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The Latest News from WFG National Title Company
ryantate
68
Uncategorized
October 6, 2014

3 Stats That Determine the Strength of Economic Recovery

There’s little doubt that the economy has improved. Unemployment is down, and confidence is up, at least in general. But it can be tough to determine the extent of the perceived recovery. Depending on which news outlet you choose, reports can be wildly disparate, if not overtly contradictory. CNN recently…
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ryantate
67
Compliance
October 5, 2014

CFPB Continues Crackdown On Big Banks

Flagstar Bank of Maryland has been hit with a massive fine ($10M) and will be forced to pay $27.5M in restitution to almost 7000 of its borrowers, after being cited by the CFPB for a string of poor business practices that led to an estimated 2000 unnecessary foreclosures. According to…
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ryantate
67
Uncategorized
October 4, 2014

NAR President Calls on Policy Makers to Make Home Buying Easier

At a bipartisan conference on housing, NAR President Steve Brown made a case for relaxing certain FHA policies that he says have impeded homeownership opportunities for many first-time buyers and others with less robust credit histories.   “Homeownership is not a Republican or Democratic talking point, it’s an aspiration that…
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ryantate
68
Compliance
October 3, 2014

$200,000 Fine Levied on Title Company

Lighthouse Title has agreed to pay $200,000 for RESPA violations, after a CFPB review. Lighthouse violated conditions of the RESPA laws by making agreements with real estate brokers to provide marketing services in exchange for referrals. RESPA, which has been enforced by the CFPB since it took over from HUD…
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ryantate
68
Uncategorized
September 30, 2014

Zillow Feels MLS and Broker Backlash in Tennessee, Pennsylvania

Phantom MLS websites like Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com are starting to feel the sting of rejection from real MLS organizations in the Nashville and Pittsburgh metro areas. In Nashville, the MLS has decided to limit the amount of detail available to aggregators like Zillow. The idea is to give brokers…
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ryantate
68
Technology
September 29, 2014

Sidekick App Makes E-mail Awesome Again

The new Sidekick e-mail app from Hubspot is about to save you a whole bunch of time. Ever get an e-mail from somebody and spend 10 minutes trying to remember who they are or find out some background info on them. With Sidekick, every e-mail is delivered with dynamic details…
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85
Patrick StoneRadio
September 29, 2014

News Radio Interview with Patrick F. Stone: Brian Bushlach’s Business Briefing on FM News 101 KXL Portland and 770-AM KTTH in Seattle

Segment 1: Patrick Stone, President and CEO of Williston Financial Group (WFG) and WFG Title Insurance Company, and Brian Bushlach discuss real estate inventories, market predictions and consumer confidence. Listen Now! http://national.wfgnationaltitle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/20140929BRIEF1_B.mp3   Segment 2: Economic expert Patrick Stone speaks with Brian Bushlach about the Zillow – Trulia merger, consumer…
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ryantate
68
Uncategorized
September 26, 2014

User Reviews For Homes? Here Comes Revaluate

Review sites have gained in popularity dramatically over the past several years. Sites like Yelp! and Angie’s List allow customers to track ratings of every imaginable kind of business, from diners and bars to plumbers and car dealerships. Depending on the particular platform, viewers can search various business based on…
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ryantate
68
Uncategorized
September 23, 2014

Turn Your Next Home Preview into an Easy Blog Post

Looking for a topic for your next blog post? Here’s a simple idea that you can use again and again. As an agent, you’re probably out previewing new listings all the time. Whether you’re prepping for a weekend tour with a new buyer, or just keeping track of new inventory…
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ryantate
68
Uncategorized
September 22, 2014

5 Fall Tips For the Home

Though most of us are loathe to admit it, summer is almost gone. The light is fading and the temperatures are falling, so it’s time to prep your home for the change of season. The following tips will save you money and keep your home safe and cozy as the…
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