On April 15, 2019, the world watched as images were streamed across the globe of the fire that destroyed the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. Over 400 first responders worked to save the 850-year-old structure and its valuable contents. A “bucket brigade” was set up to ferry artifacts from the vaults to safety. In … Read More
Who was the very first title agent in America to disburse escrow funds? That question is very hard to answer. There is no clear point in time that use of closing agents and “escrows” became commonplace in our real estate system. Each state took a different road to the use of escrow agents, attorneys or … Read More
Real estate agents are often multi-tasking so much in an effort to move their businesses forward that they sometimes become confused and overwhelmed, and can’t keep up when things really start to take off. Burnout is common and can easily happen if you don’t have a plan to deal with your emotions when you start … Read More
Are you ready to move, but feel stuck in preparation overwhelm? We have good news for you, there’s an app for that! TitleSmart offers the Relocator App to both buyers and sellers. Think of it as your very own moving concierge. From creating your moving checklist to finding community resources that best fit your needs. … Read More
Wow, can you believe it is already 2019?! With 2018 behind us (and what an amazing year it was!) I believe as a company we should choose to look forward into the year by reminding ourselves of the little things that make a BIG difference. Towards the end of last year, I was reminded of … Read More
Do what you say you are going to do: I was thinking about this a lot in the last week when noticing that my own schedule was rather hectic with commitments after work each day. I’m usually very careful to not overbook my calendar after work hours. I cherish my down time at home so … Read More
When closing a real estate purchase through a title company, the buyer is given the option to purchase an Owner’s Title Insurance Policy. The title company will produce a report called a “title commitment.” Within this commitment will be requirements that need to be met in order to insure title. The title commitment may show, … Read More
As a title insurance company, our purpose is to offer title insurance for a premium to both lenders and purchasers. However, you would be shocked at how many of our clients don’t understand what title insurance is. They just know they need to go to a title company to finalize their real estate transaction. So, … Read More
It’s surprising how often buyers, sellers, real estate agents, and mortgage loan officers ask us why the title company needs a certified copy of a divorce decree for recording to close a transaction. It may seem odd, but this is completely understandable and very common. A question we always get is, “The property has already … Read More
When closing on a home, you have a choice of which title company to work with. You may not know it, but you can pick your title company. It’s an important fact that not all title companies are created equal. Closing on your home is a BIG deal, and it is important you feel that … Read More