Alliant National is joining forces with Dream Finders Homes, one of the fastest-growing homebuilders in the country. This is an exciting announcement, and it was only possible because of the support of our agents. I’d like to take this moment to share what this means for our agents, and why we can all look forward to this new chapter together.
First and foremost, let me assure you that our mission remains the same: we are committed to independent title agents and the model that makes Alliant National special. Dream Finders recognizes the value in our independent approach, and our success because of it. They love what we do, and they want to help us do more of it.
Our partnership with Dream Finders is all about growth and new opportunities to better serve our agents. Through this collaboration, our team will gain access to additional resources and capabilities that will allow us to expand our reach and elevate the support we provide. Dream Finders shares our vision of building something enduring and impactful. 2025 marks Alliant National’s 20th year of operations, and in that time, our team has worked to place our relationship with you at the heart of everything we do. Our partnership with Dream Finders will help us strengthen those relationships. We are excited to supercharge our capabilities while staying true to our core mission and values.
In this time of transition, I would also like to acknowledge Presidio Investors, which acquired Alliant National in 2018. Their support facilitated our evolution and expansion over the last several years, and we are deeply grateful for everything we have accomplished together. I know change can sometimes feel unsettling, but I’m confident that joining Dream Finders will allow Alliant National to become an even stronger partner for you in the years to come.
Thank you for your continued trust and friendship. This is just the beginning of a new and exciting chapter for Alliant National, and I am honored to be on this journey with you.
Best, David and the whole team at Alliant National
LONGMONT, CO—(October 24, 2024) Alliant National Title Insurance Company and affiliate (“Alliant National”) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Dream Finders Homes, Inc. (“DFH”) (NYSE: DFH).
Presidio Investors (“PI”) acquired Alliant National in 2018 and has been instrumental in helping the company establish robust internal processes, expand geographic reach, improve operational efficiency, and drive technology innovation. In 2023, Alliant National created a leading fraud detection tool designed specifically to streamline the flow of a real estate transaction. This unique solution is fully customizable for title agencies and has robust AI-enabled fraud prevention capabilities. Meredith Moss, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, said, “Alliant National has continued to grow market share through top-tier service to title agents, backed by an innovative software platform and cutting-edge application of AI. Dream Finders’ announcement recognizes the value created by Alliant National’s distinctive approach, which prioritizes both relationships and technology.”
Chris Puscasiu, Managing Partner of Presidio, said, “It has been an exciting six-year journey to see Alliant National dramatically increase its footprint and develop tools to scale and to assist its customers. Despite the uncertainty during the pandemic and the recent housing market challenges, the Company’s continued investment in growth enabled it to be recognized as an innovation leader in its space, as this transaction illustrates. “
The relationships developed over almost 20 years with independent title agents have facilitated this exciting transaction. David Sinclair, President & CEO of Alliant National, said, “We are thrilled to become part of the Dream Finders ecosystem and envision an exciting future together. The collaboration of an innovative builder, strong title agency, and the Alliant National underwriting team will promote our long-term success and growth into a national real estate partner.”
The closing of this transaction is subject to regulatory approvals.
Alliant National, based in Longmont, Colorado, is a title insurance underwriter with more than 700 independent agents in 32 states and the District of Columbia. Alliant National is focused exclusively on the success of independent agents, as the largest underwriter in the country with no direct or affiliated operations.
It’s hard to believe that it has already been one year since Alliant National and our technology partners launched SecureMyTransaction in response to the urgent need for robust, scalable fraud prevention and identity verification tools. Over the last year, many of you have provided feedback on our service, and I am humbled by the stories I’ve heard about how SecureMyTransaction has helped defend against fraud. Seller impersonation, vacant property fraud, wire fraud, and deed and document forgeries are deeply damaging to our industry and the consumers we serve, and I sincerely thank you for your valuable input.
Thanks in large part to your help and support, I am proud to share two significant updates regarding SecureMyTransaction.
First, the American Land Title Association (ALTA) has announced today that SecureMyTransaction has achieved ALTA Elite Provider status. As part of that process, SMT was rigorously vetted as a provider and received recommendations from ALTA members. This designation is an important milestone and affirms SMT’s effectiveness in helping agents respond to increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes.
Second, we’re excited to announce that this week, SMT is being updated to include new features allowing you to customize the user experience with your branding, the branding of your real estate partners, and even lenders. This includes incorporating your logos, contact information, and messaging for a seamless, integrated ID verification experience that reflects your unique business style. With this added ability to customize the platform, SMT not only offers protection but also supports brand visibility and business growth.
We remain committed to growing and enhancing SecureMyTransaction, and your feedback will guide our efforts. You can also follow updates at SecureMyTransaction.com.
If you have thoughts or questions about SecureMyTransaction, please reach out to me or any member of our team.
