Using Facebook On the Job… with Facebook Lists

Facebook Friend Lists

Have you ever signed in to Facebook and wished that you could filter or sort the newsfeed based on friend type (i.e. family members, coworkers, school friends, customers, etc)?  The Facebook Lists feature provides users with an easy way to create segments for various types of friends and create security settings based on those lists.

Once you’ve created a list, you can filter your newsfeed to display only the posts from people in that particular list.  And vice versa, the lists feature also allows you to post content that is seen only by people in particular lists.

This is a huge time saver if you’re goal is to organize your friends and connect with different groups of Facebook friends at different times.

Facebook on the job…
It goes without saying that throughout the business day  there may be times when it’s more appropriate to connect with certain groups of friends and not others. For example, during the course of the day at Ticor, I may want to pay less attention to Aunt Tilly (who just discovered Farmville) and instead be more intentional about listening to Real Estate professionals and what’s important to them (No offense to Aunt Tilly!).  The Facebook lists feature makes this a cinch.

In a nutshell, the Facebook lists feature:

  • Helps organize friends into groups
  • Helps reduce potential distractions during the work day
  • Provides a means for sharing content privately with certain groups
  • Saves time!

To find out how to create Facebook lists, click here.

By the way this is one of the many things we cover step-by-step in our Facebook Setup and Strategies for Real Estate Clock Hour Class.

Check out our clock hour classes here!

Enjoy!
Matt Sweet
@sweetmd

Behind the Scenes: A Video Tour of our History-Filled Backplant

Ticor Backplant Pierce County WA
[Note: Our Renton office has relocated to Columbia Center, Downtown Seattle]These days, most of the real estate property research our title examiners and customer service team does for you involves sophisticated online databases and image libraries using up-to-the-minute technology. But occasionally we rely on a much older technology as we research the chain of title for real properties in King, Pierce, and Snohomish, WA.

Since the early 1980s, recorded documents have been compiled into searchable databases. We can search by legal description or by name to find deeds, easements, and other public-record information. Most documents recorded since 1990 have also been imaged, so we can usually send you legible copies of recent documents very quickly.

However, sometimes we need documents that are too old to be found in these more recent databases. For those, we turn to our backplant. Backplants are a series of log books that show all recordings in a county. Our records go back to the mid-1800s. Depending on the county, these logs may be on microfilm or may be large hand-written books.

As you can see in the backplant video tour below, the hand-drawn maps and fine penmanship evoke feelings of appreciation for the care, skill, and artfulness of the many people that crafted and maintained these books so many years ago.

 

Ticor Title Company Fact Sheet 1Q 2011

We don’t like to boast, but occasionally we like to remind our clients of the financial strength behind our brand. If your real estate title is insured with Ticor, you’re on solid ground. Below is a press release from our parent company FNF for 1Q 2011.

Ticor Title is a member of the Fidelity National Financial family of companies, which is a leading provider of title insurance, mortgage services, specialty insurance and information services, and is the nation’s largest title insurance company through its title insurance underwriters. Collectively, Ticor Title and the FNF underwriters issue more title insurance policies than any other title company in the United States.

The first quarter of 2011 represented our strongest quarter in a number of years, as our direct operations benefited from strong refinance closings early in the quarter and consistent closings throughout February and March.

Another contributing factor was the continued robust nature of our commercial title business, which saw revenue grow by 35% over the first quarter of 2010. We are encouraged by the strong start to the year in the commercial business and based on our pipelines, are becoming more and more confident that the commercial market will continue to yield positive results in 2011.

We always work hard to maintain industry-leading margins even in the face of cyclical headwinds, and this quarter is a reflection of our success with those efforts. The loyalty of our clients, the diligent effort of our employees to be the best in the industry, and the commitment of our local managers to provide decisive leadership in their respective markets significantly positions FNF for a strong 2011.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way… Or not! Probates & Real Estate Explained.

Probates & Real EstateMom just passed away, and the family wants to sell the home. This is a listing with a motivated seller. But who actually owns it?

Of course, the family home (if it isn’t in a trust) will automatically go to the surviving spouse without the need for a probate. But, what about a married person who owned the house as separate property, or Mom who was widowed? Washington law (RCW 11.04.0115) identifies heirs at law who inherit when there is no will, including (in this approximate order) the spouse, children and grandchildren, parents, siblings and children of siblings.

A formal probate allows for the protection and orderly distribution, after payment of debts, of the assets of the deceased to heirs and/or devisees or a sale to a third party by the personal representative. Nonetheless, even though Washington probates are not expensive or time consuming, they often are not done. But how else will the buyer know that all of the title interest is properly conveyed? What if there are valid liens (including estate taxes or state Medicaid reimbursements) against the estate that would otherwise be paid in probate? That is where the “lack of probate” concept comes into play.

