Posts Tagged ‘title company’
Why Hiring the Right Real Estate Agent Matters
When you’re selling or buying real estate, whether residential or commercial, hiring the right agent can make the difference between sale or no sale. Presently we’re involved in a commercial purchase transaction, with a purchase price of more than $3 million. Unfortunately the appraisal for the property came in $800,000 below the contract sale price,…
Read Full ArticlePlacing our client’s best interests above all else
As professionals working within the real estate industry, we are and should be held to the highest standards under the law when it comes to protecting the interests of our client. You’ll find many definitions of “fiduciary duty,” but this one seems to sum it up perfectly. “A fiduciary duty is the highest standard of…
Read Full ArticleWhy choosing the right settlement company matters
I received a call last week from a mortgage broker with a question about a possible title insurance claim. He was contacted by a client who has a friend that refinanced in 2006. At closing the homeowners paid off their existing mortgage, a municipal utility lien for $15,000 and received a small amount of cash…
Read Full ArticleNeed a copy of the deed to your property? Don’t fall for this scam.
We’re hearing from more and more people who are receiving letters in the mail from third-party companies that are offering to provide you with a certified copy of the deed to your property for a small fee of $89. The letters that I’ve seen would lead you to believe that if you don’t have the…
Read Full ArticleYou know a good deal when you see one…or do you?
Last week I came across a post on a social media site from a real estate agent in PA who was teaming up with their in-house mortgage company and a title insurance company, offering discounts on their services when you hired them to buy a house. The real estate company was offering a modest commission…
Read Full ArticleYou never know what you’ll read next on social media.
I stumbled upon this Facebook post today from a local real estate broker. The names have been changed to protect the greedy. “What a great office/business meeting today. We had 85 percent of all our agents in attendance. Our title company XYZ Abstract released our quarterly profits. Our agents with one share got a check…
Read Full ArticleOur service doesn’t end at settlement.
I recently received a phone call at 9:42 am on a Sunday morning from a very nervous couple, clients of ours who had just settled on their new home the Friday before. Over the weekend, they began the process of moving into the house when they discovered mold along the baseboards in two of the…
Read Full ArticleALT’s 11th Anniversary
Associates Land Transfer Company recently celebrated its eleventh anniversary in business. I’m proud to say that the principles on which we founded the company eleven years ago continue to be the driving force when it comes to our success today. Our goals were relatively simple. 1. To provide the best customer service in the real…
Read Full ArticleWhy is my real estate agent so persistent about using her title company?
I just had a first time home buyer ask me the following question: Why is my real estate agent so persistent that I use her title insurance company? We would all like to assume that it’s because her title company delivers great service at a reasonable price, but unfortunately that is not the motivation in…
Read Full ArticleTD Bank Strikes Again
It isn’t all that uncommon for a purchase closing to be delayed due to an issue with the buyer’s mortgage company. Problems with the appraisal, an insurance issue or a buyer that is slow providing all of the required paperwork, just to name a few. Last Friday, we were scheduled to handle a closing in…
Read Full ArticleShould I Pay a Broker’s Service Fee?
If you’ve sold or purchased a house in the last ten years or so, you most likely paid your real estate broker/agent a conveyancing fee or flat fee commission. This broker service fee ranges from $150 to $500, an amount due in addition to the base commission on the sale or purchase. With several different…
Read Full ArticleApparently customers aren’t "part of the family"
I couldn’t help but have one of those feel good moments after our company helped this young couple save so much money at closing. This story is not exceptional; the scenario I’m sharing is fairly typical for a new construction settlement when we’re involved. As the title agent hired by this Bucks County couple, we…
Read Full ArticleThe truth about real estate’s Controlled Business Relationships
We recently received an email from a potential customer who was trying to be an informed consumer and get a fair deal on a mortgage. Here’s the opening line: “I’m considering a refinance to shorten term and lower rate. Lenders are unable to provide any kind of transparency (or patience) with questions on fees.” Unfortunately,…
Read Full ArticleTD Bank Responds
A quick update to last week’s TD Bank story. TD saw our post about a client’s very frustrating experience when refinancing with their bank. Within an hour or two of seeing the post, TD follows ALT Title on Twitter and reaches out to us: “@ALTTITLE Saw ur tweet. We appreciate your feedback & we’d like to connect…
Read Full ArticleTD Bank…America’s Most Frustrating Bank
If you need to know the time and temperature while you’re watching Jimmy Kimmel, cashing a check or depositing a jar of coins on a Sunday morning, TD Bank might just be the bank you’re looking for. If you’re trying to refinance your mortgage, they may just have you looking for a bridge to jump…
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