The economy remains on track as we head into the closing months of 2024, with inflation subsiding under the Federal Reserve’s tight management and employment remaining surprisingly resilient, though softening in recent months.
On the real estate front, high interest rates and low inventory have stymied the industry, with new single-family home sales plunging 11.3% in May and existing sales falling to an annualized rate of 3.89 million in June, a two-month period that normally sees accelerated buying trends.
The hoped-for rate cuts by the Federal Reserve that might have given the market a boost in the coming months have not materialized, with Treasury Secretary Jerome Powell announcing on July 31 that the federal funds rate would stay put at 5.25-5.5% for the near term, while holding out hope that there may be some downward movement before years’ end.
“FOMC participants wrote down their individual assessments of an appropriate path for the federal funds rate, based on what each participant judges to be the most likely scenario going forward,” Powell said in his report. “If the economy evolves as expected, the median participant projects that the appropriate level of the federal funds rate will be 5.1% at the end of this year, 4.1% at the end of 2025, and 3.1% at the end of 2026. But these projections are not a Committee plan or any kind of a decision.”
In his comments, Powell acknowledged that while the Fed is not yet confident enough to pull back from their efforts to control inflation, reducing policy restraint too late or too little could have an undue negative impact on economic activity and employment. That fear seemed to come to fruition when the July jobs report came in weaker than expected, sending Wall Street into a tailspin on August 2nd as fears of recession escalated in the financial community. However, markets have largely recovered since that drop.
In a reaction to the U.S. Commerce Department report on Q2 GDP, MBA SVP and Chief Economist Mike Fratantoni acknowledged several components in the report indicating a potential slowdown for the economy but also pointed to positive signs in the recent inflation data that he hoped “would provide enough confidence for the Federal Reserve to cut rates in September.”
While that remains to be seen, consumer confidence, interest rates, home sales, and new home construction remain in limbo, subduing hopes for any substantial real estate boost this year.
Consumer confidence shows signs of improvement
Dana M. Peterson, Chief Economist at The Conference Board, said that consumer confidence increased in July but remained in a narrow range that has prevailed over the past two years. “Even though consumers remain relatively positive about the labor market, they still appear to be concerned about rising prices and interest rates, and uncertainty about the future; things that may not improve until next year,” she said.
Interest rates staying put
It remains to be seen if a slowing economy will kickstart a movement towards lowering fed funds rates in the near term, but interest rates have remained in the sub-7% range this summer after reaching 8.5% in October 2023. According to the Freddie Mac economists’ July outlook, interest rates are expected to stay above 6.5% through the end of the year. Fannie Mae is also forecasting interest rates to remain at 6.8% through the end of the year, falling back only slightly to 6.4% in 2025, leaving little hope for the recovery that was so optimistically anticipated at the outset of the year.
Home price growth could pull back
According to the July 2024 commentary from the Fannie Mae Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group, home price growth in the second quarter was stronger than previously anticipated but will likely moderate soon, closing 2024 and 2025 at annual rates of 6.1% and 3.0%, respectively. The CoreLogic HPI Forecast concurs, indicating in its July report that home prices are expected to rise only 3% on a year-over-year basis from May 2024 to May 2025.
New home sales soften, existing home sales improve slightly
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau, sales of newly built, single-family homes in June fell 0.6% to a 617,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate from a slight upwardly revised reading in May. The pace of new home sales is down 7.4% from a year earlier.
Jing Fu, NAHB director of forecasting and analysis, reported in July that new home inventory in June remained elevated at a 9.3 months’ supply.
“At the current building pace, there is still a long-run need for more construction because existing inventory remains relatively low,” he said. “Due to a lack of resale homes for sale, the combined inventory for new and existing single-family homes remains lean at a 4.7 months’ supply, according to NAHB estimates.”
After a lackluster May and June, pending home sales rose 4.8% in June, according to the National Association of Realtors, but the numbers remain low compared to past years.
Broader outlook murky
Across the board, economic and housing forecasts remain tentative and conservative, as economists keep an eye on a host of uncertain elements, including the volatility of the global economy, the Federal Reserve’s tight fiscal policy, a jittery stock market, and an era of consumer pessimism. However, should the Federal Reserve begin interest rate cuts in September as hoped for, many of these issues could ease considerably, opening the door for a more promising final quarter.
SecureMyTransaction from Alliant National is reshaping fraud prevention in real estate. Listen in as Alliant National Risk Management and Data Privacy Officer Tom Weyant, and Jerome Magana with Select Specialty Insurance, discuss how cutting-edge technologies and business insurance coverages work together to help you safeguard transactions, protect clients, and preserve your business.
VP, Risk Management and Data Privacy Officer CQA, CFE American Society for Quality (ASQ®) Member Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE®) Member d: 303.682.9800 x530 | c: 720.534.6235 e: tweyant@alliantnational.com