Visalia
- One sign that the real estate market was in the doldrums was the
number of title companies that left the city two years ago.
Now, a positive sign is some are beginning to return.
Stewart Title, which closed its Visalia office in June of 2008 – when the market was in a nosedive – reopened that same office last week.
“It's time to do it. We needed to be here,” said Cathy Maxwell, area escrow manager for Stewart Title.
The office has reopened at 2439 W. Whitendale, Suite A. Karen Sigda has been brought back as branch manager and Courtney Rosenberger as the business development officer. The office employs two others.
Maxwell says the real estate market is good and getting better.
“Things are good. It's been real positive,” she said, admitting that real estate had slowed considerably by the middle of 2008, but is gaining strength today.
“There's plenty of business. We're excited to come back here.”
While Stewart closed its Visalia office, it kept open offices in Porterville, Hanford and Fresno.
At one time Visalia had at least six escrow offices and that dwindled to three before Stewart reopened. “There's certainly room for us,” she said.
The office even has the same phone number as before – 732-2000.
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