Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer
(ain’t happenin’ here!)

Commercial Transactions Update

To align with industry best practices, increase transparency and reward team members who are effectively and efficiently handling very large workloads, we have reorganized and revitalized the Safe Harbor Title Commercial Transactions Department!
We have implemented new technologies and software that will allow us to go almost completely paperless and allow us to deliver title and settlement products in a more timely manner.

We promoted Cindy Balsly and Anita Brown to Director of Commercial Underwriting and Commercial Underwriter & Training Specialist, respectively. Meanwhile, Virginia Duley received her title insurance license and has been promoted to Commercial Settlement Officer and Commercial Underwriter. Finally, Elizabeth Mauck has joined our team as Commercial Transactions Representative and commercial-underwriter-in-training. An organization chart showing our phenomenal Commercial Transactions Team is shown below.

Please join me in Congratulation Cindy, Anita and Virginia and in welcoming Elizabeth!



A Minute with Melissa…

This period of sweltering weather coincides with the year’s heliacal (“at sunrise”) rising of Sirius, the Dog Star. Sirius is part of the constellation Canis Majoris—the “Greater Dog”—which is where Sirius gets its canine nickname, as well as its official name, Alpha Canis Majoris. Sirius is the brightest star in the sky, not including our own Sun. In ancient Greece, Egypt, and Rome, it was believed that Sirius’s dawn rising in mid-to-late summer contributed to the extreme weather of the season. In other words, the “combined heat” of super-bright Sirius and our Sun was thought to be the cause of summer’s sweltering temperatures. The name “Sirius” even stems from the Ancient Greek seírios, meaning “scorching.” 

The Old Farmer’s Almanac considers the Dog Days to be the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11. These days occur soon after the summer solstice in late June, which also tends to be the beginning of the worst.

Folklore says, “the Dog Days are approaching; you must, therefore, make both hay and haste while the Sun shines, for when old Sirius takes command of the weather, he is such an unsteady, crazy dog, there is no dependence upon him.”

Ironically, we took this advice to heart at Safe Harbor Title! We’ve been working harder than ever preparing for days ahead. As mentioned above, we’ve made improvements to our commercial team, but our residential team has also been focusing on implementing best practices to make our approach to providing residential settlement services and title insurance better than ever! Our entire team is paying attention to how we can improve our methods of communication and time management skills. We are also concentrating on cross training so that we all have an opportunity to enjoy a summer vacation without leaving our clients in the lurch! 

I can’t express how proud I am of these remarkable women who I have the pleasure of working with and learning from everyday!

Happy Dog Days of Summer to you and yours!

xoxo,

Melissa