First American Blog - The First Word

Happy third birthday to our favorite technology, which is “growing up” before our eyes! This year has been a big year for myFirstAm^®, First American’s innovative Web portal and mobile app for real estate transactions.

The Know Before You Owe campaign, developed by the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), is intended to assist consumers shopping for a mortgage by allowing them to take advantage of revamped and more easily comprehensible mortgage disclosure forms.

The U.S. housing market may have slightly slowed its progress during the frozen winter months, but industry experts are anticipating that things will soon pick up and prices will be on the rise for the next 12 months.

Since the housing bust in 2008, a large number of homeowners have found themselves drowning in their mortgages. Negative equity was abundant, and when a homeowner owes more on his or her mortgage than the property is worth, that's considered being underwater.

Like most residential real estate professionals, you likely know that there's more to a home's appeal than its granite countertops and hard wood floors. Homebuyers today follow the mantra of "location, location, location" with resounding commitment, especially when it comes to schools. This may require you to do a little—or a lot—of research...

February is here, along with all the hearts, chocolates and roses that Cupid tends to send our way this time of year. At First American, what we LOVE most is making the home-buying process easier for buyers, sellers and real estate professionals. That’s why we created myFirstAm.