VLTA Newsletter - Virginia Land Title Association

VLTA Newsletter
Virginia Land Title Association
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
The October 3 implementation date for CFPB’s "Know Before You Owe" rule has come and gone — and we are all still here. But many of us are still coping
with new technology and new ways of doing things, like how to talk about owner’s title insurance with your customers. If that’s you, don’t reinvent the wheel.
Consider taking some of the wheels that ALTA has provided out for a spin. At its recent Annual Convention in Boston, ALTA unveiled its new "Homebuyer
Outreach Program," a treasure trove of resources to help you convey the value of title insurance to your customers — homebuyers, real estate agents and
lenders. Here is a sample of some of the resources available, most of which are customizable:
Professionally designed templates for homebuyer presentations, including:
Letterhead template
PowerPoint presentation template
Document Cover Page template
Social Media Graphic template
Customizable sample letter to the homebuyer
PowerPoint presentations
"The Homebuyer Checklist"
"Why Every Homebuyer Needs Owner’s Title Insurance"
Rack Cards (one­page cards)
"The FAQs of Title Insurance for Homebuyers"
"10 Steps to Buy Your Home with Confidence"
"You Sweat the Small Stuff
Marketing One­Pagers
"7 Reasons Every Homebuyer Needs Owner’s Title Insurance"
"A Guide for Homebuyers"
"FAQs of Title Insurance for Homebuyers"
"Tips for Talking Title with Homebuyers"
"What Every Realtor® Should Know About Owner’s Title Insurance"
Blog Posts
"7 Reasons Every Homebuyer Needs Owner’s Title Insurance"
"Closing Time: 6 Steps Every Homebuyer Should Expect"
"FAQs of Title Insurance for Homebuyers"
"How Title Insurance Protects All Homebuyers"
"What Every Realtor® Should Know About Owner’s Title Insurance"
"Why 20% of Homebuyers Won’t Sleep"
As you can see, there is something here for everyone. Even if you don’t use these resources in their current form, reading these resources and learning from
their content may provide you with just the right idea for your own marketing piece. Enjoy!
­Kevin T. Pogoda, Esq.
VLTA President, 2015­2016
INDUSTRY NEWS
Interest Rate Hike coming in December?
Federal Reserve policymakers, concerned that slowing global growth may be hurting the U.S. economy, kept a key interest rate at a historically low level — yet
hinted that a hike could come by the end of the year.
Visit http://www.latimes.com/business/la­fi­federal­reserve­interest­rate­20151028­story.html to view the full article online.
TRID Q&A: How to Handle Recording Fees
Wondering how to handle various issues related to TRID and the new CD? Read ALTA’s blog on TRID and see what everyone else is asking about.
Visit http://blog.alta.org/2015/10/trid­qa­how­to­handle­recording­fees.html to view the full article online.
Is It Time to Bump Up your Commercial Business?
MBA projects a six percent increase in multifamily/commercial mortgage origination.
Visit https://www.mba.org/mba­newslinks/2015/october/mba­newslink­thursday­10­29­15/mba­projects­6­increase­in­2016­commercial/multifamily­
mortgage­originations to view the full article online.
Homeownership Rates Hitting a 30­year Low
Could this be the bottom of the homeownership rate drop?
Visit http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2015/10/27/the­homeownership­rate­is­near­a­30­year­low­could­it­be­hitting­bottom/ to view the full article
online.
2015 ALTA Convention
Check out photos from ALTA’s 2015 Annual Convention in Boston, Massachusetts. VLTA boasted multiple representatives at this five­day, spectacular industry
event.
Visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/altaonline/sets/72157659707201902 to view the full article online.
Explaining Owners Title Insurance
Need to explain why Owners Title Insurance is important to not­so­savvy consumers? Check out ALTA’s HOP program and prepare yourself for success!
Visit http://www.alta.org/hop/email/15­10­12_hop.html to view the full article online.
VLTA NEWS
Membership Renewal Season Starts This Month!
