First American Title Chicago Metro Taking Flight Newsletter - Summer 2016

TAK I N G F L I G H T

S U M M E R 2016

A Quarterly Publication for the Chicago Metro Area in this issue

page

From the Top ............................................................... 1-2 Ask the Title Officer .................................................... 2-3 Best Practices ................................................................. 4 What's New at First American Title ......................... 5-10 The Practice of Marketing ...................................... 11-12 Items of Interest ........................................................... 13 Your Point of View ........................................................ 14

Visit us online at www.il.firstam.com

F R O M T H E TO P...

By: Patricia Weinstein IL State Manager I am not sure if my attitude about people in general was a product of my upbringing or a personality trait. But in my life and over the length of my career, I have always felt that all people deserve respect, courtesy and dignity.

That is why I love that First American Title has worked so hard to recognize we should always place our “People First”. For those of you who have visited our offices, you may have seen posters or banners with those words in our offices. This is not just a slogan to management at First American Title; it is a commitment to putting our employees first and is an integral part of our culture.

Corporate leadership thinks of the employee experience as the interactions they have within the company that influence their performance from “hire to retire”. Positive employee experiences are vital to our company’s success. By providing employees with what they need to do their job to the best of their abilities, we empower them to deliver outstanding customer service that drives growth.

Our Illinois leadership has embraced this philosophy wholeheartedly.

On corporate, regional and state levels we have a myriad of training programs employees are encouraged to use. We have multiple online training programs employees can access. These courses offer anything from using our operating systems more efficiently; understanding rules and regulations that impact our business in title or settlement services and how to interact on a higher level with our customers and each other. We have multiple classes on diverse cultures that give us help on understanding their needs and preferences. We have classes on generational differences that enable us to recognize their approach to a real estate transaction. Regionally, we have developed a new employee orientation program that gives a manager a checklist of all the items a new employee may need, customizing it to their job duties. Locally we provide classroom training for our employees. Some examples are the courses we gave all of our employees last year in preparation of TRID. We offer a weekly class during the “school year” months for staff wanting to understand title issues to a greater depth. We have had two classes for all staff over that last two and a half years on improving customer

©2016 First American Financial Corporation and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. | NYSE: FAF | 15121640816 First American Title Insurance Company, and the operating divisions thereof, make no express or implied warranty respecting the information presented and assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. First American, the eagle logo, First American Title, and firstam.com are registered trademarks or trademarks of First American Financial Corporation and/or its affiliates.

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F R O M T H E T O P. . .

ASK THE TITLE OFFICER

care. We train sales representatives on the latest technology to offer our attorneys, lenders and realtors to help them grow their businesses.

QUES T IO N

We do not stop at just the training to enhance job performance. We understand how important it is for employees to maintain a healthy life.

So we provide services and benefits in that arena as well. Like every large company we have the standard benefit programs we offer to employees, but we also have ways for employees to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles. Some examples are offering discounts to staff who want to join a workout facility and provide flu shots and biometric screenings in our offices.

We also invite employees to join a program that helps them get started on improving their diet and exercise regimens with monetary rewards.

What sort of survey do I need for closing?

We applaud the efforts employees make to serve the communities they work in. Locally, First American Title volunteers to help build homes for Habitat For Humanity every year. We have supported donations to local food banks particularly during the holidays as well as. We recognize staff who participate in various cancer walks, marathons and bike rides by putting their accomplishments on our Illinois internal blog sites.

Earlier this year, our corporate offices announced that the week of April 11th was focused on “People First”. We celebrated that week with a gift bag full of goodies like a polo shirt, umbrella and mouse pads all with the First American logo, catered lunches for all of our employees, a day where we handed out bags of candy and a card that said “How sweet it is…to have employees like you” and a jeans day where staff wore their new jerseys and we took group photos and posted them on our company blog pages.

In Illinois we have tried to show our appreciation all throughout the year.

We gave all of our people insulated lunch bags last summer when we were extremely busy and filled it with items we called our “End of Month Survival Kit”: bottles of water, energy bars, bags of nuts, candy bars, life savers and a pin that stated “You Make a Difference”. Later in the summer we held a company picnic where employees and their families joined us for food, games, children activities and raffle prizes. In the fall, we held our State of the State meeting where employees from all over Illinois joined in group meetings; breakout groups; listened to presentations focused on them and times to network and catch up with colleagues. We recognized outstanding customer care moments for individual employees and sprinkled raffle prizes throughout the day. We catered a Thanksgiving lunch for all of our offices in November and held an Employee Appreciation Banquet in January with a wonderful dinner, a DJ, dancing and a photo booth.

Throughout the year we allow employees to wear jeans to celebrate holidays, opening days for our favorite sports teams and the beginning of playoffs.

In multiple ways we want our employees to know how valuable they are to us, not just as an asset to the company, but because working with them is an honor and a privilege we try to celebrate every day.

