Blog Category

Epic News: Lender's Edition

Posted on Apr 19, 2021.

Lenders play a vital role in the closing process, and this past year mortgage companies and banks have been on the front lines of a changing industry. What challenges have lenders faced due to COVID, and how do they believe recent changes will affect the industry's future?

Kevin Lantzy of M&T Bank describes how the lending industry responded to COVID.

“As an industry, lending had to pivot, but suffered no loss of time or service," he said. "Inventory of homes is a challenge. We did a record number of pre-approvals for loans compared to prior years."

Other lenders note that overall they and th...

7 Tips for a Stress-Free Closing

Posted in General on Apr 12, 2021.

We understand that no two clients are the same and no two closings are the same. That is why we place a high value on training our staff to understand what makes closing day a success! The following tips will help facilitate a smooth transaction on closing day!

1. Review your contract to make sure your names are spelled correctly and the names match the loan application.

2. Understand the loan estimate from your lender, broker, and real estate agent.

3. Prepare for availability of good funds prior to closing. Funds should be payable to Epic Settlement Services, Inc. and in the form of a certifie...

Meet Our Trainer / Examiner – Franklin J. Fyalkowski, Esq.

Posted in Meet the Team on Apr 12, 2021.

Franklin J. Fyalkowski, Esq., also known as Frank, is a retired lawyer and title professional who helps train Epic Settlement employees to become Licensed Title Agents.

“I thoroughly enjoy retirement, and there’s not a lot of people who could get me to come back to work,” he explained, “but Lisa Peters Brown (owner of Epic Settlement) is the one person I couldn’t turn down.""

Frank’s history with Epic Settlement goes back a long time. When he was working for a national title company, it was his job to recruit agents. He would visit their offices, answer questions, and keep them up to speed wi...

Happy Birthday Epic Settlement!

Posted in General on Apr 05, 2021.

We know it’s hard to believe since Epic Settlement doesn’t look a day over 25, but the business celebrated 27 years yesterday!  

When Epic Settlement's owner Lisa Peters Brown graduated from college, she began her career with a law firm as a legal assistant. With plans to leave that job and attend law school, starting her own business wasn’t something she’d considered.   

“After college I worked for Farber Glantz and Johnson Law Firm,” said Lisa.  “When I gave them notice I was leaving they offered me an opportunity to partner with them in a title agency.”  

This was the first agency of its k...

25th Annual Watershed Cleanup Day

Posted in In the Community on Apr 05, 2021.

The Clearwater Conservancy is holding the 25th Annual Watershed Cleanup Day on Saturday, April 24th from 8:00 a.m. - 12 Noon. Since 1997, volunteers have prevented more than 6 million pounds of trash from entering our local waterways. The Conservancy is looking for volunteers to help make a difference again this year. Sign up today!

Meet Epic Settlement Processor - Rebecca Garis

Posted in Meet the Team on Apr 05, 2021.

Rebecca Garis is fairly new to the title industry, but she’s no stranger to learning something new and tackling the challenges put in front of her. The proud mother of two boys, and owner of over 45 animals in her lifetime, says she’s currently transitioning from a long career in healthcare to a new career as an Epic Settlement Processor.

“In healthcare, I started as a wage payroll employee and worked my way to management,” she said.

While Rebecca notes there are many differences between the two careers, some things are similar.

“In at least one respect, Title is a lot like healthcare - be pr...

Meet Our Processing Manager - Jane Haranin

Posted in Meet the Team on Mar 29, 2021.

Jane Haranin has come a long way since leaving the 3,000-acre sheep farm in Australia where she grew up. After stints as a cruise director and an English teacher in Japan, today, Jane is the Epic Settlement Processing Manager. 

 “At age 17 I went on an exchange program to Japan,” said Jane. “When I returned to Australia, I studied at Flinders University and then obtained my post-grad at James Cook University.”  

After school, Jane began her career as a Cruise Director on a boat called the Proud Mary. For three years she cruised the Murry River.   

She then decided to return to Japan to teach ...

Flexibility is Key in a Changing Title Industry

Posted in General on Mar 29, 2021.

As many of our readers know, real estate closings traditionally happen during regular business hours. This is because mortgage companies, regular taxing authorities, and courthouse recording departments are open then and can be available for last-minute questions.

As we also know, though, the real estate industry is active 24-7. A title company needs to be flexible to help facilitate closings.

“Being flexible for our clients has always been a priority,” said Lisa Peters Brown, Owner/President of Epic Settlement. 

Early morning, evening and Saturday hours are available by appointment, and mail...

Title Business Changes Benefit Consumers 

Posted in General on Mar 22, 2021.

by Tim Fleming, Esq.

Tim Fleming, Esq. has been of Counsel with Epic Settlement for the past 11 years.

I started my legal career over 43 years ago when I joined the Syracuse law firm of Hiscock, Lee, Henley and Barclay in 1978 as a title examiner in their real estate department. At that time, abstracting companies performed title searches only, and left the business of title examination, title approval, and real estate closings to attorneys and high-priced law firms.

Of course, today, all of that has changed for the better of the consumer by streamlining and delegating duties and responsibilit...

EPIC Response to COVID-19 

Posted in General on Mar 15, 2021.

Having been in business for almost 27 years, you’d think Epic Settlement had seen it all. However, the arrival of COVID-19 in March of 2020 was proof to the contrary. 

Most people vividly recall where they were when the order came for all non-essential businesses to close. While this sounded simple, it quickly became clear businesses would have to come up with new ways of doing things they normally took for granted.  

Epic Settlement closed its offices, moved files home with processors, and relied on its advanced IT cloud service to keep things moving.

“I spent the better part of the first sta...