Inside Hawaii’s Title & Escrow Process. Radio Show with Tran Vo & Barney Spix

This week on the Team Lally Real Estate Radio Show, we interview Tran Vo and Barney Spix of First Hawaii Title. They share what title insurance is, how First Hawaii Title sets itself apart, and the unique scenarios where their services go beyond title and escrow. We also hear about their special offering, how Hawaii’s escrow process differs from the mainland, the safeguards they use to prevent scams and fraud, and their advice for homebuyers during escrow. Plus, they reveal how they make agents’ lives easier.

We also have our Experts We Trust. Duke Kimhan of Hawaii Pacific Property Management shares why most owners choose them without comparison shopping, the challenges of maintenance, and how fast, confident service makes a difference. Renee Ube of YourVAMatch gives her leverage tip of the week, showing why consistency matters and how virtual assistants help business owners stay on track. And Benjy Gilholm of Hawaii Referral Agent explains how their model protects relationships, helps agents get paid, and creates a smarter way to handle referrals.

Watch or Listen to the full episode

Interview Transcription

ADRIENNE:
Yes. Well, moving on to from Denzel, we’re going to move on to Title and Escrow. Yeah, we’ve got some special guests on from the title and escrow industry here. So what happens is, you’re

ATTILIO:
like Batman and Catwoman. You guess which one is bat one and which one is Catwoman?

ADRIENNE:
When you’re involved in a real estate transaction, you need superheroes to help you, yes. And so these are our superheroes. Um, our first guest is an escrow officer of first white title Corporation, yup, originally from Vietnam and raised in Hawaii. She studied at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, before joining the company in 2019 Yes, she brings cultural insight and escrow expertise to provide clients with excellent service. Alright?

ATTILIO:
And our second guest and account executive at first Hawaii title Corporation, in his role, he focuses on building strong relationships with real estate professionals and clients helping connect them. Oh, connect them. I said, con them. And I was like, Man, I gotta put my glasses on. He’s not conning them. He’s connecting them with trusted Thailand escrow services across the islands. Please welcome our guests. Tran bull and Barney. Spix, Barney, when you come on, I want you to say, can you do this line for me? I am Barney.

BARNEY:
No, that’s not like Batman when I was, when I was a little kid, you feel any better, sit I’m Barney.

ATTILIO:
Yeah, that’s it. That’s it. You know, for that, when there was interviewing for the role of Batman, they had to put the mask on, and that literally was the line. And so you would say, I am Batman.

ADRIENNE:
So the superhero, our superhero, escrow team

ATTILIO:
superhero, and then we have Catwoman. So Tran, can you, can you give me a

TRAN:
meow? Meow, yeah.

ATTILIO:
She’s like, you have problems with titles. She’s like, she like a cat, like, on it, like a cat. She’s Catwoman of the of the escrow world. They’re like, holy cow, what kind radio show is this? It’s a fun one. All right, you have, we have questions for them. We have questions,

ADRIENNE:
yes, yes. So, I mean, some of our listeners may not understand, like, what is the role of this title in escrow, in when people are buying or selling, and there’s, like, a lot of different things that you guys are doing behind the scenes? Yes. So first question is going to be for you. Tran, like, Why? Why do you have to have title insurance? What is that

ATTILIO:
about? What is title insurance? We heard of car insurance, homeowners insurance. What is title insurance?

TRAN:
Okay, so let’s go back to the term title. Yes. Title is the legal right to own and use a property. So title insurance is to protect the homeowners and also their lender from financial loss due to problems with the property title. So that’s why we wouldn’t need title insurance. Title Insurance, financially and legally.

ATTILIO:
Alright, we have chemo from Waianae. Is going to interpret that with a pigeon. You ready? Mm, hmm, okay, bro, you get this house and you’re not you know, you think you own them, but you want to make sure you own them, and then you can give them to your friend. You’re going to sell them, and the thing going to transfer they like go from youth to them. But in case something happens with that, that, what do you call that, that family tree of the ownership, you get the insurance, just in case, so that they cover you make sure you still own them. But that’s that’s key. Thank you, Kimo from Waianae for interpreting what chan just said about title, ownership title your ability to convey to one of the things that we do in team Lally. I will tell you, if you’re realtors, you’re listening. If you Why not Realtors pull one title report to make sure that everything is all square. Because specifically, we’re working we’re working with, I’m gonna change the names to protect the innocent, will and Jody. But anyway, that’s the real name. Anyway, we’re working with Tran right now to make sure we get that all cleaned up so that when we go put this thing on the market, that we’re not getting all hammer Jang when we entitled escrow and it’s going sideways. So Tran right now is going through that. She’s like, we call unraveling this mess. There’s all kind of problems. She’s like, Meow, I’m on top of it. She literally does that when I call her. No, she doesn’t do the meow. She just gets to work. Another question.

