Kirsten Fionte – Hodge & Temple, PC

Just in Time for Spring, Welcome Hodge & Temple’s Newest Addition

February 6, 2018

Sepeideh Jahangard has joined the Hodge & Temple team for the upcoming Spring season! She is our fantastic new Intern who graduated in 2017 from the University of Georgia with a Bachelors degree in Political Science and International Affairs after completing a stint at Keble College at Oxford University. Sepeideh has returned to her hometown of Atlanta and we are delighted that she will use her talents to help all of our wonderful clients in the busy Spring market. Say hello next…

How To File For Homestead Exemption

January 30, 2018

Tips

January 1st is a very important date as a new homeowner. In all counties, if you are the property owner on record as of the 1st, you are eligible for a Homestead Tax Exemption if you meet certain criteria. Even though property taxes will not be due until later in the year, now is the time to apply and save money. PROPERTY TAX BILLS Unless you gave an alternative address prior to your closing, tax bills will be mailed to…

Protect Your Closing from Cyber Crime

February 14, 2017

Tips

Unfortunately, the real estate industry is not immune to cyber crimes. Tech-savvy criminals have found ways to infiltrate closing transactions and reroute funds to their personal accounts instead of the title agency. To ensure that you and your clients do not become victim to these devastating schemes, here are some tips to protect everyone’s best interest: Do not send wiring instructions to your clients! All wiring instructions will come directly from Hodge & Temple, or the lender in a secured…

February Newsletter

February 2, 2017

ALTA, Closings, Insurance, Regulations

What is new in the industry and with Hodge & Temple? Check out the February 2017 Newsletter!

Hodge & Temple Deemed Compliant with ALTA Best Practices

August 23, 2016

ALTA, Closings, Regulations

HA&W, LLP, a nationally-recognized tax, audit and business advisory firm has deemed Hodge & Temple compliant with ALTA Best Practices. Their ComplianceSuccess® Program assures lenders that a title agent or settlement firm meets the highest standards in compliance benchmarking, readiness and reporting across all seven ALTA Best Practice Pillars. To read more about their program and our compliance, please visit their press release.

Why Buy Owner’s Title Insurance?

January 12, 2016

Closings, Insurance

In spite of the detail that goes into the title search and examination when buying your home, hidden title hazards can emerge after closing. These hazards could include a forged signature on the deed which would mean the transfer of ownership is invalid, an unknown heir to the property who is claiming ownership, or even mistakes in public record. Owner’s title insurance offers financial protection for as long as you have interest in the property, and in the event that…

Refinancing and Owner’s Title Insurance

December 29, 2015

Insurance, Refinancing

When you refinance a property, you are acting in good faith that your new lending bank will transfer money to your original lender without any hiccups. But good faith won’t protect your money from any malicious activity. Atlantan Clark Howard asks the question, “what if the money is stolen while being wired from bank or bank?” The answer? Owner’s Title Insurance. In the article, “Why you need owner’s title insurance when you do a refinance,” Clark explains what Owner’s Title…

New Closing Regulations

November 3, 2015

Closings, Regulations

On October 3rd, 2015 new home closing policies go into effect. While they are in place to protect the borrower, the can potentially disrupt the selling – buying – move-in timeline. Instead of closing on the sale of an existing property and closing on the purchase of a new property in the same day, there is now a mandatory 3-day waiting period between the two.