🐐Title Underground📰: National Security May Be Coming For Your Next Real Estate Transaction, Burning Deeds & Mandatory Mortgage Advice
This Week in the Title Underground (14-June-2026): A Rare Opportunity, AI Escrow Officers, Federal Staffing Shake-ups and Something Wickedly New
🐐 About Wicked Title | 🔍 Search the Knowledge Base | 📢 Be a Sponsor
👀 A Rare Public Sighting...
Confession:
For someone who publishes as much as I do, I don’t actually make many public appearances.
Most of my conversations happen through a keyboard. A newsletter. A guide. A late-night article written after I fell down some obscure title-industry rabbit hole and decided the rest of you needed to come with me.
But every once in a while, it’s nice to have an actual conversation.
That’s why I’m excited to join Sandi on tHERsdays with Sandi, hosted by Real Estate Closing Path, on June 18th at 11:00 AM EST.
And I’d love for you to be there.
No sales pitch. No webinar funnel. No “stick around until the end for a special offer.”
Just a real conversation about the things title professionals are dealing with right now—the challenges, the opportunities, the technology, the frustrations, and where I think all of this is headed.
If you’ve ever replied to one of my newsletters and thought, “I’d love to hear Cheryl’s take on that...” this is your chance.
If you’ve ever wondered what I sound like when I’m not typing furiously at my laptop, this is also your chance.
And if you’ve ever wanted to spend an hour hanging out with a bunch of title nerds who actually understand what you do all day, well... that’s probably the best reason of all.
🎙️ tHERsdays with Sandi | 🏡 Hosted by Real Estate Closing Path
📅 June 18 | ⏰ 11:00 a.m. ET | 📍 Join Here
💲 Free and open to everyone
I’d love to see some familiar names in the audience.
See you there,
Cheryl
🐐 Title Underground Top Stories
Brought to you by our friends, contributors & sponsors:🔒 Closinglock, 🌍 Foreign Tax CPA, 🪄Business Witch Academy, 🧱 Brickhouse Consulting, 🖊️Dotted Line Signings & Our Paying Readers
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Quick updates for Busy Brains
📄 Your Real Estate Transaction May Be Subject to a U.S. National Security Review - CFIUS isn’t just a defense-contractor problem anymore. Foreign investment reviews can affect transactions involving sensitive data, infrastructure, technology businesses, and certain real estate near military or government sites — and the problem may not show up until late in the deal if no one flags it early. For title agents, the play is not to diagnose CFIUS risk yourself, but to recognize the red flags: foreign ownership structures, commercial or land acquisitions near sensitive sites, infrastructure-adjacent property, and entity buyers tied to tech, data, logistics, energy, or telecom. When those ingredients show up, get counsel involved before the closing date becomes a hostage situation. Members scroll down for a list of red flags and next steps!
📄 New report calls for mandatory regulated mortgage advice for all first-time buyers - I’d suggest that mandatory title insurance advice and education for first time buyers would also be excellent industry wide policy. What do you think? Leave a comment on this post.
📄 What happens when a land deal is so corrupt that the state literally burns the deeds? 🔥In 1795, the infamous Yazoo Land Scandal forced the Supreme Court to answer a fundamental question that the real estate industry still grapples with today: Can a completed land transaction be undone if corruption is uncovered later? The resulting 1810 decision in Fletcher v. Peck established the bedrock of stability and finality that your chain of title relies on today. Catch the full story… ->
eXp’s acquisition of NextHome signals a major shift in real estate toward multi-model brokerage platforms. As the industry evolves, companies that offer flexibility, scalability, and stronger agent support will likely lead to the next wave of growth. Consolidation is no longer just about size — it’s about creating ecosystems that serve agents and consumers in multiple ways.
🧩 Don’t miss out…
The free edition highlights a few of the biggest stories impacting title & escrow right now — but the full version of the Title Underground goes much deeper into the operational, legal, market, and strategic shifts unfolding underneath them.
This week, members also explored:
📢 Something new coming just for paid subscribers to give them a unique edge in the industry.
