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WFG grows with focus on agents
Posted Date: Thursday, April 30, 2015
When the WFG National Title Insurance Co. (WFG) started five years ago, it was the 31st largest title insurance company in the country. Today it’s tied at the sixth largest. In a recent interview with The Title Report, Executive Vice President Joe Drum attributed this growth to the way the company treats its agents.
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Fitch looks into overall title industry health
Posted Date: Thursday, April 23, 2015
In the last of our three-part series on the performance of the title insurance industry in 2014, this week’s analysis comes from Fitch Inc. The company looks into the ups and downs of the Big Four in 2014. Read on to see what they believe see for the industry in the rest of 2015.
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TRID conversations still evolving
Posted Date: Thursday, April 30, 2015
The calendar changes and the time left until Aug. 1 gets smaller, but the discussions around lender and settlement plans for the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure (TRID) rules are still in flux. Although some issues are being settled, many more are changing as lenders learn more about their new roles and responsibilities in the closing process. A recent lender panel, attended by October Research, LLC, addressed some of those changing concerns; read on for the details.
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SunTrust adopts new procedures for Aug. 1
Posted Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2015
SunTrust announced its plan to comply with new regulations effective Aug. 1, 2015. How will the Atlanta-based lender handle the Closing Disclosure? Keep reading to learn more.
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Continuing education important aspect of title agents job
Posted Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Joe Grabas, founder of Investors Title Agency, recently sat down with The Title Report about his plans and the importance of education in the title insurance industry. He has been traveling around his home state of New Jersey teaching classes to agents, lawyers and Realtors. Keep reading to learn more.
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Title plants widely used, little understood
Posted Date: Thursday, April 30, 2015
Although title plants are common in the industry, there remains a lack of understanding of what they do, and the differences amongst them. The Title Report attended a panel where industry professional David Floyd, Dean Hoag and Richard Murray tried to clear up some of that confusion. Read on to learn more.
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Boston National Title Agency partners with Canyon Title
Posted Date: Thursday, April 30, 2015
Boston National Title Agency of Charlotte, N.C., and Canyon Title of Denver have joined forces. According to Boston National CEO John Keratsis, the primary benefit of the arrangement is the product line diversification necessary to provide a greater range of services. Keep reading to learn more.
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White Mountains Insurance Group invests in OneTitle
Posted Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2015
White Mountains has announced a major investment in OneTitle and will take a minority stake in the company. OneTitle President and CEO Daniel Price talked with The Title Report about the benefits of the deal. Read on to learn more.
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Fidelity sees large commercial increase in Q1
Posted Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Fidelity National Financial reported its earnings for the first quarter. Total revenue was up along, with commercial revenue and refinance transactions. Keep reading to learn more.
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First American reports big improvement in Q1
Posted Date: Monday, April 27, 2015
First American Financial released its earnings report for the first quarter of 2015. Total revenue for the quarter was $1.1 billion, an increase of 10 percent from the first quarter of 2014. Read on to learn how the second largest title insurance underwriter performed.
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Stewart Title expands footprint in Ohio
Posted Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Stewart Title acquired a majority interest in First Ohio Title Insurance Agency. Ohio Division President David Martin said the acquisition is evidence of the company’s commitment to the state’s dynamic real estate market. Read on to learn more.
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Alliant CCO earns coveted certification
Posted Date: Thursday, April 23, 2015
Alliant National Title Insurance Co.’s chief compliance officer earned a coveted certification from the American Society of Quality. He said it was a great honor to receive this certification. Read on to learn more.
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Old Republic earnings continue in ‘highly positive vein’
Posted Date: Monday, April 27, 2015
Old Republic reported its results for the first quarter of 2015. The company’s announcement credits the improvement to a much-improved performance from the basic underwriting and related services functions of the business. Keep reading to learn more about the company’s performance.
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National Notary Association trains veterans
Posted Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2015
The National Notary Association is offering its third annual complimentary notary training for veterans. The training will coincide with Notary Public Week in Orlando, Fla. Read on to learn more.
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RamQuest says TRID software ready
Posted Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2015
RamQuest released Complete Closing version 8.0. The release delivers its Closing Disclosure solution and meets the requirements of CFPB TILA-RESPA. Keep reading to learn more.
