Inner peace is hard to find.

Easily the nation’s largest state at 663,300 square miles, Alaska is larger than the next three largest states (Texas, California and Montana) combined. That also means that the statewide recording fees, which are uniform, cover the largest array of land in the country.

Horace and Octavia cope with existential fears.

Throughout the state of Rhode Island, recording fees are scaled by the size (length in page count) of each security instrument (mortgage), conveyance instrument (deed), or other recordable sent to the county for recordation.

Sometimes the market is just meh.

Horace shares his strategy for keeping bad thoughts at bay during a long weekend.

Oregon is one of only a few states in which the title insurance rate is promulgated, meaning all title insurers are required to charge the premium rates set by the state or agency overseeing the regulated rates, and no discounting or variation from the promulgated rates is permitted.

Horace isn’t jazzed about the spring market.

It’s been said once or twice that the mortgage industry tends to “eat its young,” when it comes to development and mentorship. There’s not enough emphasis on recruiting or, especially, developing the next generation of thought leaders.