Vesting

Title to property of a decedent immediately vests in either devisees (if there is a probated will) or the heirs (if there is no probated will), even if the identity of those parties are unknown at that time – with or without a will, and with or without a probate.

With or without a will

When someone dies, that person will be either testate (with a will) or intestate (without a will). Both can be probated – but it’s not required, even though RCW 11.20. 010 says a will must be filed with the county superior court.

In order for the title company identify who these people are, or whether there is an unprobated will (which could give an interest to a non-relative or charity), it uses an affidavit. The affidavit, usually signed by a relative, must identify all these interests – including the estranged prodigal son who’s been incommunicado for years. It says when and where the deceased lived and died, and identifies any unprobated will or foreign probate. Finally, it states whether Mom received Medicaid benefits, and identifies the value of the estate for estates tax purposes. Based on this information, and deeds from all potential claimants and releases of liens, the title company can usually assume the risk of future claims and insure clear title in the buyer.

Keep in mind that this can be used when the will is probated in another state. Since foreign courts don’t have jurisdiction in Washington, an ancillary court action can be opened in Washington Superior Court that essentially blesses what the foreign court orders. Again, however, that expense and bother can be avoided with the lack of probate approach.

The Realtor® can help the family gather this information and get it to the title company so that the closing can take place and everyone is happy.

Is your wordpress site mobile ready?

Make WordPress Site Mobile Ready

How do I make my wordpress website easier to read on mobile devices?  Having the answer to that question has become more important as we have studied smartphone usage statistics and  considered our tech savvy real estate client base in the Puget Sound area.  In a nutshell, a large portion of our clients (and future clients) are seeing us online through the filter of a 4-inch screen in their hand.  And consciously or not, they’re making judgements about us based on how we appear.

Smartphones are about to dominate the market
Have you observed people and their smartphones lately? It seems everyone has one and they’re always in hand. If you remember our recent post regarding Ticor’s ability to receive title & escrow and customer service requests via text, you’ll remember that experts are expecting smartphones to garner the lion’s share of the mobile device market by the end of 2011. And what are people doing all day on their smartphones? They’re doing all the usual smartphone things… They’re texting, calling, gaming, reading emails, using apps, and looking at websites.

The problem of browsing the web via Smartphone
Have you ever looked at a website on a smart phone? It’s quite an experience because you never know how things are going to turn out as you browse from one site to another. Sometimes you get lucky and the website is so simple (like craigslist) that it looks normal on even an old-school blackberry. But even on the latest phones with larger touch-screens, you’ll find websites with strange columns of text or split pictures that appear for no apparent reason, making things very hard to read. And if there’s flash on the site, good luck…

Screen shot of mobile ready website

The Good News
We don’t have a solution for the world’s mobile browsing problems. But we do have a solution that we’ve applied to our WordPress site (this site).  Back in 2010, at RE BarCamp in Seattle, Mike Mueller shared a few of his favorite wordpress plugins and one of them happened to be a plugin that makes wordpress sites easy on the mobile browser.  At the time that was a ‘stupiphany’ for us.  Duh!  There’s a wordpress plugin for everything.  Of course there would be one that would make our site mobile ready!

Since that time, we have tested a few mobile-ready plugins and settled on one called WPTouch that we are very pleased with.  It provides a mobile ready look and feel for the most popular mobile platforms and it provides an intuitive set up with options for colors, drop-down menus, individual page icons, and the inclusion or exclusion of pages from the mobile site.

So if you’re a mobile user, we’d love to hear your feedback on how usable our site is on your mobile device.  Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment below!

What is a Plat? And what should I know as a home buyer?

What is a plat?

A plat is another name for a subdivision. For example, Fircrest is a well known city of about 6,000 near Tacoma. Residents know that Fircrest is not just one neighborhood, but a combination of many unique, smaller communities. And usually, these neighborhoods are named from a subdivision, or plat, that defines the land within a specific area. So, Fircrest residents may think of their particular neighborhood as Fir Tree Park, Linden Manor, Regents Park, or Monterey Park. Each of these ‘neighborhoods’ started as a ‘plat’ or ‘subdivision.’

Seeing a copy of the plat is important because it provides information that may not be recorded anywhere else. Often ‘the plat’ provides specific locations of lots and other features in a visual way on the survey map. Seeing an easement drawn on a map is easier for most of us to understand than reading the legal description would be. Also, a plat creates simple and logical legal descriptions for lots which are far less prone to error or misinterpretation than are metes and bounds legals.