If you’re not a member of VLTA – you’re missing out! Virginia Land Title Association is proud to announce that in 2016, our membership benefits will
expand! Membership renewal brochures will be mailed to your office the week of November 15.
Choose Your Level of Benefits
This year, Virginia Land Title Association is offering a tiered member benefits program. Companies can choose their level of benefits
based on their needs. We encourage all members to consider the all­inclusive membership model. For just a few more dollars each
year, members have access to our new, world­class online continuing education portal, deep discounts on conventions, and free
attendance at regional events. Who could ask for more?
Virtual Fall Seminar
VLTA’s Virtual Fall Seminar has been a tremendous success. Don’t worry if you haven’t had time yet to participate — the event will still be hosted online for
another two weeks. One lucky participant will win a 40" 1080p SMART TV — but you must complete classes and the exhibitor game by November 15 to
qualify. Take classes on your laptop, tablet, or mobile phone — our system is mobile optimized! Classes are available a la carte for $20 each, and include:
TRID – A Complete Form Analysis (Katherine Crawford)
The Best Laid Plats (Michael Smith)
Critical Examination of the Title Report (Kay Creasman)
Easements & Access – What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You (Skip Sacks)
Virginia Residential Deed of Trust Foreclosures (Edward Farnsworth & Michael Freeman)
Recent Trends in Fraud & Fraud Prevention (Aaron Bryan)
Mineral Rights in Virginia (Mandy Varney French)
Special thanks to our Fall Seminar sponsors, whose flexibility and generosity has made this event possible!
VLTA Lender Conversation Toolkit
Still anticipating your first CD­closing? Wondering what your lender partners are doing about TRID and Best Practices? Download the VLTA lender
conversation toolkit here. Our toolkit includes a "to­do" list for agencies as we enter this new era of regulation.
VLTA EDUCATION & EVENTS
Virginia Land Title Institute
VLTA is excited – tickled – ecstatic – to announce the arrival of our new world­class, online title insurance education platform. Virginia’s title insurance
professionals now have access to our state of the art training system featuring CE, CLE, VCTE, and VCTSA credits online in a variety of entertaining formats
from the convenience of your laptop, tablet, or phone! Our site is mobile optimized.
2016 Regional Events
In 2016, VLTA’s all­inclusive members will have access to regional events for FREE! Join us at any of our four regional events, featuring four hours of
continuing education credits and lots of fun right in your neighborhood. Here’s a sneak preview of our regional events calendar:
March 2016, Virginia Beach
April 2016, Harrisonburg
September 2016, Fairfax
October 2016, Lynchburg
2016 Annual Convention – Save the Date!
Join us on June 3­4 at the Richmond Omni for a spectacular red carpet event.
Pre­Licensing Education
Virginia Land Title Association is excited to announce that the Title Insurance Pre­Licensing course is now online via the Virginia Land Title Institute. Our
online course will help your staff get the training they need from the convenience of the home or office. The course is $260 for VLTA members; $520 for
nonmembers. Course materials are available on­demand, shipped directly to your home or office. Our course has been updated to focus more strictly on the
exam content outline to help better prepare students for the title insurance licensing examination.
Virginia Certified Title Examiner (VCTE™) course under construction
The Virginia Certified Title Examiner (VCTE)™ course is being migrated to our new online system. Enjoy bargain pricing on our reformatted course
beginning in late November. The course will now be offered online without the need to purchase the textbook or exam separately. All information will be
integrated into our online course. We’ve removed extraneous content; corrected errors; and supplemented the course with more Virginia­specific information —
all for a reduced price! Register for the VCTE course online at www.pathlms.com/vlta.
Virginia Certified Title Settlement (VCTSA™) course under construction
The Virginia Certified Title Settlement Agent (VCTSA)™ course is under development, to be offered again on VLTA’s new online platform beginning in
2016. Are you looking for advanced training in title settlement? Stay tuned for more information in January. VLTA STRATEGIC PARTNERS
Virginia Land Title Association
14001­C Saint Germain Drive, Suite #822, Centreville, VA, 20121
[email protected]