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 of The Safest Way to Travel? Maybe Not for Your Cybersecurity >>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 of Have You Used the Matrix Tax Record Search for Target Marketing? [Austin & DFW Area] >>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 of Title Insurance Rates to Decrease in September >>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 of Introducing Janelle Landry >>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 of How to Recognize and Avoid Phishing Attempts >>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 of Home Buyers Face Ever-Increasing Attacks Through Social Engineering >>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 of A Guide to Hosting Your Ultimate Summer Soirée >>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 of Which Computer Is Safer From Cybercrime: Mac or PC? >>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 of How Tax Reforms Affect the Housing Market >>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 of Spring Cleaning! Safeguarding Your Email >>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 of How to Protect Yourself Against a Ransomware Attack >>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 of Love? Not Actually… Steps to Protect Yourself from Cybercrime >>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 […]
Read More of It’s the End of the (Paper) World As We Know It…and We Feel Fine! >>“If Only I Had Known …”
This is the refrain repeated by so many home buyers who lost or almost lost their savings from a wire fraud attempt during the process of buying a home: “If only I had known.” Those of us in the real estate industry are very aware of the potential risks of wiring money in an age […]
Read More of “If Only I Had Known …” >>The Sky Is Not Falling. Mark Sprague’s Texas Market Update
The unemployment rate has hit a new low — 3.7 percent — that was last seen in December of 1969. Of course, things were a little different in the late 1960s. Back then you could support a family on one income and still own a house and a car. These days? Not so much. In […]
Read More of The Sky Is Not Falling. Mark Sprague’s Texas Market Update >>Is the Texas Market Still Booming? Mark Sprague’s Texas Market Update
The Texas metros housing markets have certainly been booming over the last several years. But as I’ve said before, the concern is when is the slowdown? Is it imminent, in a couple of years, when? Home sales across the U.S. have seen a slight drop for the fourth straight month in July of this year. This is […]
Read More of Is the Texas Market Still Booming? Mark Sprague’s Texas Market Update >>The Billion-Dollar Industry Threatening Real Estate Transactions – How to Protect Yourself
by Cassandra Majors Pop Quiz: What industry grew by almost a billion dollars from 2016 to 2017? Hints: You wouldn’t want to invest in it, there are no publicly traded companies participating in it, but it’s still one of the fasting growing industries in the world. Give up? The answer may surprise you: it’s wire […]
Read More of The Billion-Dollar Industry Threatening Real Estate Transactions – How to Protect Yourself >>Lumber Prices are Rising! Mark Sprague’s Texas Market Update
By Mark Sprague, Independence Title State Director of Information Capital The House / Apartment You Look at Today Will Be Gone Tomorrow! And it will certainly be more expensive. Not only is there not enough resale inventory, rates are increasing and the cost of building is up dramatically. Lumber prices have risen by roughly 22% […]
Read More of Lumber Prices are Rising! Mark Sprague’s Texas Market Update >>Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Now a City of Austin Requirement
By Cassandra Majors After I smoked my last cigarette five years ago, I quickly mutated into a twitchy, manic, raging lunatic for the next two weeks. I came up with 100 creative ways to murder most of the people who crossed my path during that time, mostly for minor infractions like taking too long at […]
Read More of Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Now a City of Austin Requirement >>Does Your Social Media Need A TREC Check Up?
Is it us or do the TREC requirements for posting the IABS and Consumer Protection Notice on social media seem a little confusing? “So what exactly DOES TREC want from me? Am I compliant?” These are questions we are asked often. We all know TREC is asking that the Information About Brokerage Service and Consumer […]
Read More of Does Your Social Media Need A TREC Check Up? >>