Title News - September/October 2005

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September/October 2005 - Volume 84 Number 5

My ALTA®: See What’s New On The ALTA® Web Site

by Kelly Romeo

Several new features have been added to the ALTA® Web site to help you do your job more efficiently and interact more easily with ALTA®.

Now is a great time to visit the ALTA® Web site and explore. ALTA® leadership and staff have been working on dozens of new projects over the last year to enhance existing features and create new resources to benefit the membership.

The ALTA® Abstracters & Agents Section Executive Committee sponsored an Agent Visioning Group that met several times during 2004 and developed a set of proposals for the ALTA® Planning Committee and Board of Governors. Several proposals were approved and have resulted in the following Web site enhancements. When you have a moment, try out these new features and see how easy they are to navigate. Log in to My ALTA® and let us know what you think!

The Technology Hot Spot
This new feature, under the Technology section of the site, is designed to be a one-stop-shop for all of your technology needs. You can connect to technology articles from Title News and other industry sources, gain access to online technology training, and view a calendar of technology-related events. You’ll also learn about other organizations working on technology initiatives in the real estate and mortgage finance industry and access information and downloads for electronic data and document standards, which can be implemented to add efficiency to your operation.

ALTA®’s Online Classifieds
This section has been developed so ALTA® members can post business supplies and equipment for sale. It’s easy to list a product, add a description, name your price, and upload a picture. Weekly e-mails provide updates on the status of your listings, and it’s possible to designate another person in your office to be the contact for the listing. An online shopping primer is under development with links and tips about finding the highest quality and best deals online.

ALTA® Has Joined eBay
If you can’t find what you’re looking for in the Online Classifieds section, don’t worry! ALTA® has joined eBay as an affiliate, and you’ll find an ad with search fields built in for your convenience throughout the Technology section of the site.

Online Training Resources
LTI, ALTA®’s educational arm, currently offers a basic and advanced title industry Correspondence Course online for title industry employees. Employees read chapters, take their tests online, and receive their scores via e-mail. Other online training resources are in development. When your staff needs training in basic technology and applications, ALTA® will help guide you to excellent online training resources.

Members Only Resources
Additional technology resources and fresh approaches to sharing and publishing data have enabled ALTA® to provide several new features on the Web site, just for ALTA® members:

Members can view committee rosters, browse minutes, and access upcoming meeting agendas under “About ALTA®.” Click on ALTA® Leadership/Committees to access this information. ALTA® members can also easily register for conventions, and find searchable attendee lists for upcoming meetings in the “Meetings” section. In the “Publications” section, ALTA® members can read the current issue of Title News online. Under “Industry Research,” discover ALTA®’s hot-off-the-press Title Insurer Balance Sheets & Income Statements.

Updated Technology Products & Services Directory
The ALTA® Technology Committee has sponsored the Technology Products & Services Directory online for several years, recently adding the Business Products & Services Directory. The two directories are combined, and vendor contact information is linked to the ALTA® Membership Database for constant updates. Only ALTA® members in good standing are eligible for listing in the directory. Be sure to visit the directory and check out the ALTA® member companies listed when you’re shopping for Technology and Business Products & Services.

Kelly Romeo, CAE, is ALTA®’s director of technology, staff coordinator for the ALTA® Technology Committee, and liaison to the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization (MISMO). She can be reached at kelly_romeo@alta.org or 800-787-2582 ext. 224.