Hello everyone, <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

I saw the topic and thought it a fitting end to my own interest in Title Insurance.

This is going to be my last post on the subject because I have asked this very question every hour of every minute of every day for the last seven years.

I have seen this industry take a good Christian and make him a thieving monster. I have seen it treat life long dedicated professionals as senile old relics of a trade long gone. Long gone is the intellect, long gone is the honor, long gone is the training and dedication. I personally would take a seasoned title professional’s opinion over most attorneys any day and twice on Sunday. No offense Kevin or Robert, but I’m sure you get my meaning.

From being called a rip-off to an unnecessary process in the Real Estate transaction, I think I have had enough. When major publications refer to Title Insurance as the biggest scam of all time, I believe I have had enough. When company after company falls and succumbs to, “the list”, I think I have had enough.

This past year when I gave testimony to a new Ohio Bill addressing Title Insurance, I truly believed it was my chance to make a difference and not just speak the rhetoric. I spoke up, I said my peace, I presented my title “evidence” of the deficiencies in our current industry. I spoke, and was made mute by my own Association charged with making sure my voice was loudest. It only looked brazenly into my eyes and laughed at my youth and idealism. The very individuals sent to be our voice, spoke in whispers when the doors were closed and we were in turn given a bill worth little more than what it was printed on.

One great thing came of this experience for me though. One thing I have sought since being in this family business. I earned the respect of my father, or so I think I have. I told him what I did and how I stood up to our Association and told the truth. If you knew my father or grandfather or brother even in passing you would understand what it is for me to earn their respect in this business. Their shoes I could not have dreamed to fill, but I tried. I believe that is all I was required by them to do to earn their respect.

To hear the impassioned debate about real property law between my father and brother would make anyone’s goose bumps rise. Now it’s a shake of the head and a heavy silence. We are all to blame for what has happened. When we started giving a little more of our knowledge away a little bit cheaper to keep our client. When we made that bid for new business for less than what we knew it was worth. That feeling in your gut when you made that choice was your message for “where the industry is headed.”

The industry is headed right where the major title companies have always planned it to be; into the databases to be retrieved, collated, purged, organized, indexed and served up on a silver platter all for a small sum of course. All of your work for those large companies doesn’t go into a file to be tuck away for whatever statute is required. It’s indexed so that you won’t be needed next time around. A simple indemnity will take care of any pesky defects. After all title insurance is all about acceptable loss now. If I gave you 7 billion dollars would you give me back less than 5% in exchange? Of course you would.

If you are asking where the industry is headed, it just passed you by.

Good Luck to all of you.