I don't understand your first paragraph at all:  "If you are a vendor manager then you are one of the ones keeping the work. The sourcing companies are not keeping the work...they don't want to do the work. That is not what their business is all about. So you are not getting the "crap" we are. "  What do you mean that I am one of the ones keeping the work?  I'm NOT keeping the work.  I farm it out to the abstractors in several states and do my own local counties myself.  I can assure you that I AM getting the crap you are because you're getting it from a lot of nationwide vendor managers.  I could name the companies but that's giving out a client list.  

And we are near the point where no abstractor is needed.  Just look into services like DataTrace.  If what you say is true, where's the work?  Where are all the 1 owner searches we had in 2000 and 2005?  They're gone forever and yet people continue to refinance and buy/sell homes.  So where's the work?  Technology has enabled a handful of people to do what used to take 20 abstractors an hour to complete. 

But this entire part of the discussion has occurred because you seem to think I don't WANT to raise prices.  Of course I do.  I explained why that isn't possible for most of us.  "Why haven't you raised our prices on residential searches in 20 years?"  Because my competitors haven't and because some of  those competitors are working for a few dollars out of India.  If a client wants to outsource because of price and throw quality to the wind, I can't stop them and I certainly can't stop them by raising prices.  Just to keep those that WON'T outsource takes everything I've got to give.  I think on some level you think I'm not the norm.  I assure you I AM the norm and I know that because the abstractors I send work to have not raised their prices either and I've worked with many of them for more than 15 years.  Supply and demand.

I'm sure Stewart is doing the same thing as all the other big companies:  doing the work in house or farming it overseas and that's why THEY can raise their rates.  I know this is a dying industry.  I said 12 years ago I wanted this to last just 10 more years.  I'm beyond the expiration date.  What will allow me to keep going is the work no one else can or will do.  THAT'S where my prices have gone up.

Finally, I believe you think a vendor management company is more like an employer that we actually are.  If my abstractors what to raise their rates, I accept that.  I change the software to reflect that.  I don't understand what you mean when you say "so given the fact that this isn't happening anymore [what isn't happening anymore?  We ARE getting work for originating companies -- usually larger vendor management firms] and they are keeping the orders in their business (huh?), is it us or the vendor management companies that they don't need?"  I don't know what you mean "and they are keeping the orders in their business."  The originating company also keeps it in their business so to speak; but they farm it out.  Just like a vendor manager.  And of COURSE abstractors try to go directly to the source and sometimes succeed.  But like I said, there are some big companies out there who'd rather have a handful of middle men and pay a 20% premium then have to deal with dozens or hundreds of individuals.  "After all, unlike them, we have all of the records, not them."  We have same records as anyone else.  I STILL don't understand what you mean.  I AM AN ABSTRACTOR.  I have the same records and go to the same Registers of Deeds offices as those I farm out to -- just in a different location.

TTFN (ta ta for now).  It's after 10 and I need to go to bed so I can get up at 5 and start another day of this.