Title Professionals Spend Significant Time, Resources to Protect Property RightsTitle insurance companies invest heavily in upfront title research and curative work that significantly protects property rights and limits ownership challenges down the road... ALTA Title Insurance Curative Work StudyThe objective of this study is an attempt to quantify the amount of work that goes into … Continue reading What’s New With ALTA – Summer 2024
OCTOBER 17-18, 2024 Historic Cavalier Hotel & Marriott Virginia Beach OceanfrontBOOK YOUR HOTEL ROOMS NOW What to Expect? 7-Hours of Education (CE & CLE pending) Motivational Keynote Speaker New Member & First Time Attendee Welcome Reception (by special invite) VLTA Convention Launch Party & 50th Anniversary Celebration Special Events (additional registration required): Bourbon Tour and … Continue reading You’re Invited: VLTA Annual Convention & 50th Anniversary Celebration
Stephanie Campbell:I consider ALTA Advocacy to be the most important event of the year. This is an opportunity for me to be a real advocate for my industry. ALTA does an incredible and thorough job of educating the attendees about politics, the inner workings of Washington, DC or what’s happening on “the Hill.” As an attendee, you … Continue reading 2024 ALTA Advocacy Summit Experience
In March, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) agreed to a $418-million settlement to settle several pending lawsuits alleging that NAR members used business practices that kept commissions artificially high, and drew compensation from the seller for services given to the buyer. Many news outlets, including the New York Times™, Washington Post™, USA Today™, Richmond … Continue reading The NAR Settlement, and What It Means to the Title Industry
Take the VLTA online course, "When Marriage Matters", on-demand here: https://www.pathlms.com/vlta/courses/69081 (1-hour of CE, CLE and CCE credits). Introduction Marriage matters for many reasons. Just ask anyone, and you are likely to get sundry reasons for why marriage matters: love, security, companionship, children, etc. But pose that same question to someone in the title industry, and you may … Continue reading WHEN MARRIAGE MATTERS – Part 1: Various Ways Marital Status Can Affect Title
I was watching an old 1993 episode of The X-Files recently called “Ghost in the Machine.” It’s about an artificial intelligence capable of adaptive learning that starts killing the people trying to shut it down with a virus on a floppy disc. The developer has a prototype “Smart House” that he shows off to Mulder … Continue reading The Truth Is Out There
Read part 1 here: Access to Deeds and Land Records in Virginia Part 1 – The Ghost of Title Search Past. Read part 2 here: Access to Deeds and Land Records in Virginia: A Thirty-Year Perspective Part 2 – Digital Conversion is a Game Changer. I appreciate the opportunity to share my perspectives with the … Continue reading Access to Deeds and Land Records in Virginia: A Thirty-Year Perspective Part 3 – Electronic Commerce Solutions
In June we celebrate National Homeownership Month. It’s a good time to reflect the milestone of homeownership, and how it continues to be a key step for building strong communities and building generational wealth. It’s a time to celebrate the wins, but it is also an important time to assess where improvements are needed, where … Continue reading Virginia’s Homeownership Rate Is on the Rise, but With Tight Inventory and Climbing Prices, Who Is Missing Out?
When I joined a major title insurance underwriter in 1989, the role of title insurance companies and their agents in Virginia was clearly defined. Our industry provided the title insurance products required by modern lending practices and real estate commerce. Attorneys settled the transactions involving the properties we insured, just as I had done for … Continue reading Celebrating 50 Years: Mark Ailsworth’s Experience as 1996-1997 Past President
Virginia Land Title Association End of Session Report 12 March, 2024 The General Assembly adjourned “sine die” on March 9th. Adjournment on time and with a budget had been a goal of the new democratic leadership since the beginning of session. Even though there were some 11th hour difficulties we did manage to accomplish both. This session began … Continue reading 2024 Virginia General Assembly Legislative Wrap-Up
Flash-back to 1994 A title agent asked me: “How should we think of the market in 2022?” My answer was: “Like it’s 1994.” What happened in 1994 can be extremely telling to how we plan for the rest of this year. In 1994, economic conditions were becoming difficult. Inflation had grown from nearly nothing in … Continue reading Ramblings of a Title Man
ALTA Advocacy Summit May 6-8, 2024 Washington DC ALTA Policy Forms UpdateThe ALTA Board of Governors on Feb. 9 approved a recommendation to adopt revisions to the 2021 ALTA Forms Collection, as well as the approval of two new Collateral Assignment endorsements... U.S. District Judge Rules Corporate Transparency Act Is UnconstitutionalA federal district judge in … Continue reading What’s New With ALTA – Spring 2024
Every day, we see mistakes in land records that can have real consequences for owners and lenders. An improperly created easement could cost a small business owner their access point. An undetected credit line deed of trust from a prior owner could cost a lender their lien position. A fraudulent deed could cost a homeowner their largest lifetime … Continue reading A Country Without Title Insurance
Foreign Investment Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA) became law in 1980 ensuring Foreign Seller’s do not skip out on paying the IRS tax bill when selling U.S. real estate. We often see FIRPTA discovered in real estate transactions at the closing which is not the time for surprises. A FIRPTA surprise at closing often will … Continue reading FIRPTA Overview
On November 7th Virginia held elections for both the House of Delegates and the Senate of Virginia. As a result, Democrats now hold one seat majorities in both Chambers. These were the first elections held under Virginia’s new non-partisan redistricting law. The redistricting process resulted in many incumbent legislators retiring. Coupled with primary losses and several Delegates running for … Continue reading 2024 Virginia General Assembly Preview
Generative AI is a branch of artificial intelligence that creates new content by analyzing existing data. It has many potential applications in real estate, such as generating property images, listing descriptions, and personalized marketing campaigns. However, generative AI can also be used for fraud, which poses risks and challenges for the industry. How Generative AI … Continue reading Generative AI Impact on Real Estate
Join Us in Celebrating VLTA's 50th Anniversary Don't Wait - Save the Date!
