The November 2, 2021, Virginia elections resulted in a sweeping upset, with Republicans capturing all three statewide offices and the House of Delegates majority, ending Democratic unified control of state government. Virginia’s “off-off year” statewide and legislative elections feature the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and 100 seats in the House of Delegates on the … Continue reading 2021 VIRGINIA ELECTION RECAP
(Part Two) In Part II of this article, 2021 changes to the title commitment, closing protection letters, Homeowner’s policy, extended coverage residential loan policies, short form loan policies, and endorsements will be discussed. Read Part I here. Specialty Loan Policies This group of policies had few substantive changes. Primarily, these policies were made consistent in … Continue reading What About Those 2021 ALTA Policy Forms? Part II
Hello VLTA Members! I am Stephanie Campbell, Your VLTA President for the 2021/2022 Term.We have faced a great many challenges over the last year and are finally seeing a sense of normalcy return to life and business. Deemed essential by the Department of Treasury, our workloads doubled if not tripled. We were forced to find … Continue reading VLTA Incoming President’s Message From Stephanie Campbell
Hello, I am Julie Ann Rutledge, and it has been my pleasure to serve as your VLTA President for the 2020-2021 term. Founded in 1974 with the mission of the Association to advance the efficient and secure transfer of ownership of real property, the VLTA of today is a testimony of the passion and tenacity … Continue reading Message from VLTA President 2020-2021 Julie Ann Rutledge
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 40.3 million Americans age 65 and older in the 2010 Census. In 2018, that number was estimated at 52 million, representing 16 percent of the U.S. population. Today’s estimate is 73 million, a number driven by the aging of the Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1964. … Continue reading The Title Agent’s Role in Elder Financial Fraud Prevention – Know the Red Flags and How to Respond
To become licensed as a barber in Virginia, you must complete a 1,500-hour training program and pass an exam. Remarkably, there is no training or exam required to conduct a closing, send documents to record, or manage millions of dollars of other people’s money. A bad haircut will eventually grow out. But no one forgets … Continue reading VLTA’s Virginia Certified Title Settlement Agent Course
(Part One) After several years of review and editing, the American Land Title Association will roll out a new portfolio of owner’s and loan policies, a new title commitment, a new endorsement series (47 – Operative Law), and numerous technical amendments to existing endorsement forms to align them with the policies’ changes. This article will … Continue reading What About Those 2021 ALTA Policy Forms?
With the remote workforce rapidly increasing over the past dozen years, and more companies coming to terms with the necessity of employees working remotely, there is much to consider regarding managing a successful remote team. A remote workforce demands an entirely different structure than operating in a multi-person, shared office environment. It calls for a … Continue reading Are You Operating in a Secure Remote Work Environment? Review These Cybersecurity Measures for Home
In March of 2020 workers across the country were instructed to pack up and prepare to work from home. This temporary solution, in response to the pending pandemic, resulted in scrambling at all levels and across all industries throughout the United States. Over a year has passed and it is estimated that 25-30% of the … Continue reading Remote Work: Making Sense of Your New Normal
We are pleased to announce that Mary S. Long, President of Stewart Title and Settlement Services, Inc. has been selected to receive a 2020 “Women in Business Achievement Award”. Award winners are selected each year by Inside Business to recognize women who have made a significant impact on their business community and who have served … Continue reading Women in Business Achievement Award
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Megan Meloon a few weeks after her term ended as our President. We discussed her term and the convention and all of the unusual aspects of 2020.One of our first topics of conversation was the same as probably everyone’s first topic of conversation. We talked about the … Continue reading Interview with the VLTA Past President: Megan Meloon
Recently I had the opportunity to sit down (or at least have a phone call) with our new VLTA President, Julie Rutledge. I wanted to discuss her new role and how her first few weeks at the helm are going.For those of you who do not know, Julie has been a member of VLTA and … Continue reading Interview with the New VLTA President: Julie Ann Rutledge
People want to avoid probate, to make it as easy and inexpensive as possible to transfer assets to designated beneficiaries after they pass away. For years people have been able to do this with their intangible personal property assets, i.e., bank accounts, retirement accounts, annuities, etc. They designate in writing who inherits the money upon … Continue reading Title Insurance and Transfer on Death Deeds
Change is Here! The Virginia Land Title Association (VLTA) hosted a Virtual Town Hall on Tuesday June 23, moderated by Kevin T. Pogoda, Esq. VLTA Past President, with panelists from diverse segments of the real estate industry, including the VLTA, the Virginia Court Clerks Association, the Virginia Bankers Association, the Virginia Mortgage Bankers Association, the … Continue reading Virtual Town Hall – The State of the Industry & Economic Forecast
Virginia Code § 55.1-319, entitled “Priority of residential refinance mortgage over subordinate mortgage,” makes refinancing for borrowers who need to subordinate a second or lower priority deed of trust much easier in many cases by eliminating the need for the subordinate deed of trust lender’s review and approval, as well as the execution, delivery and … Continue reading Priority of Residential Refinance Mortgage Over Subordinate Mortgage
Note: With so much uncertainty in the world right now amidst the Coronavirus, this article should be viewed as a supplement to what you are currently doing to “keep your head above the water,” and stay in business. This might not be the right time to try something new, but if you view this season … Continue reading Everyone is a Critic: How to Cancel Complaint Culture
These are tough times, that’s for sure. COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on small businesses including Title & Escrow companies, with many having shuttered and some holding on but struggling to maintain their clients and revenue. However, don’t let that stop you from having a laser focus on your business – you have to think long … Continue reading COVID-19: Three Ways to Maintain (or Grow) Your Title Company During the Pandemic
