The Title Report

ATTOM: Foreclosure activity in U.S. up 20 percent year-over-year - February was the 12th consecutive month that saw a yearly increase in foreclosure activity in the country, per ATTOM's February U.S. Foreclosure Market Report. Source: bit.ly/3NbII4Q

Westcor hires new Michigan underwriting counsel - The new underwriting counsel for Westcor, in his previous job, worked on transactions such as housing for homeless veterans, luxury single-family developments and skilled nursing facilities. Source: bit.ly/4sPfyYa

Beeline Holdings enters partnership with blockchain-enabled real estate platform - Beeline Holdings Inc. will facilitate the sale of prime residential real estate fractional equity transactions on behalf of the blockchain-enabled platform. Source: bit.ly/4bUZpL6

SoftPro expands FinCEN compliance tool by adding direct eFiling - SoftPro is the only title production software provider offering an eFiling integration with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network for the Residential Real Estate Report rule. Source: bit.ly/4bvnc4p

Recruiting firm founder gives ‘State of the Title Industry' outlook - The Title Report caught up with Anderson Biro co-founder Eric Biro, who discussed how as the market stabilizes recruiting activity is accelerating and retention is a priority. Source: bit.ly/4bvnfND

Breaking News: Texas court orders FinCEN rule to be vacated - The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas agreed that the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network’s new residential reporting rule is unlawful and ordered the rule be vacated. bit.ly/4skCmz3

Redfin: About 20 percent of homeowners could save money by refinancing - More homeowners are considering a refinance this year in part because mortgage rates dropped down to 6 percent in February and early March, the lowest level in 3 1/2 years. Source: bit.ly/4rDVtDg

FirstClose POS tool adds home equity workflow - FirstClose's point-of-sale experience, XpressEquity, will be combined with a refreshed Encompass by ICE Mortgage Technology integration to deliver a digital workflow for home equity originations. Source: bit.ly/4bxhhua

Covius hires new senior VP of business development - Covius' new senior vice president of business development will lead strategic business development initiatives focused on expanding the firm's settlement services in support of the T365 brand. Source: bit.ly/4sTmzax

Westcor rolls out agency product solutions group - The newly established Westcor Agency Product Solutions will be led by Bettina Arthur, who will oversee coordination across Westcor-developed platforms and third-party partner offerings. Source: bit.ly/4sRhbV9

Qualia Clear 2.0 offers increased automation in processing title files - Nate Baker, CEO and co-founder of Qualia, told The Title Report that fully automated transactions are “no longer theoretical” as he discussed the launch of Qualia Clear 2.0. Source: bit.ly/40yB2wx

Closinglock unveils automated closing updates - The automated notification system delivers customized messages to impacted parties when key milestones occur in a transaction. Closinglock CEO Andy White discussed the tool with The Title Report. Source: bit.ly/4byrG94

Our newest Trendsetter is Wendy Ethen, president and visionary of Guaranty Commercial Title Inc., who says, "Fun is one of our core values. We do really serious, hard work all day long, but we don’t take ourselves very seriously." tinyurl.com/2nybwy7t

ATTOM: Home prices dropped slightly in fourth quarter, but are still historically high - Florida counties accounted for 16 of the 50 riskiest counties, according to ATTOM's Housing Risk Report. Source: bit.ly/4bG15YS

ICE says MERS eRegistry surpasses 3 million eNotes - MERS System data shows that lenders at the forefront of eNote adoption are now registering between 30 and 80 percent of their originations digitally, according to Intercontinental Exchange Inc. Source: bit.ly/3NC92VJ

Snapdocs hires VP of lender growth - Snapdocs recently announced the hiring of a department vice president. The new staffer will partner with lenders to accelerate digital adoption and enhance connectivity across the mortgage ecosystem. Source: bit.ly/4sEoZJR

How to build strong relationships within the title industry - Two industry leaders discuss what it takes to build successful and compliant relationships between title agents and Realtors. Source: bit.ly/4bHQ9tF

Another suit filed against FinCEN reporting rule - The Puerto Rico Privacy Association is arguing the FinCEN real estate rule's information collection mandates could put those involved in such transactions at risk for doxxing or identity theft. Source: bit.ly/4bpCt5u

Allied Title and Escrow launches operations in two new states - The addition of two states means that Allied Title and Escrow now provides services to residential clients in 14 states. Source: bit.ly/4lpDbUG

Redfin: Home relistings hit highest January level in 10 years - For a lot of people who delisted their homes, the “try again later” part — aka relisting — is happening now, according to Redfin. Source: bit.ly/4b3gLFj