ANS WER There are two primary factors to consider when ordering a survey. The first is whether the contract requires that a survey be provided, and if so, what type? The second consideration is what will the title company require in order to provide the coverage desired under the policy? Often, a purchaser or lender will require that a survey be provided by the seller or borrower, and will sometimes specify the type of the survey. However, in many cases, the insured or the lender will just request particular policy coverage, and defer to the title company as to what type of survey, if any, may be required to provide it.

There are two main types of surveys used for title insurance coverage: a boundary survey and an ALTA-certified survey. As the name implies, the primary focus of the boundary survey is to locate and disclose matters associated with the boundaries of the parcel.

“The purpose of a boundary survey is to establish or re-establish the extent of title lines, and to define and identify those lines so as to uniquely locate each lot, parcel or other specific land area in relation to well recognized and established points of reference, adjoining properties, and rights of way.” 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.56 b) 2). Other matters may be shown, but are not necessarily required, or may only be shown if requested by the client. The ALTA-certified survey requirements are more detailed and specific.

An ALTA-certified survey meets the “2016 Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys”, published jointly by the American Land Title Association (ALTA), and the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS). The purpose of these standards was to allow the various parties involved to “rely on surveyors to conduct surveys and prepare associated plats or maps that are of a professional quality and appropriately Continued...

Summer 2016 | PAGE 2

uniform, complete and accurate”, and which are “acceptable to a title insurance company for the purpose of insuring title to said real property free and clear of survey matters…” In short, the “ALTA survey” provides the information the title company needs in order to waive the general survey exceptions, and assures the company that if certain matters are not depicted on the survey, it is because those matters do not exist, and not because the surveyor either chose not to depict them, or they were not requested by the client.

For most title companies, the question of whether an ALTA survey is required is based on the nature of the property and the coverage required. With improved residential property, a boundary survey is generally sufficient. By “residential”, we mean a 1 – 6 unit building used entirely for residential purposes. Eight, 12 and 16-unit buildings don’t qualify as residential for survey purposes.

First American Title requires an ALTA survey with commercial (or “non-residential”) property. Commercial property is different from residential in several significant ways. The parcels are often larger, with significant portions unimproved. The location of easements and utility facilities are more varied and less predictable. There can be access easements, sign leases and easements, additional utility easements granted, etc. In addition, it is more common for a wider array of endorsements to be requested on commercial transactions, many of which are dependent on the additional information provided by an ALTA survey. Generally, ALTA 3.1 (zoning), ALTA 9 (for owner’s policies), ALTA 17 (access), ALTA 19 (contiguity) endorsements will require an ALTA survey.

Title companies also generally want to see an ALTA survey when the land is vacant. When reviewing a survey, one thing title examiners look for is evidence of possible utilities that may be below grade and not immediately obvious to the naked eye. There is a greater risk of unknown or undiscovered buried utilities when land is vacant, because the process of construction would usually uncover such facilities. With vacant land, the ALTA survey provides the clues which help to determine what, if anything, may be located below grade.

These are general guidelines, but every situation is different, and not all surveys are the same. As stated above, much of the detail that may be shown on a boundary survey is optional. Sometimes “boundary” surveys, for all intents and purposes, appear to have been prepared to ALTA standards. The only thing missing is the surveyor’s certification to the higher standard. In other instances, they are little more than a depiction of the exterior boundary. Most often, they are somewhere in between. Regardless of how much detail is depicted, one must keep in mind that when a survey is only certified to boundary standards, and there has been an error by which a particular feature is missed or omitted, the surveyor may assert the defense that such detail was not required to be shown, and that the title company should not have relied on it for that purpose. Nonetheless, a sufficiently detailed boundary survey may be acceptable in some circumstances where an ALTA survey would ordinarily be required. When accepting a boundary survey, however, for any purpose, residential or otherwise, the minimum requirements are: (1.) it must contain the statement “This professional service conforms to the current Illinois minimum standards for a boundary survey.” 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.56 b) 6) P); and (2.) Monuments or witness points must be located, or if necessary, set, for all accessible corners of the survey. 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1270.56 b) 3) D) and 6) I). Under this section, the requirement to set monuments or witness points may not be opted out by the client. This is consistent with the requirements of the Multi-Board Residential Real Estate Contract 6.1, paragraph 19.

Because the sufficiency of a survey is often determined on a case by case basis, it is always best to check with the title company early in the process to find out what level of survey will be required for your property and transaction. ALTA surveys are the default requirement for commercial and undeveloped land, and for the issuance of some endorsements, but are generally more costly and time consuming to prepare than boundary surveys, and in some instances that cost can seem unwarranted. A lesser survey might be acceptable in a given situation, or a recent existing survey may be sufficient. Having the discussion ahead of time avoids surprises at the closing and allows time to obtain a new or revised survey if necessary.

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B E S T P R AC T I C E S ...

Does the buyer have the right to reply on a 22.1 disclosure provided by the Management Company of the seller?

