The Title Industry is ever changing. Here you will find up to date Title Industry News, that affects everyone in the real estate business.
If you are reading this and wondering during the age of COVID, why every real estate closing isn’t being done electronically, you are not alone. The technology has been in place for quite some time, and in my company’s case, since early 2018. I remember it being a huge craze and us ramping up [...]
It's always interesting when I speak with buyers or even Realtors who think Title Insurance is something that is not needed. A scam or a worthless cost to a real estate transaction. I hear--"yeah, but what are the chances I will ever use this policy?" I tell them that just like other types of insurance, [...]
When someone buys or sells a home there are fees charged to both the buyer and seller. The buyer pays most of the fees in my area (Northern VA-Washington DC), with the seller paying commissions and some other smaller fees. One of those fees is the seller settlement fee. This charge sometimes gets lost [...]
As a licensed Realtor, mortgage lender, or Title Company escrow officer, you see various real estate contract language that has you cringing. It also has you wondering WHY someone would structure a deal a certain way. Sometimes there is a direct intent, sometimes not. There are many ways to create transactions through language, but [...]
My name is Wade Vander Molen "DCTitleGuy" and I am a Director of Sales/Marketing for Stewart Title and Escrow in Fairfax, VA just outside of Washington DC. I have been in the Title Insurance industry since 2005 having worked for a National Title Insurance company in Phoenix, AZ. Over the past 7 years I have [...]
For quite a while, there have been rumblings in our industry about eClosings. If you are unaware about eClosings, they allow us to conduct a settlement with a buyer/borrower electronically over a computer. Essentially we are doing a “face-time” with the buyer and they sign their closing documents similar to DocuSign. The documents are “e-notarized” [...]
Ever since the new TRID rules came into effect in 2015 we have seen people opt-out and waive Owners Title Insurance on the final Closing Disclosure. Doesn’t help that Owners Title Insurance can be found under the “Other” section on the CD and “Optional.” It’s always been optional to obtain, but I feel they could [...]
When a Realtor tells me they have a ratified purchase contract, it always make me smile. That means a Realtor has entrusted Stewart Title to handle their transaction and get their clients to closing. There are many things that happen between the day of contract ratification to closing. The lender has their job, the [...]
I want to begin by saying Realtors are not “forced” to use the joint venture Title Company. With full access to the brokerage’s agents, office meetings, events, and a push from the Broker, the business capture rate on the real estate joint ventures is fairly high. Joint ventures between Title Companies and Realtor brokerages [...]
In the last few months, we have had some transactions in which the buyer has waved purchasing the Owners Title Insurance Policy. That is their right to do so as “technically” it is optional. What many buyers don’t take the time to learn are the many upsides and protections Title Insurance Policies provide. Not [...]
