title insurance: How do you view CHANGE?
- 12/26/13 04:33 AM
Change is often viewed negatively, seeing it as: - a break with tradition - unnecessary (it has been working since 1944 – why change it now?) - not a good thing - not something that will solve a problem (even if people agree that there is a problem)
And think about it. Are you more motivated by a positive picture of the future, or of a focus on “gloom and doom”? Assuming your answer is the same as mine, and everyone I’ve ever asked this question of, isn’t it more effective in our leadership communication to focus on the positives, especially for the future? … (6 comments)
title insurance: I made it snow in the Tropics, I Knew I could!
- 12/10/13 01:40 AM
I never believed that my backyard would not be a tropical paradise! This is not Photoshopped. I have absolutely NO INVENTORS REMORSE! See the Palm Tree, is that real, or just your imagination? 6 inches of snow on a Palm Frond....that is 30 foot high bamboo that has bent in half to touch the ground from the weight of the snow... but no worries it'll be straight as an arrow once the thaw comes. Look at the pond, frozen except for a small hole, i make to let the gases release from the water as the fish lay motionless in beneath the ice in … (2 comments)
title insurance: Is Title Insurance Like a Kardashian... A No Brainer :)
- 11/12/13 01:23 AM
I have been in the Title Insurance Business for 28 years... Cabo, my pup, has been here 3 years. People don’t understand title insurance, they think it’s like a Kardashian: A no brainer! Title insurance protects, the buyer, against something like the previous owner failing to pay property taxes. And you know what happens to people who don’t pay taxes? They serve two years ... in Congress. Title insurance is like the gallbladder. Everyone has it, but nobody is sure of what it is or exactly what it’s good for. At one settlement, The Prudential agent brought the 2 … (5 comments)
title insurance: An Elderly Couple Goes to Heaven
- 11/05/13 11:17 PM
This 85 year old couple, having been married almost 60 years, had died in a car crash. They had been in good health the last ten years mainly due to her interest in health food and exercise. When they reached the pearly gates, St. Peter took them to their mansion which was decked out with a beautiful kitchen and master bath suite and Jacuzzi. As they “Oohed and aahed” the old man asked St. Peter how much all this was going to cost. “It’s free,” St. Peter replied, “this is Heaven.” Next they went out back to survey the championship golf … (4 comments)
At the end of September, a bipartisan group of representatives from the House Financial Services Committee introduced a RESPRO-sponsored piece of legislation known as H.R. 3211, the Mortgage Choice Act.
Instead of proceeding on H.R. 1077, known as the Consumer Mortgage Choice Act, the new bill strips out the provisions regarding lender-paid compensation to mortgage brokers and loan level price adjustments charged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and focuses solely on the naked attempt by the affiliated business arrangement lobby to … (0 comments)
title insurance: When Was Your Last Multiple Listing?
- 10/15/13 03:52 AM
Look I don’t want to brag but a Realtor told me that I was the first and only title insurance guy to ever get her to achieve a multiple listing. It was embarrassing. She kept screaming my name, out loud, during settlement.
I was recently at a closing, They were all there: the mortgage company, both realtors, the foreclosure expert, the short sale guy, the buyer, the seller......I haven’t seen that many people try to screw each other, at the same time, since Caligula.
The government relaxed and tightened the wrong rules, sending the economy in the toilet. It’s … (6 comments)
title insurance: How Far Will Video-Conference Closings Go?
- 10/15/13 12:56 AM
A notary’s job is to ensure an individual signing documents appears in person, is properly identified and acknowledges his signature in front of a trusted and impartial witness. The notary is the eyes and ears making sure the signer intends to sign, is competent to sign and is not being forced to sign the document. Technology and legislation, such as the Uniform Electronic Transaction Act (UETA), allow notaries and the signers to conduct the entire transaction electronically. but is that the best way? READ MORE: http://www.settleware.com/blog/2013/10/14/e-signatures-and-e-notaries-how-far-will-new-technology-go/ What are your thoughts? From my Family at Family Abstract to your, make it a … (1 comments)
title insurance: SOCIAL SECURITY becomes "FEDERAL BENEFIT CHECK"
- 09/25/13 12:02 AM
I was with my father and noticed his "Social Security Check had a brand new name!Have you noticed, the Social Security check is now referred to as a "Federal Benefit Payment"? The government is now referring to our Social Security checks as a Federal Benefit Payment. This isn't a benefit. It is earned income! Not only did we all contribute to Social Security but our employers did too. It totaled 15% of our income before taxes . If you averaged $30K per year over your working life, that's close to $180,000 Invested in Social Security . If you calculate the … (10 comments)
title insurance: I'm too dumb too understand
- 08/27/13 05:32 AM
At Family Abstract, I'm confused! I may die trying to understand how when a buyer purchases a $300,000 home and mortgages all $300,000 and is paying for it for the next 30 years ... how was the commission money paid, not by the buyers? The Buyer will end up paying 30 years of interest on both sides of the transactions commissions, yet the common belief is it is the sellers money? Did the seller just add it to the cost of the home and "In time" the additional 6% was woven into the fair market value as the cost of the … (13 comments)
title insurance: Good medical advice .... Healthy Tips!
- 08/15/13 12:39 AM
Good medical advice from the sages of old... 1. F***ing once a week is good for your health, but it's harmful if done every day. 2. F***ing relaxes your mind and body. 3. F***ing refreshes you. 4. After F***ing, don?t eat too much; go for more liquids. 5. Try f***ing in bed 'cause it can save you valuable energy. 6. F***ing can even reduce your cholesterol levels. Fasting is good for your health and may God cleanse your dirty mind... Not sure where you were going but at Family Abstract, Inc. we are just trying to help! Clean minds = … (2 comments)
title insurance: What do you see? What can we learn from Kids?