By: Attorneys Jeffrey H. Gottlieb and Samantha B. Gottlieb

Jeffrey H. Gottlieb 1415 N. Dearborn Street, Suite 6B Chicago, IL 60610

Samantha B. Gottlieb

I recently had a situation where I represented a buyer of a unit in a 14-unit condominium building. Under the attorney approval letter, I requested a 22.1 disclosure prepared by the condominium’s management company pursuant to 765 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. 605/22.1, and the letter I received from the management company stated that there were no present special assessments presently or contemplated in the next 2 years. Subsequently, one month after the closing, my client received notice of a special assessment for a roof repair which ended up costing him $20,000. The seller was the treasurer of the Association and he, along with all other unit owners in the building, were aware of the roof problem. The management company that issued the 22.1 disclosure also knew about the roof problem. In fact, prior to my client’s purchase of the unit, the management company had hired a company to test the roof, which was found with major structural problems, and was in the process of obtaining bids for the work, which was to be paid by a special assessment. The seller was well aware of all of this and that there would be a special assessment.

Subsequently, a lawsuit was filed against the seller and the management company that issued the incorrect 22.1 disclosure. The management company filed a motion for summary judgment, which raised an issue I never contemplated, that the 22.1 disclosure was only prepared for the seller, not the purchaser. In the brief in support of their motion for summary judgment, the management company referred to the case of Mikulecky v. Bart, 355 Ill. App. 3d 1006; 825 N.E. 2d 266; 2004 Ill. App. LEXIS 1476; 292 Ill. Dec. 10.

This case involved a special assessment in which the seller denied knowing about an incorrect 22.1 letter. The letter failed to mention a $2.7M window replacement, which was to be paid by a special assessment. This was a 200 unit condominium building. In this case, the appellate court sent the case back to the lower court to have a hearing as to knowledge of the seller of the proposed special assessment. The wording of their case was very interesting. The court went into the history of requiring a 22.1 disclosure so the buyer would have knowledge of all facts prior to the purchase of a condominium unit. The court stated that the purpose of the Act “is to encourage disclosure by the seller (emphasis added) of a condominium unit for the protection of the prospective purchaser.” The seller attempted to shift the responsibility to the Management Company or board of directors who issued the incorrect 22.1 disclosure. The Court stated that the Board or Management Company only has responsibility to the seller, because they are the only one that can ask for the 22.1 disclosure. Accordingly, the buyer would have no cause of action against the board of managers or management company.

In our case, the management company’s motion for summary judgment was granted. The holding in Mikulecky has never been overturned and is the current law of the state of Illinois. An appeal on this issue is obviously cost prohibitive for an individual purchaser, even though the issue of equitable estoppel could be raised. Once the management company was dismissed from the suit, it quickly settled.

The real take-away from this case is this: what is a purchaser’s attorney to do if they cannot rely on the 22.1 disclosure since, according to Mikulecky, it is only prepared for the seller? In my attorney approval letters, in addition to the 22.1 disclosure, I now ask for the right to talk to the management company to find out about purported capital expenditures and special assessments required in the next two years. Until the court addresses this issue, I see this method as the only way to truly protect my buyers and avoid this problem from happening again.

Mikulecky v. Bart_355III. App. 3d 1006

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AT F I R S T A M E R I C A N T I T L E ?

Offices on the Move From Left to Right: Chris Biring, Jenney Bell, Maggie Kumar, Lisa Kaiden

From Left to Right: Erin Corley, Donna Lindstrom, Cathy Wyatt, Valerie Salzbrunn, Kate Rehberg

First American Title’s Arlington Heights office recently relocated to 85 W. Algonquin Road, Suite 390. Our location may have changed but our commitment to providing the best Customer Care in the industry remains our top priority! Stop in for a tour when you are in the area.

The Aurora office moved to its new location on June 9th, 2016. Please make a note of the new address. 2363 Sequoia Drive, Suite 119. Same phone and fax numbers.

On the Move...

We are pleased to announce the newest member of the Chicago Metro Commercial Center team, Escrow Assistant, Tiana Ellis. Tiana will be based in our Chicago loop office, working closely with CMCC Escrow Manager, Dawn Bragg. Joining First American Title in 2012, Tiana has worked the last few years primarily with recording and tax payment services. Prior, Tiana worked in the mortgage industry where she gained experience and knowledge with real estate underwriting and closings.

Already well respected for her work ethic and knowledge, Ellis has developed solid relationships with co-workers and clients alike. Tiana’s favorite activity is spending time with family, her son is currently playing baseball and she loves watching. She is excited to step into this new role as she grows in her First American Title career.

In May, Anna Tlustochowska transferred to the Curative Department as a Title Examiner. She originally joined First American Title in 2012, working for the Eagle Services Department. Her previous experience was in the banking industry, where she had worked as a loan reviewer, internal quality control specialist and junior underwriter.

Anna is married with two sons and likes to travel and explore different cultures. She has visited some countries in Europe (Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Greece, Croatia) and some in North America (Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica). This year, she is planning on visiting some incredible places in the USA, including a couple of national parks. We congratulate Anna on her new position.

Debbi Nehls moves to Naperville…

Deb Nehls, Sr. Escrow Officer, has been a staple in the Woodridge and Downtown Joliet offices for the past 4 years until April of this year. After Beth Duncan retired, Deb thought it was time for a change where she wasn’t traveling as much from office to office. She is a great addition to this busy office.