Plat Map Markers

Click to Download the Interactive Plat Map

5 benefits or restrictions you may see on the face of the plat (download interactive map):

  1. Utility easements: can be for power, water, sewer, phones, cable
  2. Access easements
  3. Greenbelts, Native Growth Protection Easement/Area (NGPE/NGPA) open space
  4. Recreation areas: some plats contain features like playgrounds or bridle trails
  5. Monuments and dimensions for measuring and identifying lot boundaries

The notes section or the map may contain valuable information about:

  • Who is responsible for maintenance of common areas
  • Who can use specific tracts and for what purpose
  • Which tracts will remain as greenbelts and which are designated for future development

Do you have questions about a particular plat? Need some help, understanding some of the important items on a plat? Ticor Property Information Specialists are at your service!

Click here to download the interactive plat map.

Ticor Email for Property Info: cs.wa@ticortitle.com
Ticor Seattle / Renton: 206-720-6969 / 425-255-6969
Ticor Bellevue: 425-467-0377
Ticor Puyallup / Pierce County: 253-383-0055
Ticor International: 425-204-5113

Note: Some charges may apply, in accordance with Washington State Insurance Commissioner Guidelines, but profile, map and deed are always free.

*Correction 4-26-2011 – Fircrest is a city near Tacoma, not a neighborhood in Tacoma.

Why do I need escrow? The escrow process in plain english.

When purchasing your first home, the escrow process can be a little confusing. Buyers and sellers may find themselves asking, “What is escrow and why is it needed?”

With that in mind we’ve formulated a brief synopsis of the escrow process in plain english.

An Unbiased Third Party

When buying or selling real estate, escrow is often opened for protection and ease. The escrow agent is setup as a disinterested third party and performs mulitple tasks, as directed, by the parties involved in the transaction. Some of these items include, holding of legal documents, disbursement of funds on the buyer or sellers behalf and distribution of funds in accordance with the instructions set forth by the buyer and seller. Both the buyer and the seller rely on the escrow holder to fulfill the intention of their instructions with consistency and in good faith.

The convenience provided by the escrow holder is realized by buyer and seller due to the fact that both parties can move forward independently, but in parallel to close the transaction. The idea is such that either party can submit inspections, loan commitments, funds, deeds and other items pertinent to the transaction’s closing. When all insructions are in order and consistent, escrow facilitates a seamless closing.

Summary: The Purpose of Escrow

The process of escrow was established to facilitate the purchase and sale of real estate. Here’s a brief outline of the escrow holder’s duties in a transaction:

• Act as the impartial “stakeholder,” or depository of documents and funds
• Process and coordinate the flow of documents and funds
• Keep all parties informed of progress regarding the transaction
• Respond to lender requirements
• Secure title insurance policy
• Obtain approval of reports and documents from the parties as required
• Proration and adjustment of insurance, taxes, rents, etc.
• Record the deed and loan documents
• Maintain security and accountability of monies owed and owing

Do you have questions or comments regarding the escrow process? Please share below.

A Policy by any Other Name – ALTA Homeowner’s Policy Demystified

Homebuyers choose ALTA Homeowners Title Insurance Coverage

What are the differences between Title Insurance Policies?

What kind of title insurance policy should the real estate buyer get? Does it make a difference? Is there a cost difference?

There are different types of title insurance policies with different coverages. In the past, standard or extended policies were the norm, but the Homeowner’s Policy (“ALTA Homeowner’s Policy for One-to-Four Family Residence”) has become the new standard for residential transactions. This expanded coverage policy is the default policy called for in Paragraph “e” of the NWMLS Residential Purchase and Sale Agreement. It is the best choice in most residential transactions involving platted lots with an existing home. But it’s not available for all transactions, including waterfront homes, large acreage, or if the buyer is a corporation.

The Homeowner’s Policy Benefits

The Homeowner’s policy offers significant benefits in three respects: First, affirmative coverages are built right into to the policy for such things as off-record survey related matters, the existence or impact of easements, boundaries and encroachments. And it includes significant areas not previously covered by title insurance, such as certain zoning problems (including relating to building permits) and platting irregularities. Second, the policy is written in “plain language.” It has never been easier to interpret the title policy’s “fine print”.   And finally, for the first time some limited coverages are available for future events historically excluded from policies – including, for example, you discover the former owner didn’t get a building permit for the out building that the County has now red tagged.

