Title Association’s (ALTA) latest cybercrime study. Some of the tools used by title companies to reduce the risk of wire fraud include consumer and real estate agent training, and verification software. Read on to learn more.

After the Wall Street Journal reported Compass is in “advanced talks” to acquire HomeServices of America, the real-estate brokerage business owned by Warren Buffett, HomeServices of America CEO Gino Blefari sent out an email to company franchisees refuting the “misinformation.” Read on to find out more.

The cost of building a new home in this country is expected to increase due to the tariffs being imposed on imported goods from Mexico, Canada and China, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). That’s why the NAHB is urging President Trump to “reconsider” the tariffs, particularly the ones affecting critical building materials. Read on to learn more.

EDGE Home Finance has partnered with Calque to provide “buy-before-you-sell” loan programs. Read on to learn more.

AmTrust Title Insurance announced the expansion of its operations in Texas with the addition of three professionals. Read on to learn more information.

The typical homeowner stays in their house for 11.8 years, but homeowners in California—where Proposition 13 can lock owners into low property-tax rates—are staying put much longer, according to a new report from Redfin. Read on to learn more.

Chicago-based title insurance underwriter Advocus National Title Insurance Co. announced the launch of its new 1031 exchange service offering. Advocus will assist in qualifying and coordinating the 1031 exchange, and will give access to the 1031 services through an entity owned and operated by Accruit, a 1031 exchange qualified intermediary. Read on to learn more information.

Members of Gen Z are ready to buy a home this year, but high interest rates and home prices could deter them from moving forward, according to the annual State of Homebuying report from ServiceLink. Two out of three Gen Z respondents said they plan to purchase a home this year compared to 51 percent of millennials, 49 percent of Gen X and 22 percent of baby boomers. Read on to learn more.

DomiDocs Inc. announced the launch of its Documenting for Disaster program, a free system that will provide organization, education and technology to help homeowners deal with the aftermath of catastrophic weather events. Read on to learn more.

Truly Title has promoted its Texas state president to serve as the company’s new president. Read on to find out more.

GridBase’s new national sales director has been an independent business owner, and also worked in underwriting, mortgage insurance, capital/secondary markets and technology. Read on to learn more.

Real estate investors purchased 47,004 homes in the fourth quarter of 2024, down from a year earlier and the lowest fourth-quarter level since 2016. Read on to learn more.

Rocket Companies has agreed to a $1.75 billion all-stock acquisition agreement with Redfin that company leaders say will make the homebuying process more efficient and less costly. By putting search, buying, selling, mortgage, title and servicing all under Rocket’s platform, Rocket Companies CEO Varun Krishna said his firm is creating “a modern intuitive experience that puts the consumer first.” Read on to learn more.

AmTrust Title Insurance Co. has appointed leaders with more than 55 years of combined experience in the title insurance industry. Read on to learn more.

Cloudvirga announced the rollout of its Horizon Retail Point-of-Sale integration using Encompass Partner Connect, the latest API framework for mortgage technology from Intercontinental Exchange. Read on to learn more information.

Spring home sellers who listed their home for sale in the second half of May maximized their home's sale price last year, according to an analysis by Zillow. Read on to find out more.

Rocket Companies has agreed to a $1.75 billion acquisition agreement with Redfin, citing the strategic benefits of teaming up its digital lending platform with one of the country’s most recognizable online real estate brokerages. Read on to learn more

Anywhere Real Estate Inc. reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended Dec. 31, 2024, showing an increase in year-over-year revenue for both the fourth quarter and the complete year. The company’s strong showing was reflected in increases in both purchase and refinance title and closing units. Read on to learn more information.

Economic activity rose slightly since mid-January, according to the Federal Reserve’s latest Beige Book report. Six of the 12 Federal Reserve Districts reported no change, while four reported some growth and two noted slight contractions. These mixed results were reflected in the numbers surrounding the residential real estate markets. Read on to learn more.

The National Federation of Independent Business’ February jobs report found that 38 percent of small-business owners reported job openings they could not fill, up three points from January and the highest reading since August 2024. Read on to learn more.

Title Clearing & Escrow’s new business development manager will oversee the firm’s client acquisition and retention strategies. Read on to find out more.

A new integration combines Rynoh’s financial management platform with BankUnited’s banking infrastructure to deliver wire transfer management and other financial operations. Read on to learn more.

ATTOM released its fourth-quarter 2024 Residential Property Mortgage Origination Report, which showed that 1.64 million mortgages secured by residential property were issued during the fourth quarter. That was down quarterly but up from a year earlier. Read on to learn more information.

Investors Title Co. recently announced earnings results for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2024. A 32 increase in revenues was primarily driven by increased activity levels including ongoing expansion initiatives, according to Investors Title. Read on to learn more information.

First American Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi provided an overview of significant trends that will mold the spring home-buying market. Kushi is predicting a modest increase in home-buying demand in the spring months, but noted affordability challenges could play a role in whether this demand will be sustained. Read on to learn more information.

Figure Technology Solutions and Sixth Street have announced the formation of a new joint venture vehicle in which Sixth Street’s asset-based finance platform has committed to invest $200 million of equity. Figure Chief Capital Officer Todd Stevens said this initiative is designed to lower costs for lenders and borrowers. Read on to find out more.

AmTrust Title Insurance Co.’s new regional sales representative will handle sales in North Carolina. Read on to find out more

Vylla Title introduced a new title search product, combined with an insurance policy, designed for the foreclosure process. Read on to learn more.

The median home-sale price rose 3.7 percent year-over-year during the four weeks ending Feb. 16, the smallest increase since September 2024, according to Redfin. Additionally, the weekly average mortgage rate dipped to 6.87 percent, its lowest level of the year. Read on to learn more information.