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Please welcome Jaime Meskauskas as the Escrow Officer in the Woodridge and Joliet offices. Jaime is very familiar with First American Title as she was a prior employee in the sales department before becoming a stay at home mom for her son and daughter. As of the last 6 months, you may have seen her working part time as a contract closer for us in the Will County area. Jaime enjoys running and painting in her free time. Welcome back Jaime!

She’s baaaack! Cookie Bain has rejoined the First American Title Family in Lake County as an Escrow Officer. Clients and co-workers alike couldn’t be happier to see her smiling face around the office again. Look for Cookie in the Gurnee or Vernon Hills office. Welcome home Cookie!

Dominic Thompson is our newest addition at the Westchester, IL office, joining our team as an Escrow Assistant this May. When he is not working he enjoys spending time with his family, including his dog Tara.

Dominic’s greatest hobbies are baking, organizing and planning - he thoroughly enjoys working with others to plan and execute events. He has a background in the banking industry, and looks forward to utilizing his experience to excel in his new position, in addition to kicking off a successful career at First American Title.

We welcome our newest Account Executive, Michael Stump, to the First American Title Sales team. Michael will be working with the Cook County Sales team out of the Loop office and is excited to continue his career with us. Michael graduated with a Business Management degree from DePaul University and began his career in title insurance in the commercial department of a competitor. Michael enjoys running and music and he lives in Chicago and relishes all that our great city has to offer! Please extend a warm welcome to Michael.

First American Title is pleased to welcome Peggy Bavilacqua back into the fold. Peggy started with First American Title in the Chicago Loop office in 1985 and quickly advanced to examiner before moving to the Joliet office. She currently resides in Will County with her 19 year old son. Peggy loves animals, spending time with family and friends, and most of all, the Chicago Cubs!

She is very excited to be back with us and working with such exceptional people.

Please welcome Beth Munson to the Joliet West office as a part time escrow closer. She worked as a closing officer for a competitor for many years, as well as working for a lender.

She lives in Naperville with her husband, two boys and two dogs. She loves cooking, reading and spending time with her family. She loves working in her garden and growing fresh herbs, especially this time of the year. She is very excited to be back in the title industry, after taking a break to become a stay at home mom. We are very happy to have her on our First American Title team.

Jenney Bell has joined the First American Title Family as an Escrow Officer in our Arlington Heights office.

Jenney’s 20+ years of industry experience include residential and commercial closings along with construction escrow services. Her in-depth industry knowledge, friendly personality and passion for providing outstanding customer care will all be assets to First American Title and our clients.

First American Title welcomed Rich Guban to the Cook County Sales Team this past January. Rich has an extensive background in sales, having worked at Motorola covering multiple States prior to joining the First American Title team. Rich also has considerable title insurance experience before his stint at Motorola. In his brief time here, Rich has already made a very positive impact on employees and clients! Rich enjoys family time with his wife Rose and two children, Alex and Olivia. He also enjoys hiking and drawing in his free time.

Please join us in welcoming back Melissa Clark to our Lombard office as Sr. Escrow Closer. She comes to First American Title with 25 years of extensive Commercial and Residential closing experience. She lives in Woodridge with her husband and 3 children and several cats and dogs. She enjoys watching her kids’ sporting events and spending her summers relaxing by the pool. She is an avid animal lover, a Halloween fanatic and is never one to turn down a good concert! Please stop in Lombard to say hello!

Every good sales team can use a little help now and then.

Bringing in Nick Simich to the Sales Team has provided just that. Nick was our summer intern last year. The skills he displayed in research, marketing, and social media have translated into a full time position as an Inside Sales Representative. He recently graduated from Concordia University with a degree in Marketing. We are very excited to have him on board and are confident that the expertise he brings will continue to enhance our efforts and grow our market!

We are pleased to welcome Abigail Tatum as a member of the First American Title Family. Abigail joins us as an Escrow Officer in our Vernon Hills office. She brings a wealth of customer service experience that further strengthens our commitment to providing the best Customer Care in the industry.

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Rising Up

Dawn Bragg was promoted to our newly created CMCC Escrow Manager position in June. She will remain based in the Chicago loop office. With Dawn in this role, we have a stronger, more focused approach growing our Chicago Metro Commercial Center. Dawn brings over 37 years of experience in the title industry and is our expert on closing commercial transactions. The First American Title family welcomed Dawn in 2000, where she successfully grew our Chicago-Hyde Park office prior to taking over the Chicago-Loop office in 2007.

David Robles was promoted to Field Manager of the Chicago Loop office in July. David’s career at First American Title began on Valentine’s Day, 1994. He started as a commitment typist before being promoted through the years to policy examiner, closer and later branch manager for 5 years. Always professional and customer focused, he has worked in 7 different First American Title offices all over Cook and DuPage counties throughout his 22 years, coming full circle back where it all began at the Chicago Loop office.

A Chicago native, David grew up on the north side. His goals are to stay active and travel when he can…oh, and he is a diehard Cubs fan. He brings with him strong relationships with co-workers and clients, along with the experience and knowledge to take our operations to the next level.

