First Integrity’s monthly newsletter, keeping you connected to your company and coworkers.
BIRTHDAYS
JILL REMIGIO
FEBRUARY 1ST
JERRY SPAETH
FEBRUARY 4TH
NICOLINA BONICELLI
FEBRUARY 5TH
ENEIDA HARMENING
FEBRUARY 8TH
OMMAR SANTOYO
FEBRUARY 9TH
REBECCA STRANG
FEBRUARY 12TH
DAWN ALEXANDER
FEBRUARY 13TH
ANGELA CASTRO
FEBRUARY 13TH
PAMELA GIARRATANO
FEBRUARY 20TH
MICHELE MARKHAM
FEBRUARY 20TH
DENICE WILLBRANDT
FEBRUARY 22ND
MICHAEL JENNEY
FEBRUARY 23RD
JAZLYNN PARRA
FEBRUARY 23RD
DANIEL RIDDELL
FEBRUARY 27TH
LISA SIGMUND
FEBRUARY 27TH
JOHN WALLACE
FEBRUARY 27TH
We have a variety of new post card designs available for both print and mail or digital! All post card designs can be found on our website or by emailing marketingsupport@firstintegritytitle.com!
INDUSTRY INSIDER
The American Land Title Association (ALTA) has released its 2025 Market Outlook, offering key insights and projections for the real estate and title insurance industries.
Key Highlights:
Housing Market: The National Association of Realtors forecasts a 9% growth in home sales, signaling a robust year ahead. Meanwhile, the Mortgage Bankers Association predicts a slower economic trajectory through 2027.
Mortgage Trends: A projected 28% rise in mortgage originations to $2.3 trillion is expected in 2025, driven by favorable conditions.
Commercial Real Estate: Banks are gearing up for a rebound in CRE lending, with nearly $6 trillion in outstanding CRE mortgage debt in the U.S.
Inflation Expectations: Consumers anticipate higher inflation alongside economic improvements, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Office Market: Positive absorption of nearly 10M square feet suggests stabilization in the office real estate sector.
Stay Safe Online: Protect Yourself from Spear Phishing
Spear phishing is a targeted form of cyberattack where criminals use personalized messages to trick you into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords or financial details. These emails often appear to come from trusted sources, making them harder to spot �
Here’s how you can protect yourself:
1. Verify Senders: Double-check email addresses and URLs—even if they look familiar
2. Think Before You Click: Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from unexpected or suspicious emails
3. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Add an extra layer of security to your accounts�
4. Report Suspicious Emails: Forward phishing attempts to your IT or security team immediately�
Staying vigilant is your best defense. When in doubt, trust your instincts and verify!
A NEW ADDITION TO THE FITCO FAMILY!
We’re thrilled to share some wonderful news!
April Guzman welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world last week! We’re happy to share that Siena Marie arrived on February 6, 2025, weighing 6 lbs 14 oz and measuring 16 inches long
Both mom and baby are doing well, and April has given us the okay to share this special moment with the team. Be sure to send your congratulations her way!
VALENTINE’S STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE CUPCAKE
compliments of: Jessica Fleming
STEPS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line your cupcake pan with 12 cupcake cases. Then in a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar on high until they become lightly colored and fluffy (2-3 mins). Beat in the eggs one at a time and then add in the vanilla.
Note: This can also be done without the stand mixer by hand-whisking the ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Alternately add in the dry ingredients to the wet, while slowly adding the milk to this mixture. Stir all together until fully combined.
3. Spoon the batter into the lined cupcake pan, splitting it up between the 12 cases. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
4. Leave in the pan to cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
5. To make the buttercream, mix the softened butter on its own for 2-3 minutes until it becomes light and fluffy. Then add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream/milk (bakers’ preference). Hand-beat this together very quickly until fluffy (about 4-5 minutes) or keep the stand mixer turned on high for 3-4 minutes to achieve the same results.
6. Start the strawberry filling by sprinkling the granulated sugar over the finely diced strawberries. Let this mixture sit to the side for 15 minutes until the strawberries release their juices.