Deductibles

There may be a trade-off though because some covered matters have deductibles – either a stated percentage or a dollar amount, whichever is less. It is important for the Realtor® to remember that the benefit would be valuable only if (1) a defect was not subject to a deductible, or (2) if the cost of taking care of it exceeded the deductible. In other words, if the loss is lower than the deductible, no payment would be made under the policy even if the claim would otherwise be covered. If it exceeds the dollar limit only the amount between the deductible and that limit would be covered.

For example, assume the owner has to spend $2000 to remove and rebuild a wall and fence because they encroach onto the neighbor’s land. While it’s covered by the policy there is a $2500 deductible. So, none of the cost is reimbursable. Now, if the cost was $5000, then reimbursement would be available for $2500 – the first $2500 is the owner’s responsibility because of the deductible, and the coverage caps out at $5000.

In the example above, the extended coverage policy would have been an appropriate option – it costs more initially, but there are no deductibles in the event of a covered claim. Ultimately, a buyer who has questions about the different types of policies can contact a Ticor Title representative or if they are concerned about which policy would be best suited to a transaction should seek legal advice.

The Home Buyer Has A Choice

Even though the Homeowner’s policy is an excellent choice the Realtor® should always make sure that the buyer and seller understand that there are options to choose from.   If another form is desired by the buyer it must be addressed in the purchase and sale agreement, and then it must be confirmed that the title commitment actually reflects the correct policy.

Do you have questions or comments about the ALTA Homeowner’s policy?

Please share by commenting below!

Receive Recorders office holiday schedule via text

We’re launching a new service that will remind you via text message when the King County, Pierce County and Snohomish County Recorders’ Offices are closed for holidays!

Just text the word ‘RECORDER’ to the number 47170.

Recorders office holiday schedule King Pierce Snohomish County

Download The Recorders Office Schedule

The King Pierce and Snohomish county recorders’ offices will be closed for a total of nine holidays in 2011. And we all know that when the recorders offices are closed, it can affect the closing of our real estate transactions. So for your convenience we’ve put together an at-a-glance calendar that clearly shows the holiday schedule. That nice looking calendar can be downloaded by clicking the image to the right.

But wouldn’t it be better if you could just simply be reminded a few days in advance of when the Recorders’ offices will be closed for holidays? How about a text message reminder right to your phone?

Here’s how it works.

If you would like to receive a text message that reminds you of the recorders’ office holiday schedule, just text the word ‘RECORDER‘ to the number 47170. You’ll recieve a welcome message once you subscribe. Then three days prior to every Recorders office holiday closure date, you’ll get a short text message reminding you of the day and date of the closure.

Try it today! Text the word ‘RECORDER‘ to the number 47170

Or simply click on the button below to subscribe right now…

recorder,47170
These are the dates that the recorders offices are closed during 2011

Monday, January 17
Monday, February 21
Monday, May 30
Monday, July 4
Monday, September 5
Friday, November 11
Thurs – Friday, November 24-25
Monday, December 26

Enjoy!
Matt Sweet
Ticor Title

Order Customer Service and Title & Escrow Via Text / SMS Messaging!

We are very excited to announce that you can now order title and escrow & real estate property information via text / SMS messaging!  Our Client Services / Property Research team across the King, Pierce, Snohomish area is fully equipped to receive property information requests and title & escrow orders from you via text if that’s the way you prefer to communicate!

Simply text your property info requests and title and escrow orders to:

425-298-7575

Why are we offering ‘order by SMS text messaging’?

woman ordering title and escrow via text sms messaging

Text Ticor Customer Service at 425-298-7575

Have you noticed the people around you texting a lot more lately?  Have you noticed yourself texting more and more?  Or more importantly, have you noticed that your clients prefer to communicate with you via text…. According to CTIA, Americans sent 173.2 Billion text messages during the month of June 2010.  That’s an increase from 7.2 Billion text messages sent during the month of June 2005 (CTIA is the International Association for the Wireless Teslecommunications Industry).

And that’s just texting… Smartphones in general are on a rapid rise.  A Nielsen study predicts that by the end of 2011 smart phones will hold the majority of the mobile phone market.  Another study showed that banking via mobile devices has grown 129% in the US over the last two years.

So logically with information and services becoming more mobile every day, this leads us to a few important questions:  What if you could send a text to order property research or title and escrow for your real estate listing?  What if all you needed was a single phone number for communicating with your favorite Title and Escrow company?  What if the Puget Sound’s most seasoned property information specialists were a text away?

So give it a try today!  If you have a service request or would like to open title on a property, hit us with a text at 425-298-7575 right now!

And remember that Title Insurance orders placed electronically will receive a 5% discount (click here for discount details).