Schools everywhere in North Texas have reported closings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If your role as a parent now includes teacher, check some of these amazing resources to keep your kids learning and engaged.
PBS has a great newsletter that you can sign up for and each day they will email you new activities to keep your kids occupied throughout the day. This includes printable board games, family discussions, and problem solving questions.
This site links you to hundreds of education companies who are now giving out their resources for free. There are lots of hours of learning to ensure that your kids keep learning every day.
Many Ivy League schools have online classes that you can audit for free. From computer science to personal development and over 500 classes there is something for everyone.
Need an exciting art lesson? Or maybe you just need an escape? This website links you to many virtual museum tours. Experience the best museums from London to Seoul in the comfort of your own home.
Have you always thought that you could get really into opera if it were more easily accessible? Well, now is your chance. The Metropolitan Opera will host “Nightly Met Opera Streams” on its website in an attempt to continue providing opera to its audience members.
North Texas Organizations Helping Children in Need:
During this time of school closures, many children in North Texas will not be receiving the breakfast and lunch they rely on from school. Visit the Republic Title Facebook page for links to local organizations who are assisting children in need.
The February 2020 DFW area real estate statistics are in and we’ve got the numbers! Take a look at our stats infographics, separated by county, with MLS area stats on each county report as well! These infographics and video are perfect for social sharing so feel free to post them!
To see past month’s reports, please visit our resources section here.
For the full report from the Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center, click here. For NTREIS County reports click here.
At Republic Title, the health and well-being of our customers, employees and communities is our top priority. As the effects of COVID-19 continue to evolve, we want to reach out with information about our efforts to ensure the safety of all involved while continuing to provide uninterrupted service to our valued clients.
Our offices are open for business. Should the need arise to temporarily close any of our offices, we have contingency plans in place to conduct business at alternate offices with limited interruptions so that we are still able to handle your transactions. In the event of a possible closure, advance notice will be communicated to our customers as well as posted on our website. Any updates will be posted regularly. If you have further questions, we encourage you to reach out to your closing team.
Cleanliness of our offices is always a top priority but in light of recent COVID-19 news, Republic Title is taking additional precautions to protect our customers and employees. This includes providing hand sanitizer at our offices and extra sanitizing after each closing.
Out of an abundance of caution, Republic Title will be postponing all classes that we have scheduled through Friday, April 10. The health of our employees and customers is of the utmost importance and we feel this is best to minimize risk.
We are monitoring this situation closely. We realize that our clients are experiencing the same challenges we are in terms of business continuity and are trying to determine the best way to protect all parties involved and help prevent further spread of the virus. We are here for you and will communicate with you should there be any changes to our normal business process.
For a borrower residing in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, closing on a real estate transaction for a property in Texas presented several obstacles to overcome. Being 8,000 miles apart and spanning multiple time zones, items at the top of the list included scheduling a notarization appointment with the embassy and getting closing documents delivered in a timely manner. Thanks to recent legislative changes that opened the door for Remote Online Notarization (aka “RON”), these obstacles were quickly dismissed. Through this innovative technology, Republic Title and Fairway were able to provide an alternative closing experience that was both convenient and expedient.
RON is a new, technology-driven notarial process that allows the signer to appear before the notary over a live audio-video feed while executing digital documents. Additionally, all closings are recorded to provide a verifiable transaction record for security and compliance purposes. In this scenario, the Title Company, Lender, and Borrower were able to connect virtually through a secure, online closing room where closing documents were uploaded. The closer and signer met and returned fully-executed, compliant documents within an hour. Without RON, this process would have taken several days and added expense.
With the closer being located in Plano, Texas and the borrower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, RON was the key ingredient to bridge the gap across continents and time zones. The borrower was able to close comfortably from their place of business without the need for an appointment with the embassy or worrying about having to leave work to go to a physical signing.
“Full eClosing is new to the mortgage and title industries and is a game changer for busy professionals. It is exciting to partner with a title company that understands the importance of offering leading edge technology and solutions. Kudos to the teams at Fairway and Republic Title for a seamless full eClosing for my borrower,” said Kristy Osborn, Senior Loan Officer with Fairway (NMLS #999896).
“With the adoption of RON, we are able to take Republic Title’s unrivaled customer service to the next level by increasing the efficiency without losing the face-to face experience to which our customers are accustomed to. It’s the advantage of using the latest technology while still maintaining that personal touch.” said Robin Riggs, Vice President/Escrow Officer with Republic Title’s eVolve digital settlement and signing services division.
The transaction that took place is really just the beginning. Title agents are now able to streamline the residential mortgage closing process, delivering unparalleled serviceability to home buyers and sellers throughout the U.S. “Title plays a critical role in the adoption of RON and it is equally important to have a lending partner that sees the added convenience this technology brings to the real estate life cycle,” said Dennis Pospisil, Senior Vice President/Digital Settlement and Signing Services with eVolve, Republic Title’s digital settlement and signing services division.
eVolve is Republic Title’s newest digital settlement and signing services division which provides an alternative closing experience for sellers, buyers and real estate agents. eVolve’s approach is to provide a completely digital real estate closing process from start to finish, through the delivery of title and escrow services by way of secure collaboration and Remote Online eClosings.
eVolve has been operating in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas market for the past 12 months and will allow Republic Title to handle digital transactions in every major market in Texas (including Austin, San Antonio and Houston).
Sources: Republic Title eVolve and Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation
Spring Cleaning and Maintenance Tips To Get Your Home Ready For The Season
Interior □ Inspect and change out HVAC filters. □ Clean kitchen sink disposal. □ Clean range hood filters. □ Inspect your fire extinguisher(s). □ Get your air conditioning system ready for summer; empty drain pans, check hose connections for leaks. Consider getting an HVAC technician to service your system biannually. This will help it run optimally year-round. □ Inspect your attic crawl spaces. Look for signs of vermin infestation. Contact a pest control professional if any concerns arise. □ Run water and flush toilets in unused spaces. □ Check water softener and add salt if needed. □ Test your water heater’s pressure relief valve. □ Test smoke/carbon monoxide detectors and replace batteries if necessary. □ Spring cleaning! Now is the time to give your house a deep clean.
Exterior □ Get your lawn ready for the warm temperatures. Clear your yard of any debris and aerate your lawn if needed (you might need a professional to do this.) Early spring is the best time to lay pre-emergent herbicide. This will prevent weeds from growing. □ Check exterior drainage. □ Clean out gutters. □ Inspect the exterior of your home. Look for soil erosion and add fill dirt/sod if needed. □ Inspect roof for damage, leaks and missing shingles. □ Inspect exterior walls including eaves for any cracks or holes where insects or critters could enter. □ Check seals around windows, caulk if necessary. □ Check for loose, warped or splintered boards on your deck/patio. Now is a good time to seal/stain if needed. □ If you stored your lawn furniture for the winter, bring it outdoors and give it a rinse or wash with a mild detergent. □ Go ahead and have a little fun! Plant seasonal flowers to add color to your landscape. Flowers that thrive in spring in North Texas are cosmos, marigolds, zinnias and pentas.