- 08/13/13 06:04 AM
When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that are going to take over my yard. What my kids see are flowers for Mom and blowing white fluff you can wish on. When I look at an old drunk and he smiles at me, I see a smelly, dirty person who probably wants money and I look away. What my kids see is someone smiling at them and they smile back. When I hear music I love, I know I can’t carry a tune, so I sit self-consciously and listen. What my kids hear is … (13 comments)
title insurance: What's your PLAN "B"? I may do Stand-Up Comedy!
- 08/07/13 11:55 PM
I am into my 5th month of writing and performing Stand Up Comedy. I find it to be a refreshing change from the daily life of a Title Insurance agent. My aspiration is to become a speaker at conventions for Title, Real Estate, Mortgage, Staging and Appraisal. Although the material you'll watch (PLEASE) has nothing to do with Real Estate, I am writing material for that everyday. Helium night club is not the venue for me to perform Real Estate related bits. Enjoy and leave me a comment, Thanks in advance,
From my family at Family Abstract, Inc. to yours … (15 comments)
title insurance: Cat Teaches Dog... A Wednesday Wordless Submission
- 07/31/13 04:19 AM
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title insurance: You Have Got To Read This… Truly Touching
- 07/31/13 01:57 AM
Time is like a river. You cannot touch the water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again. Enjoy every moment of life. As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper’s cemetery in the Nova Scotia back country. As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, I didn’t stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late … (87 comments)
title insurance: Doing Your Best – Rules to Live By from Family Abstract
- 07/24/13 05:29 AM
1. Wake up early. The early bird does not get the worm. The early bird makes the money. Work while others sleep. 2. Love what you do. If you don’t love it, you will never rise to the top. Love it, or leave it. 3. Dedicate yourself to being a life-long student. How many books did you read last year? 4. Convert anger to resolve. Anger is the biggest waste of energy on the planet. It blocks positive thought. It blocks creative thought. 5. Convert barrier to breakthrough. You may know it as objection. Or even rejection. Stick at it … (6 comments)
title insurance: Illegal Inducement or $500.00 Incentive… You Tell Me!!
- 07/09/13 12:26 AM
Family Abstract would AGAIN like to bring this to your attention!!!!! Section 8 of RESPA prohibits anyone from giving or accepting a fee, kickback or anything of value in exchange for referrals of settlement service business involving a federally related mortgage loan. In addition, RESPA prohibits fee splitting and receiving unearned fees for services not actually performed. That means that giving a consumer $500.00 towards closings costs IF the buyer uses the Realtors Lender and title Company is an illegal inducement. Or is it? I have been doing Title Insurance for 28 years, under RESPA, we were led to believe it … (17 comments)
title insurance: My Guardian Angel
- 06/12/13 03:49 AM
30 years ago, before becoming a partner in Family Abstract, I worked for a company that sent me out on the road to some of their remote sites to do maintenance work. This one particular site was in an isolated area of central Pennsylvania that was prone to heavy rainstorms with an extraordinary amount of lightning, possibly attracted to the area by all the ore piles in the area. It was surrounded by a 10-foot high cyclone fence for security. Around 1:30pm I noticed some very heavy rain clouds coming over the nearby hills and knew that another storm was coming. Then, … (30 comments)
title insurance: Where to Find a Notary While Traveling Abroad
- 05/30/13 06:51 AM
It’s likely that traveling abroad is one of many things on your bucket list. Maybe you’re planning that once-in-a-lifetime dream vacation or a romantic honeymoon. Or maybe visiting a foreign country is entirely different for you—you have a job that requires travel, whether it involves negotiating with new clients or serving your country abroad. No matter what you’re leaving the U.S. for, we can probably all agree that traveling can be an exhilarating, albeit sometimes stressful, experience. But just because you’ve crossed this border or that, doesn’t mean you’ve put your life on hold back home. There may still be contracts … (5 comments)
title insurance: Golf verse Tennis, A Real quick joke!
- 05/21/13 12:54 AM
A man entered the bus with both of his front pockets full of golf balls and sat down next to a beautiful blonde. The puzzled blonde kept looking at him and his bulging pockets. Finally, after many such glances from her, he said, "It's golf balls." Nevertheless, the blonde continued to look at him for a very long time, deeply thinking about what he had said. After several minutes, not being able to contain her curiosity any longer, she asked, "Does it hurt as much as tennis elbow?" I hope you have a great day, from your friends at Family Abstract! … (8 comments)
title insurance: Do you OWN your OWN Title Insurance Agency?
- 05/14/13 06:44 AM
Do you own your own Title Insurance Agency? Is your real estate office participating in a “Controlled Business Arrangement” or an “Affiliated Business Arrangement”? Do you “steer” all your buyers to your “In House” title company? Do you promise your buyers that YOU have control over the process IF they use your title company but not one of their own choosing? At the end of the month do you receive a nice check for your stock ownership of the new company? Do you really have anything to do with the title company or is it just a convenient way to siphon … (2 comments)
Bringing all parties together – that’s what we do!
Whether you are a Realtor, lender, broker, buyer or seller, your success is our mission!
Title Matters is a blog edited and maintained as a cooperative effort by the owners and employees of Family Abstract, Inc.
By combining our knowledge, skills and energy we can share what we know, find answers to questions, and do what a good title company is supposed to do – bring all the parties together!
Change is often viewed negatively, seeing it as:
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