Blog
Equity National Title is a company that's dedicated not only to awesome experiences and community involvement, but to education as well. We maintain this blog so that we can be a valuable resource to homeowners, lenders and realtors.
By: Equity National July 30, 2014 No Tags Closing
Home loan applications show mixed signals
Some title insurance industry members may have experienced struggles in mortgage flow during the past couple of months, but there could be improvements in the situation in the coming weeks. The Purchase Index rose 0.2 percent during the week ending July 25, 2014 compared to the previous week, according to the Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association. This level also improved 1 percent week-over-week when unadju...
By: Equity National July 30, 2014 No Tags Closing
Economic improvement may improve as year closes ...
Continued improvements in the overall economic growth level are not only crucial to the United States as a whole, but also to the residential housing market's continued improvement. A bustling economy could signal more business for mortgage industry members, which also may mean further work for those in the title insurance industry. Continued progress occurred during the past several months, but it has not been to a level that would make a signif...
By: Equity National July 30, 2014 No Tags Closing
Credit availability improves for mortgages
The title insurance industry may see an increase in business in the coming months, as consumers have shown they are more interested in owning a property and mortgage conditions continue to strengthen. Overall mortgage credit availability rose to 115.8 in June, 0.6 percent higher than May's level of 115.1, according to the Mortgage Credit Availability Index from the Mortgage Bankers Association. While both levels were significantly higher than ...
By: Equity National July 29, 2014 No Tags Closing
Mortgage rates remain low during July
Mortgage applications have increased in the past few weeks, as interest rates stabilized at some of the lowest levels seen this year. For the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, the figure posted an average of 4.13 percent during the week ending July 24, 2014, no different from one week earlier, according to a the latest edition of the Primary Mortgage Market Survey from government-sponsored enterprise Freddie Mac. The latest measurement was also not...
By: Equity National July 22, 2014 No Tags Title
Foreclosures drop notably in June
Mortgage conditions have improved significantly since the recession, which may make the title process easier for insurers and potential homebuyers, alike. The overall foreclosure tally for the first six months of 2014 reached 613,874 when considering repossessions, foreclosure filings and default notices, according to the Midyear 2014 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report from RealtyTrac. This figure was 23 percent lower than the same six months in 2...
By: Equity National July 18, 2014 No Tags Title
Many title insurance industry changes on the hor...
The title insurance industry continually has to deal with an altering title landscape. This can be difficult to adjust to, but there are some important items that need to be taken into account as regulations and the market fluctuate. Looking forward, there may be some significant issues that title insurers will need to overcome in the future, just as they have in the past 10 years. Marty Solomon, member of Carlton Fields Jorden and Burt, ...
By: Equity National July 16, 2014 No Tags Title
ALTA plans best practices implementation
With the changing compliance landscape for those in the title insurance industry, there may be some extra steps that need to be taken in the coming months. The American Land Title Association recently released a statement noting that its Title Insurance and Settlement Company Best Practices will be applied, along with a self-assessment, by September of this year. This aims to help members of ALTA set up a compliance guide that can aid both cus...
By: Equity National July 14, 2014 No Tags Title
Know the difference between owners, lenders titl...
The title insurance process can be complicated, which is why it is important to determine the differences between each type of policy. Having this information can be quite beneficial, and it may help clarify the title process, which is a necessary aspect of purchasing an existing property. Title insurance ensures that homeowners and lenders are covered during the mortgage process, so that there are no issues once the home is closed and th...