Blog – Tuesdays with Mary

Dear Readers, This is the time of year I’d normally be hopping on a plane and attending an industry conference to network with many of you, resulting in good story material for months to come. But like everyone else during this pandemic, I’ve had to adjust my personal as well as my professional life. Instead of attending a packed high school graduation for my son next week at a fancy downtown city venue as planned, commencement – after a series of postponements and canceled plans – now will consist of just six students at a time at our rival high [...]

Complimentary Webinar - Thursday, May 21 @ 2:00 PM EDT Register for Evolving Lender Relationships Explore the best strategies to increase referrals and learn the characteristics lenders are looking for in a partnership. Leaders from Wells Fargo and Better.com will examine the effect COVID-19 has had on the relationships in the lending landscape, and illustrate how vendor expectations have changed. Register today and listen in as they forecast what is next and discuss: What lenders can learn from their title partners How to collaborate with industry partners How to work with lenders on remote closings The relationship with affiliated and [...]

Editor’s Note: This is part of our continuing monthly series on affiliated companies. Our goal is to feature companies which have had history and experience with affiliated business to learn about their success and share the RESPA compliance lessons they have gained in these affiliations over time.  Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Taylor Morrison Home Corp. is currently the fifth-largest homebuilder in the United States. Last year, its affiliated title business, Inspired Title Services, made more than $20 million in gross revenue, operating in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Washington. “Inspired Title was formed five years ago [...]

Friday, May 1, 2020 For the first time since the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) launched April 3, the Small Business Administration set aside the “first come, first served” notion to provide an eight-hour window for lenders with $1 billion or fewer in assets to process applications.Early reports are that the technology system, which had so many glitches and crashes in the first round of applications and starting the second round, finally had been freed up. “It was very helpful. The reports I’m getting from bankers around the country is that a lot were able to finish up, or closely finish [...]

The Title Report's Mark Lowery shares his thoughts on the Stimulus aid package Dear Readers, Despite the predictable partisan wrangling, and some questionable inclusions, Congress did a pretty good job of crafting a stimulus package to aid Americans during this time of need caused by coronavirus’ economic wrecking ball. The government assistance earmarked for households, small businesses and industries will help many keep their heads above water for a short time. But for how long? A Redfin analysis found that more than three-quarters of U.S. renters could pay one month’s worth of housing expenses with the $1,200 coronavirus stimulus check, [...]

The Title Report's  Mark Lowery shares his thoughts on the impact of the coronavirus and the title industry. Dear Readers, About three months ago, at a hotel in Austin, Texas, WFG National Title Insurance Co. founder and Executive Chairman Pat Stone speculated about the next recession, its likely cause, and the title industry companies likely to survive it. Stone was onstage at Qualia’s Future of Real Estate Summit being interviewed by Qualia co-founder and CEO Nate Baker. Stone said he believed the next recession would be caused by corporate debt and would happen within the next 12 to 18 months. [...]

If you missed the live webinar, the recording is available now and can be watched at your convenience! The CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act is layered and complex, but experts on the CARES Act For You webinar will decode this intricate bill and help get you started. If you are a small business owner with less than 500 employees, these industry leaders will outline the steps you can take to support your business. They will roadmap what your business is eligible for, explain how to start the process and outline the recovery plan. Learn about these topics [...]

Editor’s Note: This is part of our continuing monthly series on affiliated companies. Our goal is to feature companies which have had history and experience with affiliated business to learn about their success and share the RESPA compliance lessons they have gained in these affiliations over time.  In 1957, Howard W. Hanna Jr. started Howard Hanna Real Estate Services with a single office in Pittsburgh using a modest dividend check. Today, the business is the third-largest real estate company in the United States, and at 100 years old, the brokerage’s founder continues to make his mark on Howard Hanna Real Estate Services. [...]

Dear Readers, In these unprecedented times, we must all adapt our lives to new realities, for however long they may last. This is true in our personal lives, but also our businesses. For instance, what do you do when you have to close your office? Can business continue as usual if people are working remotely? Are you able to perform digital closings? If your office is remaining open for closings, what precautions are you taking to ensure the safety of your staff and the consumers walking in? Are you upping your cleaning schedule, washing hands, cleansing closing tables between appointments? [...]

It’s been said that necessity is the mother of invention. When it comes to Lily Bergman, a desire for more time with clients, more efficient modes of operation, and smaller paper footprints have proven equal motivators. As operations director at Goosmann Rose Colvard & Cramer, P.A. (GRCC), in Asheville, N.C., Bergman has earned a reputation for blowing up paper-centric processes and personalizing software applications in ways that have driven ROI. The improvements she’s made during her short time in the industry are being marketed to settlement firms throughout the country. “It all started because I noticed the need for a [...]