Our Blog

Thought leader and industry expert, Jeanne, shares important information regarding the real estate and title industries.

Blog Categories

Property Records Industry Association and GIS

Property Records Industry Association and GIS

The Property Records Industry Association (PRIA) has released its latest whitepaper on GIS and Land Records Integration. Although Geographic Information System (GIS) is a relatively new tool for anyone interested in land records, the recording of property records has...

read more
Fidelity National Signs Merger Agreement with Stewart Information Services

Fidelity National Signs Merger Agreement with Stewart Information Services

Industry News Monday, March 19, 2018 Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (FNF) has signed a merger agreement to acquire Stewart Information Services Corp. for $1.2 billion in cash and stock. If approved by regulators and stockholders, Fidelity would pay $50 per share of...

read more
E-notarization vs. Distance E-notarization

E-notarization vs. Distance E-notarization

E-Notarization has been here for some time. Effective July 1, 2006, the Minnesota Legislature enacted electronic notary legislation pursuant to Minnesota Statutes 358 and 359, allowing electronic notarization to be applied to a document so that the document can be...

read more

Acting Director Mulvaney Calls for Evidence and Public Comment on CFPB Functions

Seeks Public Input on Ways to Better Fulfill Statutory Obligations JAN 17, 2018 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau today announced that it is issuing a call for evidence to ensure the Bureau is fulfilling its proper and appropriate functions...

read more

Carver County Requires Subsurface Sewage Treatment System Form

Effective January 1, 2018, Carver County requires on all sales a Subsurface Sewage System Treatment Form along with the certificate of real estate value, to be presented to the county auditor's office. While I think it's a good idea to handle such things at the time...

read more

Don’t Believe Those Online e-Notarize Ads

In Minnesota and other states, electronic notarization (e-Notarization) is moving fast. But DO NOT BELIEVE THE ADS. It is complicated. Each state has its own laws, rules, and especially its own legal terminology. In Minnesota, a notary may perform electronic notarial...

read more

CFPB Announces New HMDA Tool

CFPB Regulatory Implementation Team Consumer Financial Protection Bureau The Bureau is pleased to announce the launch of the HMDA Check Digit Tool and Rate Spread Calculator. The CFPB provides the new Rate Spread Calculator for use with data collected in or after...

read more

Reimagining Land Records and GIS

An event, "Reimagine Land Records - Join the Conversation" orchestrated by the Legislative Committee of the Minnesota State Bar Association, Real Property Section, took place on October 20th. In attendance were an assortment of County Recorders and other County...

read more

CFPB Announces Beta Launch of new HMDA Platform

The CFPB is pleased to announce the beta launch of the new HMDA Platform. The main objective of the beta release is to provide financial institutions an opportunity to become familiar with the HMDA Platform and, in particular, determine whether their sample LAR data...

read more

Housing Sentiment Hits Record Low

Market Data Thursday, August 10, 2017 During July, the share of Americans who said now is a good time to buy a house decreased to a survey low, according to Fannie Mae’s Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI). The HPSI dropped 1.5 percentage points in July to 86.8,...

read more

At First Look Emails Seem Legitimate

At first glance the emails look legitimate. But businesses get defrauded of millions of dollars daily by people using spoof emails and other false documents to steal funds, said Randy Roewe, chief risk officer for First Financial Bank. “We get things from time to time...

read more

First Time Homebuying Reaches 15 year High

Since the housing crash, first-time homebuyers who finance their homes through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have outnumbered repeat buyers every year, according to data in the Urban...

read more

CFPB Finalizes Updates to “Know Before You Owe” Mortgage Disclosure

Press Release July 7, 2017 The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today finalized updates to its “Know Before You Owe” mortgage disclosure rule with amendments that are intended to formalize guidance in the rule, and provide greater clarity and certainty. The...

read more

start your online education today!