01.19.07
Who are the Professional Abstractors?
I was at the NALTEA convention in San Diego this past week. I was struck by the consistent themes resonating from these amazing professionals. I think what I wrote best describes how I believe these Professional Abstractors view themselves.
You are the honorable professionals. The little guys, not driven strictly by profit, speed and greed. You know there is much to know, and you care about education, quality products and differentiating yourself from the pack. You recognize what a quality product is, and believe what you do is truly important. You understand the significance of the complete system of land records; that they are core to our entire economy. You know that our lives rely on land records - the key to buying our most precious asset (and our biggest investment) – our home. You recognize that what we do is the driving force behind the mortgage and financial markets in the U.S.
You are concerned with accuracy and the integrity of the process. When asked to search something too fast, too cheap - something that would result in a bad product; you (reluctantly) turn it down. After all, it is better NOT to turn out a bad search… good abstracting takes time and effort to get it right. After all, a client can only get what s/he pays for… Faster, Cheaper is not Better, nor is it the Right Thing to Do. Moreover, all those seeming details a reduced search might skip - are critical to the owner! The title-holder needs to know what they can and cannot do to their property – where are the easements?… what are the restrictions?… how much are the taxes?… can I build a garage?… can I park my truck in the common area?… do I have to pay dues?… can I bring Tiger, and ninety-pound Fido and into my new condo?… It all matters.
You see privacy as an important issue. But you recognize the important role of both the government in keeping records, and the private sector in searching those records. You believe that not everyone should be data-mining the public records or looking at our private information, but still, there is the need to know – how else can we reliably buy a home, get a mortgage and know what we are really getting? There is a need for balance.
You are a professional, and there is much on your mind. It is not easy to be a professional abstractor today.