maryland settlements: Are you marketing to Realtors and Title Agents? You may want to learn more about their business
- 08/30/11 09:06 AM
I work with many great companies who provide invaluable services to me. But for some reason many of these companies just don't understand the business other than to know that their product makes our lives a little bit easier and we are a good target market for them. What gives rise to this particular rant is the fact that today I have taken 2 calls from vendors that I do business with both of whom just wanted to "touch base". While I love to talk to these particular sales people, I DON'T HAVE TIME AT MONTH END to have a discussion … (0 comments)
maryland settlements: Going Green means STICKY NOTE WITHDRAWL SYMPTOMS!!
- 07/18/11 06:16 AM
We have launched our GREEN PROJECT here at The Preferred Title Group, Inc. As of July 1, 2011 we are doing all we can to NOT use paper for our files. Each file starts out digitally and continues on through the entire process in a digital fashion. At closing the borrower is given a disk with copies of all pertinent documents, including their title commitment, copies of all documents signed at closing, the location survcey, etc. on it. This has already resulted in a HUGE savings for me in terms of the cost of paper and toner, etc., BUT...... This project has come at a … (0 comments)
maryland settlements: Should I make my blog more FLUFFY?
- 07/14/11 08:22 AM
I haven't been blogging much lately on AR. I became somewhat disenchanted with AR for a while because some of the blogs that were featured seemed to be just FLUFF. By that I mean that they seemed not to impart any particular wisdom but rather just seemed to be posted for purposes of creating a blog for the day. I do blog almost daily on other sites, these are mostly professional sites and my blogs are geared to those professionals who are driven to those sites. I need to make my AR blog more appealing to Realtors and to consumers, … (39 comments)
maryland settlements: You've done your job!! It's time for the closing. What is your ROLE at closing?
- 07/13/11 08:57 AM
THE REALTOR ON THE DATE CLOSING The realtor plays a very important role in the settlement transaction. It is the job of the realtor to assist the buyer in obtaining financing, assist the buyer in getting inspections done ordering title work and ultimately getting the deal to closing. Ultimately of course, you want this deal to close and you want to collect your commission check. YOU EARNED IT. The realtor should always attend the settlement. The buyer may have questions that the title agent cannot answer. You have been involved in the transaction from the very beginning and you have … (0 comments)
maryland settlements: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE!!!! ANNOUNCING THE PREFERRED TITLE GROUP, INC. IN 24 MORE STATES!!!
- 06/21/11 06:35 AM
I am pleased to announce that effective IMMEDIATELY we are able to offer you FULL TITLE AND SETTLEMENT SERVICES in the following states: AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NH, NJ, OH, PA, RI, TN, VA, WI, WV This new phase of our business development has been a while in the making and I am soooo excited about it. This will enable all of you to make one phone call to me to get the ball rolling for your closing and title needs for all of your transactions. Still offering you the … (0 comments)
maryland settlements: I will try to help you, BUT PLEASE STOP YELLING AT ME
- 06/15/11 09:06 AM
I am truly humbled by the number of people who read my various blogs and who then pick up the phone to ask me questions. It is my strongest desire to try to be of assistance to anyone who calls me with a question. If it is a question I cannot answer, I strive to find the right resource to get the answer and put the caller in touch with that resource. I took a call yesterday from a woman who had read one of my blogs. Her specific inquiry to me was in relation to what recourse she may have … (0 comments)
maryland settlements: The use of a POA in your real estate closing should not be your FIRST CHOICE
- 05/09/11 09:10 AM
The use of a POA in your real estate closing should not be your FIRST CHOICE I am doing a transaction on a property in Maryland with a purchase price of $550K and a loan amount of $440K. The buyers, husband and wife, cannot both be in town at the same time. The wife asked if we could do a POA I told her that as long as the lender approved the use of a POA we could have one prepared for her, send it to her with instruction for execution and notarization, etc. The bank agreed to the use of … (0 comments)
maryland settlements: A real estate closing is like a scrapbook page, it needs glue
- 04/18/11 08:44 AM
One of my hobbies is creating scrapbooks for my children and grandchildren. As I was working on some scrapbooks yesterday it occurred to me that a real estate closing is very similar to a scrapbook page. The page starts with an idea, then you lay out your pictures, embellishments and so on until you have a page that is appealing to you. Once you lay out the page you begin to glue the picture and embellishments to the page to create a permanent memorial to a time in your life or that of your loved ones.
NANA and MADDIE sharing … (1 comments)
maryland settlements: DEAR BROKER-YOUR EXCESS DEPOSIT CHECK BOUNCED!! SO A LITTLE COOPERATION? PLEASE?
- 03/23/11 04:36 AM
THE BROKER'S CHECK BOUNCED. NOW WHAT!! As a title agent I often collect excess deposit checks at closing from either the listing broker or the selling broker. I have been doing this for years and it has never been a problem. UNTIL TODAY!! I got a notice from my bank advising that a check that I had deposited into my escrow account had BOUNCED!
I frantically researched the matter and learned that the check that I had presented for excess deposit had been returned. I immediately called the broker's office and was connected to her assistant. I nicely explained that … (0 comments)
maryland settlements: I need a make over!! Will I ever be able to go paperless?
- 03/02/11 08:17 AM
I have been unwell for the last several weeks with the Swine Flu. I am finally back at work and I feel so much better and I do want to thank all of you who took a moment out of your busy days to wish me well. Being out of the office and truly not working has wreaked havoc on my desk!! I am sitting here now at my desk which is usually pretty tidy and I am OVERWHELMED. There is paper everywhere, I don't know what all this paper is but I do know that I don't feel like dealing … (3 comments)
maryland settlements: Social Media ~ Are you playing fairly?