🕵️♂️ The hidden scale of American’s pent-up housing demand and what the Strait of Hormuz has to do with your next closing.
⚖️ The legal and regulatory developments quietly reshaping liability, compliance operations, environmental risk, and data protection inside title companies.
🐐 About Wicked Title | 🔍 Search the Knowledge Base | 📢 Be a Sponsor
👀 Things Wandering Toward Your Workflow
New tools, vendor launches, and tech experiments making their way toward the closing table.
👀 Get on the Workflow Watchlist
The AI Escrow Officer Has Entered the Chat — HomeLight has launched EVA, an AI-powered escrow agent designed to automate many of the tasks required to close a residential transaction, from opening orders to pulling HOA documents and coordinating with lenders. Whether this makes you excited, itchy, or both, it’s a clear signal: AI is no longer circling the title and escrow process from a safe distance. It is walking right into the file.
🎟️Events
📅 June 15-18th | ⏰ all day | 📍 Phoenix, AZ
🎟️Economic Webinar: What comes next for the housing market?
📅 June 17th | ⏰ 2:00pm EST/7:00am PST | 📍 Register Here
The market has spent the last several years adjusting to rapid change.
What comes next?
Join Shandor Whitcher, economist at Moody’s Analytics, for a data-driven look at the trends expected to shape housing and mortgage markets in the second half of the year.
🎟️ALTA: Let ALTA Help You Build Your Talent Pipeline
📅 June 17th | ⏰ 1-2pm EST | 📍 Register Here
Discover how ALTA’s Internship Launchpad can help your company attract, train and retain the next generation of title professionals.
🎟️ALTA: Let ALTA Help You Build Your Talent Pipeline
📅 June 17th | ⏰ 1-2pm EST | 📍 Register Here
Discover how ALTA’s Internship Launchpad can help your company attract, train and retain the next generation of title professionals. This webinar will walk members through the customizable tools and ready-to-use resources available in the Launchpad, including onboarding guides, evaluation templates and branded materials. Register for this Data Trace-sponsored ALTA Insights webinar and learn how to build a structured, impactful internship program with less guesswork and more confidence, whether you’re starting from scratch or enhancing an existing program.
🎟️ Bankruptcy & Real Estate with Larry Young
📅 June 18th | ⏰ 11:00am EST| 📍 Register Here
🚨 Pennsylvania Realtors, Lenders & Title Professionals — this one’s for you!
Ever had a transaction where someone casually mentions bankruptcy… and suddenly everyone in the deal starts asking questions? 😅
Larry will break down:
✅ How bankruptcy impacts real estate transactions✅ Common pitfalls for agents, lenders, and title professionals
✅ What to watch for before closing day
✅ Real-world scenarios and best practices
📅 June 24-26th | ⏰ all day | 📍 Las Vegas, Nevada
Did your email cut off this newsletter? Be sure to read to the end.
💼 Job Postings: WFG Is Hiring: Your Next Title Adventure Might Be Here
Ready for a new desk, a bigger challenge, or fewer “reply all” emails? WFG currently has openings across title, escrow, underwriting, sales, leadership, marketing, and technology. Featured opportunities include:
Title Examiner - Virtual • Multiple Locations • Experience in WA, OR, NM, CA & more
Escrow Assistant — CA, AZ, NM
Escrow Branch Manager — Multiple Locations in CA
Agency Account Manager — TX
Escrow Officer — Arizona
Underwriting Counsel — Ohio
Division President — Colorado
Sales Representative — New Jersey
Graphic Designer - Phoenix, AZ
Azure Cloud Systems Engineer — Virtual/Irvine, California
Openings can change quickly, so review location, licensing, experience, and work-arrangement requirements directly in each posting. WFG’s careers page links to its live Dayforce job board.
Explore current WFG opportunities
💼 Place Your Job Posting Ad Here
Thank you to our friends, contributors & sponsors:🔒 Closinglock, 🌍 Foreign Tax CPA, 🪄Business Witch Academy, 🧱 Brickhouse Consulting, 🖊️Dotted Line Signings & Our Paying Readers
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