Barely a year into her new role as First American Title’s Vice President and Cook County Sales Manager, Lily Pope has brought the same determination, organization and enthusiasm to the position that she delivered when she was an Account Executive in the Loop. She has been a valuable resource to her team, providing motivation and mentoring. The work that she and her team have done has already produced significant results in Cook County, the most competitive area in our market. Lily has been recognized throughout her career as a natural leader by both peers and customers, and the experience she brings and leadership qualities will guarantee her continued success in growing our market in Cook County!

Employee Appreciation Week – People 1st Our annual Employee Appreciation Week was held April 11th thru the 15th. Throughout the week, team members competed in an office Scavenger Hunt, were treated to lunch, and given a “People First” goodie bag. This year’s Employee Appreciation Week was extra special as we celebrated our selection as one of Fortune Magazine’s 2016 - 100 Best Companies to Work.

From Left to Right: Ed Gonzalez, Cathy Badalamenti, Raquel Smith, Indrea Burrell, Bonnie Ashouri

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F I R S T A M E R I C A N N A M E D TO T H E F O R T U N E 10 0 B E S T C O M PA N I E S TO WORK FOR® LIST FOR THE FIRST TIME First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), a leading global provider of title insurance, settlement services and risk solutions for real estate transactions, announced today that the company has been named to the 2016 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® list, which is compiled by Great Place to Work®, a global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. It is the first time First American has appeared on the list.

“We’re proud to join this list of distinguished companies, but we’re most proud of our people. The integrity, commitment and teamwork they display day after day makes First American a special place to work,” said Dennis Gilmore, CEO, First American Financial Corporation. “We focus on putting our people first because it’s the right thing to do. It’s what we believe as a company, and as individuals. When you have people focused on others – on fellow employees, our customers, people in their communities – you win.”

WE WISH

On June 21st, we hosted an open house in our Lombard office celebrating the promotion of David Robles to the Chicago Loop Field Manager. Thank you to all that were able to attend and we wish David all the best in his new position!

From Left to Right: Attorney Dan McCormick, Attorney Paul Hawbecker, Attorney Deb Lifka, David Robles and Attorney Lynn Graham

From Left to Right: David Robles, Sue Graj, Attorney Dennis McNicholas

Lombard Staff from Left to Right: Lauren Askin, Brenda Semeniuk, David Robles, Sue Graj and Melissa Clark

From Left to Right: Dave Dominguez and Attorney Ted Lane

From Left to Right: Attorney Joan Brady, David Robles, Susan Graj, Lauren Askin, Attorney Christina Lass, Melissa Clark, Deb Nehls, Brenda Semeniuk, Susan Renaghan

From Left to Right: Attorney Barb Wheeler and David Robles

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At First American Title, we are committed to protecting your personal information.

A C C E S S I N G A S E C U R E E M A I L WITH FIRST AMERICAN TITLE

Have you received a secure email from First American Title? Are you wondering why we send encrypted emails instead of just sending you the information you need?

The answer is that we take our role very seriously. We routinely deal with private data in the course of our business and we have made the security of that data a priority.

HERE IS HOW TO ACCESS A SECURE EMAIL FROM FIRST AMERICAN TITLE At First American Title, we are committed to protecting your personal information.

Electronic transmissions that may include personal information will be sent via our secure email service and will require you to complete a one-time registration to access the secure email.

The encrypted email will contain the following message. Click the CLICK HERE link to open the message.

Alert! In order to serve you better now and in the future, First American has upgraded our Secure E-Mail system. As a result, all users will be prompted to register a user name and password the first time they access the new system.

You have received an encrypted Secure E-Mail form the First American Financial Corporation that may contain private and/or sensitive data.

If you have questions or concerns about this secure E-Mail Notification, please contact your First American representative.

Click here to read your secure message.

More Info

SO... We know it may take an extra step, but we appreciate your cooperation in fostering a secure business environment for you and all of our clients.

If you have not registered yet, you will be prompted to create an account and choose a password.

If you have already registered, you will be prompted to sign in.

Any replies will be sent securely. However, the system will only allow you to send messages to email domains included on the original email. Sending to other domains will result in an error and those domains must be removed before the message can be sent.

ARE YOU HAVING TROUBLE ACCESSSING YOUR SECURE EMAIL? - If your password is not working, try the Forgot Password link located at the bottom of the login page. You will be prompted to answer your security question and create a new password.

- If you have forgotten the answers to your security questions, please contact a First American Title representative. They can request an account reset on your behalf.

- Are you locked out of your account?

The system will unlock the account after three minutes.

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AT F I R S T A M E R I C A N T I T L E ?

Our People First Recently, Future Escrow Officer, Audrey Hamner, was under the weather and her Mom, Elizabeth Hamner, was tied up with month end closings. Did anyone panic?

Nope. North Suburban Area Manager, Chris Poulsen, called in reinforcements - his wife Lisa. Lisa has over 20 years of baby holding experience and it showed as Audrey was kept comfortable until the last disbursement was made.

When we say we put our People First, we mean it!