- 02/08/11 05:48 AM
Every day we all do the same thing. We tweet, re-tweet, blog, like, comment, LinkIN and Branch out. But, are you doing these things selfishly or are you playing fairly? It's exciting to see your numbers increase isn't it? You check every day to see how many people are following you, who has subscribed to your blog, who has recommended you on LinkedIn, how many have invited you to Branch Out, commented on a Face book post, and who has tweeted or re-tweeted you and so on. BUT...... What have you done for your followers? I just started using Twitter (@PREFERREDTITLE) more diligently this month. In … (2 comments)
maryland settlements: RAINMAKERS LOVING THE RAIN
- 02/07/11 04:29 AM
Saturday February 5, 2011. A dreary nasty day here in Maryland. But I turned it into a RAINMAKING opportunity!! Because of the kindness of a good friend, Bridget McGee, the Mortgage Mama http://activerain.com/bmcgee I had an opportunity to participate in a gathering of RAINMAKERS from Maryland and Pennsylvania. We met at the Suburban House in Pikesville, MD. I was immediately welcomed into the group by Margaret Rome http://activerain.com/blogs/homerome an Ambassador in the Rain, our hostess, and just a wonderful warm and friendly individual. Margaret made a point of personally welcoming me to the group and introducing me to all who attended. She also … (4 comments)
maryland settlements: LIVING LIKE THE JETSON'S
- 02/03/11 04:29 AM
I love the Jetsons!! I recall fondly many afternoons spent watching this futuristic cartoon and wishing and hoping for some of the technology that the Jetsons enjoyed. What wonderous things they had. A robot to clean the house, a machine to dress them, a machine to feed them a car that FLEW!! and then folded up into a brief case. Man those were some great ideas. As I look around my office and home I realize that many of the futuristic ideas presented on the Jetsons have actually become standard items that you can find most anywhere. We all have … (0 comments)
maryland settlements: Is it time to replace your blankie?
- 02/02/11 08:15 AM
My five year old grandaughter reminds me very much of Linus. She has a blankie, now this blankie is not a little tiny thing that she can easily carry from place to place, NO, it's a queen size blanket that has become over the last 5 years more than a little tattered. She particularly loves the "taggie" on the blankie, which taggie is almost gone now. Blankie goes wherever she goes, except to school. Blankie stays in the car because she can't take it to school. She would if she could probably, but... I was talking to her about blankie the … (2 comments)
maryland settlements: NO- I WON'T REDUCE MY FEE- I ALREADY EARNED IT
- 10/29/10 06:32 AM
My buyer wants me to reduce my fee. The transaction is of course, an REO purchase. He claims that my $350.00 settlement fee is too much. This fee includes title clearance. Let me give you an idea about what I had to do to clear your title befoe I charged anything to you.... Verify that- There are no senior lien holders That the foreclosed Deed of Trust was not a 2nd and that the 1st is not still out there getting ready to pounce on this property with a new foreclosure filing That there are no legal action pending that claim priority over the foreclosed Deed … (10 comments)
My office is located at 3605 E. Joppa Road in Perry Hall Maryland. Over the last year the land adjacent to my office has been transformed into what will become a beautiful new neighborhood. The new neighborhood, which is being built by Ryland Homes is called PERRY MEADOWS and it is right next to Main Street, Joppa Road and to my office. It has been quite interesting to watch the development of this new community. What was once a raggedy lot that had a delapidated home on it is now a planned community with a brand new model … (0 comments)
Judy Rivers of Jasper AL is DEAD!! This bit of information came as quite the shock to Ms. Rivers when she went to her local bank to open a safety deposit box. Ms. Rivers has suffered a "digital death" at the hands of Chex Systems. Chex Systems, which is a subsidiary of Florida-based Fidelity National Information Services Inc., said in an e-mail to msnbc.com that it could not comment on a specific consumer's situation, citing … (0 comments)
maryland settlements: SHORT SALE FLIPS AND TITLE INSURANCE
- 08/20/10 04:03 AM
Short Sale Flips and Title Insurance by CHARLENE PERRY | 2010/08/19 | I am sure that you all have been asked recently about whether or not you are able or willing to do a short sale Flip/simultaneous closing. I know I have been asked to do one recently. In the instant case I told the client that I would handle both transactions, but reminded them that I had to disclose the "flip" to the short sale lender. This of course did not please my client but that was my position and I was sticking to it. I went on … (0 comments)
maryland settlements: Could it be any harder to get a mortgage? Oh, yes it can..Don't get pregnant it could cost you that loan
- 07/20/10 08:10 AM
I guess we saw this coming but for some reason I was surprised by this article written in The New York Times by Tara Siegel Barnard. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/20/your-money/mortgages/20mortgage.html?_r=2 Curiously enough I was talking to a Realtor today in my area who specializes in short sale transactions and he was telling me that a pregnancy or birth of a new child can qualify as a "hardship" as it relates to getting a bank to approve a short sale. His statement somewhat surprised me, but I agree that the birth of a child is certainly a life changing experience. And then I happened upon this article … (1 comments)
maryland settlements: ALL TITLE AGENTS ARE NOT CROOKS!!
- 07/19/10 08:56 AM
Recently there have been several articles in our local daily paper, The Baltimore Sun, that would make one believe that ALL title agents are crooks and are not to be trusted. I am here to tell you that that is just not so. An article written by Jay Hancock dated June 20, 2010 is so blatently accusatory of the whole industry that it just made my blood boil. His statement "It's the lesser-known side of the mortgage disaster. As lenders foisted billions of dollars in mortgage debt on unqualified borrowers buying overpriced houses, too often there was a sticky-fingered settlement agent … (0 comments)
I work with many great companies who provide invaluable services to me. But for some reason many of these companies just don't understand the business other than to know that their product makes our lives a little bit easier and we are a good target market for them.
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