CHARLENE PERRY

I LOVE THIS TABLE. I am getting ready to purchase it as replacement for my existing table. It is sleek and modern and it has plenty of seating to accomodate my family, BUT, it does not have the memories that have been made over the years on our old farmhouse table.

Our kitchen table has served many purposes over the years. Not only has it served as a place in which to eat our meals, it has served so many other functions. Our table has been in use since my children, the youngest of whom is now 30, were children. It is scarred and dented and it shows its age in some places. The chairs are marred from little feet standing on them with their shoes on and my husband has repeatedly "shored" up the legs to make the chairs more stable. It's time for a replacement and I'm ready to let go but I will always remember this old farmhouse table as a place where my family and I made so many happy memories.

My children learned how to write their names on this table. They played play-doh and they colored in coloring books . As they grew older they did their homework on this table and they filled out thier college applications on it. They discussed their day to day routines and their inner most thoughts around this table. They spoke of marriage and babies and new homes and cars around this table.

The table has a long and mostly happy history in our home. It has been used as a place to play board games as a family, a place in which to gather to share or finest AND our weakest moments as a family. We have discussed life, death, disease, happiness and sorrow around our table and if it could talk it would have many tales to tell. I am hopeful that our new table will serve the same purposes for our grandchildren. Already I know that my grandaughters will learn may things as they sit around this new table.

They will learn that their Mommy and/or Daddy had a hard time forming their letters sometimes, too; they will learn how to color in and OUT of the lines of the coloring book. They will form funny little creatures with their play-doh and they will stand on the chairs with their shoes on because they can't reach the kitchen island to make cookies without a chair.

They will learn that words spoken around the kitchen table are often words of comfort and encouragement, and sometimes words of caution and disappointment, but always words based in love and commitment to family. They will learn that a cup of tea at the kitchen table is comforting when they are upset and that if they ever want or need to talk something through they need only have a seat .

Our new table will get its own dents and dings and it too will be place in which we will gather as a family to eat meals, share our stories, share our happiness and sorrows and learn that the most important piece of furniture in our entire home is this, THE KITCHEN TABLE. The place in which all our fondest memories are made and where all manner of learning can take place.

I hope that this new kitchen table gives the next generation of our family the sense of belonging that our old table always offered. As we gather around the new table we will offer thanks for our many blessings and begin to make the new table the center piece of our home.

First American Title Insurance Company has recently announced a new "product" of insurance specifically targeting lenders who are partipating in the HARP 2.0 refinance program.

From the January 3, 2012 Press Release issued by First American:

First American's Quick Start HARP solution supports the revised program by helping mortgage lenders develop their own "push" or "pull" approach to soliciting homeowners. In a "push" version, the lender utilizes internal loan data and First American's proprietary title automation to proactively solicit homeowners who might benefit from HARP 2.0. The "pull" version is used when homeowners contact the lender to inquire about HARP 2.0. In both cases, First American's automated title technology delivers a title commitment to the lender in seconds, rather than a non-binding title "decision."

I believe that we would all be well served to remember the same type product that had been offered by First American and it's controlled agencies which resulted in the denial of claims made by Bank of America.

In 2010 Bank of America sued First American for its failure to pay out claims made on the policies which were at that time called "Lien Protection Insurance Policies". These policies, by admission of First American Title were issued to lenders specific to Home Equity Lines of Credit. The policies were issued to lenders without First American Title and its controlled agencies performing a full and complete title search. Instead First American and it controlled agencies relied upon the credit scores of the borrowers as well as lender's underwriting standards.

While I do not have specific information related to the actual policy of insurance that is being offered to lenders it only makes sense given past history that First American is once again offering a policy of title insurance, which is to be relied upon by lenders and those entities who purchase the loans in the future, which may or may not actually be insuring anything.

First American has not, at least not to my knowledge, offered any particulars to the public about this new policy of insurance.

A fellow title agent Glenn Freezman of Family Abstract has been attempting to get information about this product from First American and this was the last response he received from them:

[In a discussion with] Patrick E. McLaughlin, president of First American Mortgage Services, a division of First American Title Insurance Company and the exclusive provider of Quick Start HARP. He explained that this is a program for "ONLY" the largest lenders and First American as a way of retaining portfolio.

So that being said I think we can only assume that First American is targeting the likes of Bank of America (again) Wells Fargo, Ally Financial, JP Morgan Chase and other large lending institutions in an attempt to sell this title "policy" based on an instant title search done in house by First American Title and/or its controlled agencies.

As a professional title agent who has been offering title insurance to Maryland consumers for more than 25 years, I can honestly say that there is no way in which to offer an instant title search based on data bases only; at least not one that will stand up to any scrutiny.

I certainly cannot predict the future, but if the past is our teacher, we can most certainly see the writing on the wall with this debacle. Prepare for another bail-out

I came across a petition the other day posted at myTitleIns.com. This petition hits the nail on the head as it relates to the need for consumers to be better educated and better protected when selecting title and settlement service providers.

This petition reveals many of the issues surrounding the lack of consumer education and protection in the title and settlement services industry. I would love to see a petition of this sort nationwide.

It reveals some startling facts related to title insurance in the State of Colorodo, a state I am not particularly familier with, but the similarites can be found nationwide. Of particular interest to the consumer should be:

• Licensed real estate brokers, mortgage loan originators and bankers have no legal duty to shop and compare title insurance and closing settlement services for their clients; but more importantly, and not specifically laid out in the petiion is the fact that many licensed real estate brokers, mortgage loan originators and bankers actually, steer the client to an affiliate because they share in the profit of the transaction with their own affiliate. Notice the graffic shows, PROFIT, LOSS and RISK- The risk line represents the consumer in this picture. When you allow someone to lead you to a particular service provider you are taking on all of the risk, while the brokers, loan originators and bankers who are part of the AfBA will share only in the PROFIT.