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eLynx announces its TRID compliance solution
Posted Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2015
eLynx released Expedite ID, a compliance solution fulfilling lenders’ requirements for complying with the CFPB’s TILA/RESPA Integrated Disclosures (TRID) rule on Aug. 1, 2015. The solution will allow lenders and settlement service agents to share information in compliance with TRID. Keep reading to learn more.
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DocMagic launches new TRID software
Posted Date: Monday, April 27, 2015
DocMagic launched a new solution to bring lenders and settlement providers together inside a secure and collaborative portal to view and exchange fee data prior to closing. The platform was designed to meet TRID requirements. Keep reading to learn more.
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OneTitle grows business development team
Posted Date: Thursday, April 30, 2015
OneTitle National Guaranty Co., Inc. added an industry veteran to its business development team. He will focus on both residential and commercial accounts for OneTitle. Keep reading to learn more.
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First Nationwide boasts strong legal team
Posted Date: Thursday, April 23, 2015
First Nationwide has grown its legal team to 13 members in a short amount of time. Keep reading to learn more about the company’s latest additions.
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Maryland title company, execs cited for RESPA kickbacks
Posted Date: Friday, May 1, 2015
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau handed down an enforcement action against a Maryland title company, its owner and its director of marketing for allegedly participating in mortgage kickback schemes that violated RESPA. Read on for the details of the action and the penalties that will be faced.
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New York regulations to crack down on title industry
Posted Date: Thursday, April 30, 2015
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced new regulations to crack down on kickbacks and other improper expenditures (such as excessive meal and entertainment expenses) in the title insurance industry. He states the regulations will reduce title insurance closing costs by up to 20 percent for new home purchases and up to 60 percent for refinancing transactions. The regulations are based on a Department of Financial Services investigation which uncovered that these practices significantly inflate title insurance premiums. Read on for more details.
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Stewart sees more transactions in Q1
Posted Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Stewart Information Services Corp. reported its results for the first quarter of 2015. CEO Matthew Morris said in terms of title revenue, Stewart experienced higher transaction volume in the first quarter of 2015 compared with a year ago. Read on to learn more about Stewart’s performance.
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Get comfortable with consumer marketing
Posted Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Finding the right way to market directly to consumers might seem difficult for agents who are not used to the process. With the industry set to change the way closings are conducted beginning Aug. 1, reaching out to consumers could open new business avenues for title agents. Read on for the details.
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Fannie Mae expects 2.8 percent growth in 2015
Posted Date: Monday, April 27, 2015
Fannie Mae‘s first quarter economic analysis shows that some economic growth measures downsized, but it is still forecasting 2.8 percent growth in 2015. Read on to learn more.
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Existing-home sales spike in March
Posted Date: Monday, April 27, 2015
Existing-home sales jumped in March to their highest annual rate in 18 months, while unsold inventory showed needed improvement, according to the National Association of Realtors. Led by the Midwest, all major regions experienced strong sales gains in March and are above their year-over-year sales pace. Read on for more details.
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Accurate Group adds industry vets to management team
Posted Date: Monday, April 27, 2015
Accurate Group, a provider of real estate appraisal, title and compliance services, hired two former executives from the FirstMerit Title Agency that recently was closed. Read on to learn who.
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Share of underwater homes increases in first quarter
Posted Date: Thursday, April 23, 2015
According to the U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report released by RealtyTrac, the share of seriously underwater homes increased in the first quarter of 2015 for the first time since the second quarter of 2012. Vice President Daren Blomquist said the end of 2014 saw the lowest share of these properties since RealtyTrac began tracking this data. Read to learn what happened.
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Surry County implements eRecording
Posted Date: Thursday, April 23, 2015
The Surry County, North Carolina, register of deeds’ office now is accepting electronic documents for recording through Simplifile. The county’s Register of Deeds Carolyn Comer said eRecording is a benefit to all involved in the land records industry. Read on to learn more.
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Flipping edges out renting among investors in Q1
Posted Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Survey data collected from investors bidding on property online and at live events across the country revealed that the flipping trend seen throughout the fourth quarter of 2014 still is going strong. It is building momentum in nearly every market surveyed, according to Auction.com. Keep reading to learn more.
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RealtyTrac finds Earth-friendly counties
Posted Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2015
In honor of Earth Day, RealtyTrac wanted to find out where the most Earth-friendly counties resided. Analyzing various datasets including percent of good air quality days, the percent of people who walk to work, and then the best counties based on affordability. Read on to learn more.
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