INDUSTRY EVENTS
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Insurance agency acquisitions and deal values are near an all-time high and all expectations are that deal flow in 2019 will match or exceed last year’s numbers. And while reported numbers tend to skew towards larger agency transactions there are many agency deals that involve small, local firms that do not appear in industry reports.

Cold emails can be an invaluable marketing tool to reach and attract potential new customers. However, to some audiences, they're just another form of spam—destined to be sorted directly into “junk” or “trash” without the recipient ever even opening or reading it.

REITs outperform broader market The sprawling listed property trust sector has outperformed the broader market despite concerns about sagging demand from retail tenants (28 August 2019). 

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, relaxing a regulatory policy from 2016, will allow housing counseling agencies that offer advice and assistance to struggling homebuyers to receive fees from mortgage lenders.

The Navasota Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) held a Regular meeting Thursday, Sept. 5, and approved the preliminary site plan for the Burger King to be constructed at 1605 E. Washington and received additional public comments regarding deed restrictions in the Jones Addition.

To kick off our Oregon Real Estate Review series, we set the stage with key trends that are driving real estate activity in the biggest and busiest market in the state, the Portland Metropolitan Area.

Recently one New York State court approved a fiduciary standard for sales of life insurance and annuities imposed on New York-licensed agents, while another court in New York invalidated title insurance marketing restrictions as unconstitutional. 

LEGAL NEWS
Cybersecurity incidents can have a dramatic impact on the lives of individuals. This blog has covered numerous cases of individuals and businesses trying to pick up the pieces after fraudsters are gone with their money. 

A Rock Hill lawyer was arrested Friday after not paying off more than $166,000 owed from a house closing, police said.

The Illinois State Bar Association Mutual Insurance Co. asked an Illinois state judge on Tuesday to declare it has no duty to defend an Illinois attorney fighting a lawsuit over alleged overbilling, saying lawyers' billing functions aren't a covered professional service. (Free registration required to read)

Do you know the Dos and Don’ts to promote your business compliantly under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA)? Are you operating (or have you considered operating) advertising agreements or joint ventures with real estate brokers and mortgage lenders?  

TECHNOLOGY & SOCIAL MEDIA
Choosing an ideal career option might be a challenging task for anyone. Though there is no right or wrong, at the same time, it is also important to select a career option that is perfect for you. 

The 21st-century real estate closing is radically different from closings of the past. Since 2011, there has been major acceleration for eClosings or digital closings, and laws and technology that allow eNotary or remote notary processes are the fuel. 

WORLD NEWS
Defective title insurance would usually be needed when a title cannot be transferred to another party (i.e. a purchaser) because the title is missing or there could be third party rights or a right of way through the property.

The millionaire founder of British fashion retailer White Stuff might have to tear down a building, private skateboard park and tennis court he built without permission in a protected natural area.

TITLE AGENCY & PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
The Ohio Land Title Association (OLTA) installed its new president, Chip Brigham, along with its board and handed out two major awards at its 2019 annual convention in Columbus.

Title Agents Go Nationwide
For agents interested in growing their businesses by expanding into multiple states, we’re here to make the process simple and profitable. We offer you one point of contact to streamline your options and solutions...

OTHER TRENDING NEWS
WHAT’S BETTER THAN A DUCK? An absolutely huge duck, of course! All around the world (though especially in the U.S., Canada, and Australia), you can find “world’s biggest” versions of animals, fruits, everyday objects—essentially monuments designed make the mundane seem incredible.

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — In a unanimous vote, the Routt County Planning Commission during its September meeting gave its final approval to what would be the first tiny home development in an unincorporated part of the county. 

On Tuesday, fifteen officials from the White House toured Skid Row in Los Angeles with the head of a local homeless shelter. “Four or five of them were from the Environmental Protection Agency,” Rev. Andy Bales of Union Mission church told me. “That’s because human waste flows into storm sewers.” 

Marianne Mathieu, NTP
Vice President/National Agency Accounts
Fidelity National Title Group
(347) 987-0677