• It is the consumers RESPONSIBILITY to shop and compare title insurance and closing services
• Most title companies primarily market to real estate brokers, mortgage loan originators and bankers, NOT TO CONSUMERS
• Title insurance and closing costs can vary dramatically among title companies. They difference can be as little as a few dollars to as much as a few hundred dollars or more.

Consumers should arm themselves with information relating to title and settlement services by calling on several LOCAL title insurance agents for a FREE cost analysis specific to their transaction. Most title agents are more than happy to provide this information to consumers. It is after all in the best interest of the title and settlement services sector to have INFORMED consumers.

If you are involved in a real estate transaction in Maryland and you need a FREE preliminary HUD (statement of costs) call on The Preferred Title Group, Inc., for all other jurisdictions, call on your LOCAL independent title agent.

Meet Skyler Blue, a/k/a Big Blue Bird. Skyler is my sweet 15 year old Blue and Gold Macaw and he is very bright. He has a vast vocabulary and he has learned to mimic many things that I say to him. He calls for his Mommy, he says help me, cookie, cracker, ouch, and about 30 other words and phrases. He has picked all of these words and phrases up simply because he has heard them over and over again over the years. He does understand what some of them mean, for instance, he does know that if he says "Mom", I will come to him, if he says cookie or cracker he will get a snack, and if he says "help me" I will turn off his radio. (I'm not sure how that came about, it's kinda strange really).

My sweet Skyler Blue can say "sign here" but he can't seem to grasp "initial here" just yet, but we're working on that. Why do I bring the Big Blue Bird into this discussion?

I hear more and more tales of "closing agents" being hired to "conduct convenience closings". Many of these "closing agents" have in fact been involved in the title insustry and many of these closing agents may even be licensed title agents. BUT, many of these "closing agents" are notaries public who are trying to supplement their income and who have signed on with firms that offer convenience closings.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with someone trying to supplement their income by offering a service that is demanded by the public. But, as a professional title agent, I just don't think that the consumer understands how very important it is to meet with a professional title agent, in a professional setting during regular business hours, who is familier with your closing file and who has the ability to answer questions that may be presented at the closing, or in the alternative get the answer to your questions.

My sweet big blue bird can say "sign here" and he could probably even learn to point to a particular document while saying that; as I said he is very bright! But if he were to be asked to answer a question about any of the documents presented he would likely respond with "help me". And therein lies the crux of the problem with using non-professional title agents to conduct your "convenience closing".

First and foremost, a real estate settlement transaction commits you to financial obligations. It is incumbent on YOU the CONSUMER to know what you are signing before you sign it. Sure, you may be involved in a refinance transaction, and you may think that the signing of the new loan documents is simply a technicality but that small technicality OBLIGATES you to a debt. Do you really want to take on that kind of responsibility while sitting at your local coffee shop or in your kitchen after business hours when there is no one available to answer your questions?

Yes, we can train almost anybody to "conduct" a closing, but in order for that "trainee" to be able to answer your questions they need to be know the business of title specifically and real estate generally.

Call on the services of The Preferred Title Group, Inc. in Maryland for a professional settlement experience. If you are not located in Maryland, call on the services of an Professional Independent Title Agent in your area.

I am a PROFESSIONAL TITLE AGENT!

But, I spend my days playing detective!

Today, I am trying to solve the mystery surrounding a missing link in the chain of title.

While I am a very good detective, having spent the better part of the last 25 years doing just this type thing every day, I am becoming increasingly tired of this role.

In the current transaction we have a bank owned property that is under contract with a closing date of MAYBE Friday, the 5th of August.

One would think that since there are not less than 3 title agents who have recently been involved in this transaction that perhaps someone would have figured out that there was a missing link, LONG BEFORE they allowed the foreclosure to go completely through the system and LONG BEFORE the property actually went to sale on the open market. BUT NO.

By their own admission, the foreclosure firm did not search the title beyond checking to see if the person named in the foreclosure was the "record owner" of the property. The title agent who is representing the seller is this transaction readily admits that they did not do a title search at all!

The problem in this case begins with the deed into the foreclosed party. Turns out the seller was not the owwner of the property. It's somewhat complicated, but the long and the sHort of it that just because the Deed on record says that the person named in the deed is the owner that doesn't mean that there is not a problem in the deed from the seller.

I cringe when I hear of companies who are using the services of off-shore "abstractors" to do title searches on property located in the US. These firms are doing "title searches" on line based on what is showing on the public web-site. They are not reading the deeds in the chain, they are not doing any type of research, etc.

I will be able to solve this mystery and I will be able to get this property to closing and I will be able to offer the buyer, my client, a policy of title insurance that I am comfortable standing behind. But I WILL NOT be able to charge a fee to anyone for title clearance because the foreclosure attorney and the title agency representing the seller have already done that and I can't charge this fee out to the buyer.

It is frustrating to say the least, but at the same time rewarding to know that I have worked diligently to provide title insurance coverage to the new buyer that is based on actual WORK toward offering him a good title to this property.

Call on the services of a PROFESSIONAL TITLE INSURANCE AGENT for all of your title and settlement needs. The Preferred Title Group, Inc., "Doing Good Deeds Every Day"