Bonnie Barrera – Bilingual Closer
Bonnie Barrera is an accomplished, veteran escrow officer with a secret weapon – she can conduct informative, professional, and friendly closings in both English and Spanish! Bonnie works from Independence Title’s Rollingwood Office, and has been managing transactions in both Spanish and English in Austin for more than 20 years. “There are very few Spanish-speaking […]
Read More >>Meet Lucy Gallagher, Escrow Officer
For Lucy Gallagher, Texas really was a “whole other country.” She and her family moved to Houston from England when she was five for her father’s job in the oil and gas business. “My dad always loved Texas and wanted to be a Texan,” she says. And though she wasn’t sworn in as a citizen […]
Read More >>Zana King – Escrow Officer
Zana King had no plans to be an escrow officer, and says she got into the business by accident. She had gone to work for a law firm in Dallas thinking that she wanted to pursue a law degree, and the law firm specialized in foreclosures and title. She was trained in every part of […]
Read More >>Meet Ruby Cortez, Escrow Officer
For Ruby Cortez and her team, every transaction is the “most important” transaction. “Whether it’s a small lot purchase, or a million-dollar sale, that deal is very important to somebody. Each set of circumstances is different,” she says. “Making sure that every single transaction is done well and goes smoothly is my way of helping […]
Read More >>Donna Sherrill
First-time home buyers bring extra joy to Donna Sherrill as an escrow officer and branch manager at our Cedar Park office. “Working with people on the purchase of their first home is exciting and rewarding,” Donna says. “I never get tired of helping them navigate the process. They have no idea what to expect, and I […]
Read More >>Kelli Burns – Escrow Officer
Kelli Burns has been with Independence Title from the very beginning. In fact, she was one of the “original 12.” She started in the title industry as a paralegal intern. “I worked in the plant as a title examiner and was recruited into the branch as an escrow assistant,” she says. “A couple of short […]
Read More >>Meet Misha Davis
By Sarah Rooney, Social Media Manager Misha Davis started her career in the real estate industry in 2004, working with a lender. “I was very young, and it was a great introduction because I got to do a little of everything from payroll to janitorial. You name it, I did it,” she laughs. Before long, […]
Read More >>The Safest Way to Travel? Maybe Not for Your Cybersecurity
Summertime: the kids are out of school, the weather is just right, time to go on vacation! It’s always something to look forward to, except the part where you have to use the dreaded airport to get there. Between keeping up with tickets, luggage, family members, and wandering kids, it’s no wonder thinking about cyber […]
Read More >>Have You Used the Matrix Tax Record Search for Target Marketing? [Austin & DFW Area]
Have you heard about the new Matrix tax record search? Instead of having to go to Realist to search the public record, you can now search directly within Matrix. It’s a fast, simple, and convenient way to help you farm prospective areas and neighborhoods. Some of the features include: Search by any geography—subdivision, city, zip […]
Read More >>Title Insurance Rates to Decrease in September
Yes, you read that correctly. Every few years, the Texas Department of Insurance (the state agency that regulates title insurance) looks at title industry data to see how we are doing, and to see if a rate increase or decrease is warranted. The statistical data is provided to TDI by title insurance agents and underwriters. Currently, […]
Read More >>Introducing Janelle Landry
By Sarah Rooney, Social Media Manager Janelle Landry might be the newest escrow officer at our Rollingwood office, but she’s been with Independence Title since our inaugural year in 2005. She had just graduated with a B.S. from Texas State and says she wasn’t exactly sure what to do with her brand new math degree. […]
Read More >>How to Recognize and Avoid Phishing Attempts
By now you’ve probably heard of phishing, which describes attempts by cybercriminals to extract private, personal information from people and companies. Criminals use phishing emails to trick you into giving away information you’d otherwise keep confidential. When it comes to real estate transactions, the bad guys want details like the buyers’ and sellers’ social security […]
Read More >>Home Buyers Face Ever-Increasing Attacks Through Social Engineering
One of our clients moved with her family from Dallas to a small town outside of Austin and started looking for a house immediately. As many of you know, it’s not easy finding a home in this area, but luckily after a few months, she found a great neighborhood and an under-construction home they loved. […]
Read More >>A Guide to Hosting Your Ultimate Summer Soirée
By Jennifer Wilhelm, Event Coordinator Summer is just around the corner, and that means fun, sun and get-togethers with friends. Now is the perfect time to start planning your ultimate summer soirée, and we have a foolproof guide to ensure your event is an unforgettable success that your friends will rave about well into the […]
Read More >>Which Computer Is Safer From Cybercrime: Mac or PC?
Which computer is safer from cybercrime: Mac or PC? The answer may surprise you. Remember the commercials with the young savvy man (Mac) vs the older stuffy man (PC)? These ads went a long way towards changing the perception of Apple as a cutting-edge, hip and cool technology company. As cool as Macs have become, […]
Read More >>How Tax Reforms Affect the Housing Market
By: Mark Sprague, State Director of Information Capital The last time the U.S. underwent major tax reform was in 1986, and unintended consequences caused the 1987 “Texas Depression.” Two of the biggest Texas banks closed their doors, the Savings and Loan industry crashed, Texas real estate plummeted to 10 cents on the dollar, and the […]
Read More >>Spring Cleaning! Safeguarding Your Email
Mary was a hard-working broker at a medium-sized office, she answered her agents’ emails and provided all the tools of the trade. She wanted every agent in her brokerage to succeed and like all brokers, Mary charged her agents an office fee to cover their costs. In April, the start of the busy season, Mary […]
Read More >>How to Protect Yourself Against a Ransomware Attack
Dan, a Realtor®, was sitting down to his computer for a day at the office. He had two transactions in the works and needed to check on the lender’s progress for one of his buyers. When he logged onto his computer, he was shocked to see a pop-up box flashed on the screen with the […]
Read More >>Love? Not Actually… Steps to Protect Yourself from Cybercrime
Welcome to the first article in a series from Independence Title on how to keep yourself, your devices, and your transactions safe from cybercrime. Check out the bottom of the article for more info on this series and how you can get involved. Can the most expensive date of your life lead to cybercrime? Jean […]
Read More >>It’s the End of the (Paper) World As We Know It…and We Feel Fine!
As paper disappears more and more from our daily lives, the real estate industry sometimes seems like one of the last vestiges of ink-and-paper transactions. These days you can buy a car, enroll in college, start a new job, file your taxes, sign up for home and car insurance, and send money anywhere in the […]
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