7. To assemble the cupcakes, pipe a circle of buttercream around the top of the cupcake and fill the center with a tablespoon of the strawberry filling.
Note: It is best to add the strawberry filling to the cupcake just before serving to prevent the strawberry juices from soaking into the cake.
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Prep Time: 35 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS:
• ½ cup of softened butter
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 2 eggs ( room temperature)
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla (1 tsp for deeper flavor)
• 1 and ½ cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• ½ cup of milk (room temperature)
BUTTERCREAM INGREDIENTS:
• 2 sticks of salted butter, softened
• 1 and ¾ cups of powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon of milk/heavy whipping cream
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla
STRAWBERRY FILLING INGREDIENTS:
• 1 and ½ cups of finely diced strawberries
• ½ tablespoon of granulated sugar
HEALTH WELLNESS APPS FOR YOU TO TRY IN 2025
TRAIN YOUR BRAIN!
&
Most brain training apps aim to improve specific cognitive abilities like working memory, attention, processing speed, decision-making, and reasoning by designing games that challenge these functions repeatedly. The idea is that by consistently practicing these challenging tasks, the brain pathways involved in those functions become more efficient, potentially leading to improved performance. Lumosity and Elevate are the leading cognitive skill based apps of 2025!
LUMOSITY
A research-based program with over 50 games designed by neuroscientists to improve cognitive skills. Games are based on tasks used in cognitive psychology. Train in skills that matter to you most. Memory, Processing Speed, Problem Solving; Lumosity targets all these cognitive skills.
ELEVATE
Train with 40+ games that are designed to boost your productivity, earning power, and self-confidence in skills like reading, writing, speaking, memory, and math. Track your improvement as you train. You can measure your performance across skill groups and see how you compare with others.
Atomic Habits &WELLNESS
An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving-every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.
• #1 New York Times bestseller
• Wall Street Journal bestseller
• USA Today bestseller
• Publisher’s Weekly bestseller
BRAG BOARD
Have you ever wanted to call out your teammates hard work but didn’t know the best avenue to do so?
The brag board is a great way to give accolades to your coworkers! If you see someone going above and beyond for a customer, we want to know! If a client sends you an encouraging “well done!” email, we want to see it!
Send your good news and positive feedback to FitcoBrag@firstintegritytitle.com to be featured on the next brag board!
Lisa Schweitzer
First Integrity Title is the bestwe switched over from Fidelity and Stewart title a few years back and have never been happier - the amazing team that we have there with Lisa Schweitzer, Hailey Remigio and our rep Renee Milliken are simply the best - they have amazing communication skills and are outstanding with their organization. We have learned their systems, and they have learned ours to make every transaction as stress free as possible. Even when there is some sort of small hiccup, all gets figured out quickly. I would recommend First Integrity to anyone in the business!
-Rick Cavallaro, Rhino Realty Pros
Tina Bonham
Thank you Team Tina and Will Herring!! Thank you for successfully closing 10733 Kimball in ONLY TWO DAYS!! None of us thought it could be done, but you made it happen! You are all outstanding, and I look forward to working with all of you in the future!
-Klaus Matten, Real Broker, LLCn
Renee Milliken
So, Appreciate the responsiveness of Renee Milliken!
-Bev Maes, Bev Maes Inc
Angela Rank
Angela Rank was amazing. Thank you for all your help!
-Kristin Frasier, Keller Williams Realty DTC
Elena Jobson
Her communication is on point, better than anyone I’ve had with any company, and exactly what I was looking for. She has been great at handling the files and letting us know what to look out for. We had a listing UC before Elena, it fell through, then Elena came in. Elena made sure we knew about a HELOC, which we did know about, but the previous closer didn’t let us know. Not a bad thing with the previous one, but it shows the extra steps and precaution Elena takes to help us look good. I don’t think I could be happier! I appreciate you!
-Greg Opgenorth, Living The Dream
Leslie Hines
This was a difficult and long transaction. Leslie was able to maneuver through many different hurdles in this drawn-out process. Leslie and Misty were always responsive with answers when I needed them. I appreciate their diligent work ethic and look forward to working with your team again. Thanks !
