At Hollerbach & Associates, when we say that We Know Texas BetterTM, it's more than just a catchy phrase — we mean it. With our large network of Texas professionals and our 35 years of experience in title researching, how could we not? The truth is that Texas's 254 counties, with their broad variety of record-keeping practices, make title research a tricky beast to tackle — and that's why you need a company that knows Texas better.
Effective at midnight on March 24th, Hollerbach & Associates, Inc. will not be accepting visitors at our San Antonio location. We are in compliance with San Antonio Mayor Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Wolff's "Stay Home, Stay Safe" orders issued on March 23rd requiring limited travel March 25, 2020 through April 9, 2020. However, please be a...
As you know by now, the sky is falling on the mortgage industry. It has been for a few years. Nobody’s borrowing. Fewer still are lending.
But I have a secret to share. They will be borrowing (and lending) again soon. And when they do, you’ll see more business than ever in Texas. Why, you ask?
It’s hard to believe that Hollerbach & Associates opened its doors for the first time almost 3 decades ago. Now that makes me feel old! In 1985, a 30 year fixed mortgage could run some borrowers over 12 percent. Countrywide had just gone public, and the industry was on the verge of a secondary market spurred down-cycle. “Freddy” and “Fannie” did not quite mean the same things that they do today.
I guess the moral of the story is that this is a cyclical industry. Good times are always followed by bad. Bad times will always come to an end. But if I‘ve learned anything in my first 25 years as owner of Hollerbach & Associates, it’s that good business happens when one works with good people. We’ll continue to work with, and seek out, good, honest people to deliver our products. And we’re confident that this is the approach that will see firms like ours through to the next “up-cycle.” After all, it’s worked for the first 25 years.
We read a lot these days about the “consolidation” of the real estate industry. Usually, that means that the big fish are gobbling up the little fish, and that’s a natural part of business everywhere. Technology and other processes are being used to improve efficiencies. From a positive perspective, that means working smarter in an industry with historically narrow margins. For the naysayer, that means jobs are being eliminated. Both are true—such is business.
We hear a lot every day from the national trade publications that the real estate industry is “consolidating.” It’s becoming a struggle for independent, local market title and settlement services firms to compete with larger national outfits. But is this the beginning of the end for the small, local shop? I’m here to argue that it isn’t. And here’s why.
Hollerbach & Associates will celebrate its 25th year in business by advocating for the historical courthouses of Texas. The firm will be promoting the Texas Historical Commission’s Historical Courthouse Preservation Program throughout the year. The program is designed to promote the preservation of the more than 234 historical county courthouses over 50 years old that make up a vital part of the state’s rich and diverse architectural and community history. This nationally recognized preservation program has turned the tide of disrepair and deterioration in these courthouses, and won national recognition. “The Texas county courthouse has always been at the heart of the community,” said Jim Hollerbach, owner of Hollerbach & Associates. “The diversity and history from courthouse to courthouse are stunning, and really represent the same level of diversity and history displayed from county to county in Texas. We didn’t think twice when given the opportunity to promote this worthy program.”
Even in its 25th year of servicing the title insurance and mortgage lending industry, independent research and abstract firm Hollerbach & Associates continues to grow. One sign of this progress is the firm’s retention of title and mortgage industry marketing consultancy, True Impact Communications (www.trueimpactcommunications.com). Principal Brian Rieger has worked with numerous mortgage and title companies nationwide, including national title insurers, title technology firms, vendor management companies and title agencies. True Impact Communications will work to continue the growth of the firm by promoting its Texas-based expertise on a national level. Says owner Jim Hollerbach, “Just as Hollerbach & Associates understands the subtle nuances of Texas title research better than anyone, True Impact understands the subtleties of telling a corporate story to a national audience of mortgage and title insurance-related companies. It’s a natural fit.” True Impact will assist Hollerbach’s established team of marketing and design professionals to continue its consistent branding and marketing effort, while expanding the reach of the company’s story on a national level.