First American settles 'no-poach' allegations with New York AG
The $4.5M agreement follows similar settlements with 'big four' title insurance underwriters Fidelity National Financial, Old Republic National Title Insurance and Stewart Title Guaranty
by Matt Carter Oct 30
Offerpad buys more time with $90M raise as end of runway approaches
Private placement with existing investors including CEO Brian Bair extends the company's cash burn runway by six months to a year, dilutes existing shareholders KBW analysts say
by Matt Carter Feb 1
'Big four' title insurers take market share away from independents
As lenders pivoted from refinancing to more complex purchase loan transactions, independent title insurers saw premiums written drop by 18.4% from a year ago
by Matt Carter Sep 30
As proptech stocks get clobbered, investors look to the future
Proptech stocks have lost a quarter of their value over the last year. Investors at Inman Connect Las Vegas Chris Gough, Krishna Srinivasan and Paul Hurst, say there is still a lot to like
by Daniel Houston Aug 5
Home sales should be falling, but not this fast. Here are 3 things to watch
Homebuying power has been in decline but the market fundamentals remain as strong as they were in 2019. Here is some advice from First American Chief Economist Mark Fleming
by Daniel Houston Aug 2
In record year for title insurers, 'big four' maintain market share
Title insurance premiums surged 36% in 2021 to a record $26.2B as low mortgage rates spurred refinancings, according to an analysis by the American Land Title Association
by Matt Carter May 10
Real estate hiring keeps pace with strong US jobs growth
Real estate employers — a category that includes brokerages — added 6,100 jobs in April, a rate that matched national monthly jobs growth
by Daniel Houston May 6
Home affordability erodes at fastest annual pace since 2004
Despite record-high prices, homes remain much more affordable for buyers than they were in 2006, but buying power has taken a big hit lately
by Daniel Houston Mar 30
First American doubles down on Endpoint with $150M in funding
Digital title and settlement services provider is seeking to fill approximately 80 job openings in departments including engineering, finance and sales
by Matt Carter Oct 19
Stewart buying Informative Research to further 'end-to-end' platform goal
$192M deal is Stewart's biggest bet on ancillary services yet
by Matt Carter Aug 27
Offerpad draws from big companies as iBuyer prepares to go public
Four new members will join the iBuyer's board later this year, including a Zillow executive and the former chief executive officer of Move, Inc.
by Daniel Houston Jun 28
638,000 jobs added in October — but unemployment remains high
The unemployment rate declined to 6.9%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but the country as a whole is still down about 10M jobs since February's pre-pandemic levels
Nearly 1B mortgage docs accessible by First American security flaw
The massive title insurance company left millions of documents — with sensitive data including SSNs — available for unauthorized users to see
by Jim Dalrymple II May 26
Loan defect and misrepresentation declines nationwide
Defect loan applications are steadily dropping across the country, First American says
by Britt Chester Sep 6
A "watch your step" sign with a figure slipping
Several reliable sources indicate that we could be in for trouble -- but are they right?
by Lou Barnes Apr 12