2016 Illinois Land Title Association Convention L to R (front row): Scott Mrozek, Stacy West, John Hollenbeck, Mojca Anaya, Ryan Pettengill L to R (back row): Phil Stein, Pat Weinstein, Heather Schuette, Marty Cann, Kelli Winsky

At this year’s recent Illinois Land Title Association’s annual convention in Champaign IL, there was a heavy focus on fraud prevention and CFPB guidelines and interpretations. We were especially proud to have the current American Land Title Association (ALTA) President in attendance, First American Title’s very own EVP John Hollenbeck.

ILTA is a statewide organization providing valuable government advocacy for title underwriters and agents, in addition to coordinating education and industry networking. First American Title actively participates every year in ILTA, this year was as important as ever as our title industry navigates through always changing regulations. Both First American Title and ILTA share a priority to protect the consumers when buying and selling real estate.

Main Street Organization of Realtors Golf Outing

Front L to R: Ryan Pettengill and Amanda D’Anna

First American Title was proud to help sponsor the Main Street Organization of Realtors (MORE) 2016 annual golf outing. The event was held on Wednesday, June 15th at the Village Greens of Woodridge. Despite the hot and muggy conditions, the crowd enjoyed a round of golf and networking with their peers. Kudos to MORE for organizing this very successful outing!

E ARNING THEIR E ARS In mid-April, under bright blue skies and unseasonably warm temperatures, 5 members of the Illinois Direct Division (Ron Ogorek, Maggie Kumar, Sue Graj, Tenishia Valentine and Marty Cann) joined 46 fellow employees from across the country at the Disney Institute in Anaheim, CA. They actively participated in a 2-1/2 day seminar on ”creating and sustaining a culture of excellence,” principles that have proven to be very effective for the Walt Disney Company. In addition to the usual “classroom” lectures and workbooks, participants were sent out into the field (in this case, the two theme parks, Disneyland Resort and California Adventure) to find examples of Disney’s 5 core areas--Brand, Leadership, Culture, Service and Innovation-and how “overmanaging” and being “intentional” all work together to deliver sustained business results. Want to know more? Track down any one of these individuals, and they will be more than happy to tell you more about their experiences and what they learned from this great opportunity!

Front L to R: Ron Ogorek, Maggie Kumar, Mickey Mouse, Sue Graj, Tenishia Valentine, Marty Cann

Did you know?

Interested in joining one of Fortune Magazine’s 2016 - 100 Best Companies to Work For? First American Title is always on the lookout for top talent

First American Title now offers encrypted flash drives as a convenient alternative to paper copies of your closing documents. Just ask your closer and they will be happy to accommodate!

Please visit http://careers.firstam.com/ for a list of current openings.

Summer 2016 | PAGE 10

The Practice of Marketing By: John Reinwald, Social Media Manager First American Title

How Law Offices Can Use Social Media to Develop Brand Awareness and Generate Growth Almost every American is involved with one or more social media websites. This is why social media platforms are essential to law firms and other professional services. Communication through these channels enhances interactions with clients and colleagues. Since law firms sell intangible services, social media is the perfect tool to showcase writing and discuss ideas. Through posts, clients receive a better sense of value. It is important to understand the best ways to use social media to develop a law firm's brand awareness and increase its growth.

Social Media Listening LinkedIn is considered the world's largest professional social media network. It is the platform that allows lawyers to contact or establish connections with outside counsel and join groups that deal with legal specialties.

To be proactive and to keep abreast of trends and new case developments, it is wise to create a dashboard for every client.

This makes it easy to monitor important topics and relevant issues. Many times, this can help attract new clients who require services that match the firm's specialties.

Besides performing basic social media monitoring, it is vital to use broad listening to benchmark a firm's voice so that it dominates the competition. When lawyers have a grasp on what other firms are doing, they can adjust their ways so that they better relate to potential clients.

Track Public Opinion Public opinion is crucial, especially when a lawyer is working an important case. For instance, blog posts and other social media platforms are helpful when fighting a class action lawsuit. Wide social media listening helps a firm read public sentiment and release information that turns public perception in its favor.

Broaden Internet Searches Google is the most common search engine used to monitor cases and to remain informed about clients. However, its results often omit a large amount of useful information. A law firm must broaden its social media listening so that it has access to more sources of data. For example, uberVU via Hootsuite is a simple tool that connects users with international newswires, business network sites, digital footprints, and industry trends.

Gather Data There are a number of ways social media can help lawyers. For example, an attorney can use LinkedIn and other legal blogs to connect with qualified lawyers who are interested in joining his or her firm. Also, clients who use social media will be able to evaluate a particular firm and become informed about its specific legal practices, which heightens brand awareness. In the same manner, a firm can quickly learn about a client's background and uncover how public opinion may impact certain cases.

Use Social Media Searches to Support Litigation Social media platforms are filled with information that may help a lawyer during jury selection. By tracking social media activity, an attorney can investigate the backgrounds of possible jurors.

Also, social media makes it easy to uncover evidence and discredit witnesses. YouTube and Facebook are just a few places where individuals post private information that may be pertinent to a legal trial. When a lawyer uses this information in his or her favor, it is possible to increase a winning record, which helps a firm grow.

