Tag Archives: First American

The mortgage services division of First American Title Insurance Company formed an alliance with Hope LoanPort (HLP), a nonprofit that works to help struggling homeowners find alternatives to foreclosure.

First American Title Insurance Company's Mortgage Services division hired Eric Friedman as the chief operating officer (COO) for its Default Services group. In his new role, Friedman is responsible for all areas within the company's Default Services group, including new product development, compliance, client relations management and technology.

The number of housing markets showing measurable improvement expanded by 29 metros in February to include a total of 98 markets listed on the Improving Markets Index from First American and the National Association of Home Builders. The index tracks markets that are showing signs of improving economic health as measured by growth in employment and home price appreciation. Notable additions include Miami and Detroit. Washington, D.C. was dropped from the index this month as it showed a softening in home prices.

The number of housing markets showing measurable improvement nearly doubled in January, with the addition of 40 new metros to the Improving Markets Index put out by First American and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The index tracks housing markets that are showing signs of improving economic health based on three independent datasets - employment growth from the Labor Department, home price appreciation from Freddie Mac, and single-family housing permits from the Census Bureau.

First American Title Insurance Company announced Tuesday the availability of Quick Start HARP - a title, signing, and settlement program that features proprietary technology to facilitate the processing of refinance closings under the newly revamped Home Affordable Refinance Program, more commonly known as HARP 2.0. Program changes are expected to help lenders reach a previously untapped population of American homeowners, and First American says its new solution will improve pull-through and closing times.

Title insurance companies wrote $2.30 billion in premiums throughout the second quarter of 2011, down from $2.33 billion in the second quarter of 2010, according to the American Land Title Association's (ALTA) preliminary 2011 second-quarter market share analysis. At the same time, premiums increased in 21 states and Washington, D.C. The biggest premium gains were seen in Iowa and South Dakota. Fidelity underwriters claimed the largest market share, with more than a third of the new business.

First American Title Insurance Company has named Kurt Pfotenhauer EVP and vice chairman, responsible for maintaining executive-level relationships with the nation's largest money center banks and assisting with political and legislative relations for the corporation. First American Title also announced that it has added two key executives to its mortgage services division. Christos Bettios has been named chief information officer of the business unit and Steven Ferringer has been appointed SVP of enterprise relations.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office recently awarded two patents to First American Data Tree LLC, a provider of digital land records. The company received the first for an invention that allows users searching an electronic real estate database to select from several similar entries suggested by the system by using a specific type of search logic. The company's second invention involves collecting and validating property data at its source, whether locally or remotely, by using a mobile device.

First American Data Tree, LLC, the nation's largest provider of digital land records, released its newest portal, ParcelIQ.com, this week. The new browser-based platform allows lenders to order and receive data elements used in the loan decision-making process, including documentation to validate ownership, determine a property's current equity status, and evaluate risk.

Title insurers are voicing their confidence in mortgage servicers' ability to correct foreclosure paperwork problems. They've decided not to require banks to consent to agreements vouching for the validity of foreclosures, after talks between the two groups reportedly fell through surrounding large-scale indemnity arrangements. A blanket indemnity agreement to cover insurers against ""robo-signed"" foreclosures had been drafted, but title insurers say banks' actions to remediate deficiencies make it unnecessary.