CRE Insider Blog
Welcome to the CRE Insider Blog, a source of info and insights from First American’s leading real estate experts.

Title Insurance and How It Originated

By Caitlin Ostrander on August 15, 2022
Title insurance is a contractual obligation that protects against losses that occur when title to a property is not free and clear of defects (e.g., liens, encumbrances and defects that were unknown when the title policy was issued). Title insurance also ...
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Exploration of Escrow & Settlement Statements in the Eastern U.S.

By Pablo Iglesias on August 1, 2022
The closing process in commercial real estate transactions can be multifaceted and a bit enigmatic to those new to the industry, or for those with a new type of real estate deal. As such, an overview of the closing process – including escrow and ...
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Topics: Commercial Real Estate Attorney Closing Date escrow

ALTA Surveys – the Purpose and A Few Secrets

By Todd D'Amico on July 5, 2022
An ALTA Survey is a specialized boundary survey of a property that adheres to strict standards developed by the American Land Title Association (ALTA) and the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS). An essential part of any legal ownership of ...
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Changes to the ALTA Owner’s & Loan Policy

By Johnathan Buss on June 1, 2022
After 15 years, the American Land Title Association (ALTA) Board approved the revised 2021 ALTA Owner’s and Loan Policies in July of last year. The ALTA Forms Committee, which is made up of industry experts and includes some of First American’s brightest ...
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Topics: ALTA ALTA Forms

Everyday Ethics and More Lessons for the Overworked Commercial Attorney

By Spencer Compton on April 6, 2022
Ethics are an important component of our everyday lives, especially in business and in commercial real estate transactions. Ethics are the moral principles that guide a person’s behavior, or a code of moral principles practiced by a group of people, such ...
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Topics: Commercial Real Estate Commercial Title Insurance Webinar ethics

Remote Online Notarization and Remote Ink Notarization in New York State

By Mike Berey on March 22, 2022
Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.7 signed on March 19, 2020 authorized notaries public to officiate documents remotely using what is known as Remote Ink Notarization (“RIN”). RIN allows a person seeking a notary’s services, using audiovisual ...
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Topics: Notarization new york state remote online

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