Social media can help a law practice develop brand awareness and generate growth. Besides using these platforms for marketing purposes, attorneys must perform social media listening to win cases and to recruit top talent. This will set a firm apart and keep it ahead of the game.

Summer 2016 | PAGE 11

The Practice of Marketing (cont.)

Social media can give Realtors networking resources to be successful in competitive markets Guy Kawasaki, the world-famous marketer and chief evangelist of Canva, believes that social media may be the tool that many real estate agents need to take their sales to the next level. Through smart keyword research and dedicated social media marketing, Realtors will be able to consistently increase their earnings to emerge as leading agents in a saturated housing market.

While many Realtors already use social media, they often do not apply the charisma, personal traits, and business skills that make them successful. Fortunately, Kawasaki believes that these agents who have adopted social media are only a few steps away from transforming their Facebook and Twitter accounts into powerful tools that will drive sales. With a balanced and carefully planned strategy, Realtors can increase their access to the market.

Kawasaki suggests that "a good framework for agents is to think of social media as steroids for word-of-mouth reputation building". In other words, posts on social media accounts are prime opportunities for branding and trust-building.

To make the most out of social media marketing with limited time, Guy Kawasaki suggests that real estate agents follow seven golden rules.

Be Useful On sites like Reddit and Twitter, users have grown increasingly hostile to people who shamelessly advertise their products.

Kawasaki says that "value comes in the form of information and assistance". To truly gain the trust of the community, agents need to post content that will help consumers; posts like "buy this 4-bedroom house" simply won't make the cut.

Realtors should focus on posts that inform their readers about tips and secrets that will help them enjoy living in certain conditions. For example, consumers who live in the desert may appreciate hearing about beautifying their properties with rock gardens instead of lawn care advice.

Target the Local Audience it is important for Realtors to understand that the Internet is a massive place, and they need to make sure that potential buyers can find their content. To engage local audiences, Realtors should tag local businesses in posts if they're relevant to the content. The owners of these businesses may even mention the agent when someone talks about buying a new home in their establishments.

Realtors can also benefit from participating in the community.

When attending community events like concerts and festivals, agents should post about their experiences. This will build an element of trust between members of the community and the agents.

Share Existing Content Busy real estate agents may not have the time to carefully craft thoughtful blog posts that inspire others. While it is a great idea to build an audience with a blog, it is perfectly fine to curate howto articles and posts from reputable sources. Slate, Lifehacker, and the Huffington Post are excellent sources for finding content that readers will appreciate.

Don't Be Too Ambitious Since there are numerous social media platforms available to use on the Internet, many Realtors make the mistake of biting off more than they can chew. They often create accounts on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and several other platforms with the expectation that more accounts leads to more sales.

Instead, agents should use one or two social media platforms.

Kawasaki suggests that real estate agents can optimize their success with Facebook and Instagram. He states that Realtors should "just post good stuff on Facebook and great pictures of interesting properties on Instagram".

Don't Hire a Professional A single real estate agent does not need a professional blogger or social media expert. With just 30 minutes per day, any Realtor can create posts that will improve their marketing and branding efforts.

Never Buy Friends It's obvious that nearly everyone on social media platforms wants more followers. Because of this, there are several ways to buy followers. If an agent wants to be taken seriously, he should never resort to paying for people to read their posts. Not only does this unnecessarily cut into budgets, but it is easy to recognize users who have not earned their followers through engaging posts.

Create Regular Content Goals It takes regular practice for Realtors to become habitual users of social media. Kawasaki suggests that agents start out with the goal to post one or two posts per day for two months. Once this period ends, agents can decide whether or not to increase their volume of daily posts.

Summer 2016 | PAGE 12

Items of Interest

Is Someone Pretending To Be You and Communicating With Your Customers?

We have received numerous reports from attorneys and title agents around the country about fraudsters impersonating parties to a transaction and attempting to steal money from unsuspecting consumers and lenders. Although you have been hearing from us on these issues for over a year now, please realize that the threats have not lessened and are not going away.

Just in the last couple of weeks: - An attorney called their local First American Title office and reported, “I have a closing coming up and, like I always do, I have communicated with my client via email about how they are to provide required funds for closing. After exchanging emails, it was decided that they would bring a cashier's check to closing. Unbeknownst to me, my clients subsequently received another email that LOOKED like an email from my office - it even had my letterhead! The email instructed my clients to wire the funds for closing to a new account and provided wire instructions. Just by chance, my clients were confused about how to complete the wire, and called my office to ask about it. Thank goodness! We quickly figured out that a fraud was being attempted and caught it before any of my clients’ funds were lost.”

- A title agent called her underwriter in a complete panic. She received a call on a Monday from the bank that holds her escrow account letting her know that it was overdrawn. The last week had been a busy one, but the agent was sure that all had gone smoothly. After going over her account records, she realized that one of the lender funding wires from one of the closings conducted last week never made it into her account. When she contacted her lender client she was told the lender had received ”her” email notifying the lender of a change in wire instructions for her escrow account. The agent hadn’t sent any such email, and in the flurry of closings during a busy week, she hadn't verified the receipt of each and every wire, especially since this lender had emailed her indicating that the wire had been sent.

In both cases, cyber criminals hacked into an email account of one of the parties to the transaction and monitored email traffic about the closing. At the right time, the fraudsters created “spoof” emails that appeared to be from the attorney and agent and had communicated with clients and customers in order to misdirect closing funds. How can you protect yourself and your clients?

One way that we know can help: CONSIDER HOW YOU PROVIDE YOUR WIRING INSTRUCTIONS TO YOUR CLIENTS AND CUSTOMERS! Across the country, customers have decided to provide wire instructions via hard copy only- and with a notation on that hard copy that states essentially, “ If you receive an email or any other communication that appears to be from my office and that contains new, revised or altered bank wire instructions, consider it suspect and call our office at a number you trust. It is extremely unlikely that our bank wire instructions will change.” No matter how you get the message across to your clients, let them understand that if anyone tells them how or where to send their money, those instructions need to be confirmed by a phone call to your known phone number- NOT by email.

Items of Interest The City of Joliet now requires a Water/Lien Letter to obtain the Joliet real estate transfer stamp. The Water/Lien Letter request must be received by the City at least 4 business days prior to closing.

1. T his Water/Lien Letter expires within 4 business days of the date of the final water meter reading date as listed at the top of the completed Letter (4 days includes the meter reading date).

2. R ecording multiple deeds will require a separate Water/Lien Letter for each stamp.

3. If requesting First American Title obtain the Joliet stamp, this completed Water/ Lien Letter must be brought to closing and be dated within the 4 day period.

For more information, visit www.cityofjoliet.info Departments · Customer Services · Real Estate Transfer Our Municipal Transfer Stamp Requirements Listing has been updated and may be obtained by visiting, www.il.firstam.com, Forms & Documents.

Items of Interest

Recording Documents in Cook County – 10 PIN Limit Is Being Enforced Cook County Recorder of Deeds (CCRD) is not accepting documents for recording which contain more than 10 PINs (Parcel Index Number) within the individual document. If a property legal description contains more than 10 PINs, please create multiple documents and split the legal descriptions, PINs and addresses so that no more than 10 PINs appear on any individual recordable document. It appears individual municipal stamps, Chicago water certifications, etc... will be required for each individual deed.

Failure to comply with these requirements may prevent the Cook County Recorder from recording the document.

Information related to this requirement may be found on http://cookrecorder. com/faqs/ under the RECORDING BASICS section, 3) Basic Recording Content Requirements. Although it doesn't appear to be a new requirement...it does appear CCRD is now reinforcing it.

Questions may be directed to ROD.support@CookCountyIL.gov, 312.603.5050 Summer 2016 | PAGE 13

First American Title offices will be closed

Monday, September 5 th in observance of Labor Day.

What’s your Favorite App? Your Point of View…

Laura Joos, Paralegal

Michael B. Weinstein

Brian Benton

Ottosen Britz Kelly Cooper Gilbert & DiNolfo, Ltd.

Pulaski Bank

Quinn, Meadowcroft and Makula

My favorite app is Gas Buddy.

No matter where I am, I can find the most reasonable place to purchase my gas, and it’s free.

440 W. Boughton Road, Suite 200, Bolingbrook, IL 60440

303 North Main Street, Elburn, IL 60119 My favorite App is "Sky Guide" for the IPhone. This App has a built in compass that allows an individual to easily locate planets, constellations and other celestial objects. This App is perfect for anyone who is interested in Astronomy and, most importantly, it's free!

My favorite app is Gas Buddy.

No matter where I am, I can find the most reasonable place to purchase my gas, and it’s free.

Anna Slater, Title Examiner

Meagan Dunn, Title Officer

Patricia Neuman, Title Officer

First American Title, Warrenville, IL

First American Title, Warrenville, IL

First American Title, Warrenville, IL

My favorite app is “Mint”. It’s an app that allows me to view all of my financial accounts in one place and I can track my spending.

My favorite app is Spotify. Why? Because I love to listen to music, especially new stuff that might not be on the radio yet.

Mine is Waze. It helps me get to where I need to be, gives me alternate routes if there is heavy traffic and alerts me of hazards and police and it’s free.

Summer 2016 | PAGE 14

Looking for a form or document?

Check us out on-line! Go to: www.firstam.com/title/il/documents/index.html We have‌ Our current rate card and branch location list | Affidavit of Title | Bill of Sale | Wire Instructions | HOA Request Letter | Warranty Deed | HUD BSCA Addendum Just to name a few!

We would love to hear from you!

If you are interested in submitting an article to be considered for our newsletter, please contact your First American Account Representative.

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Please send your email address to: takingflight.il@firstam.com if you would like us to send you a copy of this newsletter to your inbox.

Summer 2016 | PAGE 15

Illinois Summer 2016 Taking Flight Newsletter (REV 08/2016) Š2016 First American Financial Corporation and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. | NYSE: FAF