ADRIENNE:
So this, this question is for Barney. So, so Barney, like, a lot of the times the the owners, buyers, sellers, like, they don’t know anything about, like, Title and Escrow Company, you guys are really kind of behind the scenes, and a lot of the times it’s more so like the agents are going to be more aware of what the title and escrow companies do and the differences in the services. So what specifically stands out about the first Hawaii title amongst the other companies?

ATTILIO:
Yes, right, so

BARNEY:
Barney from Waianae here chiming in, right? I’m putting chemo to the side for us. You know, first of all, Title and Escrow in general, escrow companies, we’re a neutral third party, right? So for anybody who isn’t familiar, you know, just the basics, you know, escrow is a neutral third party to more or less make sure everything goes goes smoothly, right? So we’re there to help with the checks and balances. But for first Hawaii title, you know, we have several core values and core competencies, and you know, some of those stick out and mean more and matter more to me. But I think communication is such an important one to our team, and so we really hone in on and focus on communication. I think that’s what helps a successful real estate transaction here in Hawaii. That’s why we work so well with Team Lally. And why, why they’re such great real estate agents, because they know how to communicate with us. They know how to communicate with their clients. And, you know, they expect us to, you know, hold a high standard of communication for their clients as well. So, you know, I think we just all around at first Hawaii title, we communicate really well with our agents, with our clients, with your clients, and that makes for a smooth and successful closing and

ATTILIO:
transaction. Hey, I just give a testimony and a shout out to Barney. He will do whatever it takes. He will literally sweep the floor. If you don’t believe me, we have video. We have a highlight video on our YouTube shorts of how we were preparing for our luxury sunset. Brokers open. He came out. He was helping sweep. He was over there, like Julia Child’s in the kitchen. Hello. I’m putting together the poo poos for your visitors today. And he sounded just like that. And He came out, made the poo poos. He was sweeping the floor, helping us cleaning up. And he was like, I have a lot of extra pens and forms for you and flyers. They’re right here in the front of our listing. And he came and he was so helpful. And he’s like, a part of your team. He is part of I gotta give an old school shout out to Alan Farney with Farney Realty. That’s where I took my license. Back in the day, Farney Realty, since they’ve been around long time, I think they helped King com and mail buy his first house. But he I still remember the first day I got my license, he gave me one piece of advice. You know what? He said, go interview an escrow officer, because they’re gonna be part of your team. So So Tran is part of our train. Is taking interviews for you agent. She not gonna work with all of you. If you get all you get all snooty with her, it gonna be tree snaps. You gonna kick you to the no she can serve you. But I would say go interview, talk to Barney, have them, you know, go and interview them as part of your team, because you guys have been an integral part of our team. My, you guys know what my big stamp of approval is, and it’s, it’s, it’s, it’s figurative, not literal. But when you have, when you’re in good with me, I say, I tell people like I would stab somebody for Barney and Tran, I live, no, I wouldn’t stab somebody. But you know what I mean,

ADRIENNE:
he’s very he’s very protective, very Lally. I’m gangster

ATTILIO:
with Tran and Barney. So if you want people that are that you have that gangster type loyalty to agents out there, highly recommend you give Barney a call and maybe, maybe he’ll let you pass the velvet ropes to go have a conversation with Tran. Maybe you gotta qualify, though.

ADRIENNE:
Okay, so my next question is for Tran. So all right, we’re talking about like buyers and sellers, but I know that title and escrow, you guys are involved in all sorts of other kinds of scenarios and situations, maybe like, list off some other times that you guys would be needed by the consumer

ATTILIO:
that they’re not they wouldn’t be aware of. Yes, yeah,

BARNEY:
that’s for you. Tran, OH.

ATTILIO:
Tran, tran, that’s your question.

TRAN:
Okay, I’m so sorry.

ATTILIO:
But yeah, it just like, Where have, where are, you know, agents. We know how we can utilize your services

ADRIENNE:
when someone’s like, buying or selling, but you guys do other stuff too. Yeah, right. Like, I know that we’ve referred people to you that are not buying or selling. It’s like, internal kind of things.

ATTILIO:
So talk

TRAN:
about scenarios like that Tran, yeah, yeah. We can help to fix title like between like internal sales, yes, without agents, and also to we can help with like petitions or get the tea to transfer like between family members there’s no funds involved. Yes, definitely assist with that.

ATTILIO:
Okay, so for you grandkids out there, be nice to grandma, because she might give you the house and then try and go and help transfer title. But if you’re not nice, then no, no, no. Can do that. You were like, Oh, no. And then they also for sale. Sign Up front, I

ADRIENNE:
would say they are also involved too. Whenever you’re doing a refinance, yes, if you’re doing refinances like you got to have a good title and escrow team as

ATTILIO:
well. Yeah. So it’s not necessarily dictated. We have an assumption that it’s, oh, my mortgage broker or whatever, or bank consumer, you as a consumer, have a right to request that Tran and from first Hawaii title, get all gangster on your, on your on your refi or your Hela, mm hmm, because you make sure it goes through. Because if that stuff doesn’t go through, then the other part doesn’t happen. It’s all hand in hand, yeah,

TRAN:
yeah, oh yeah. Can I add in one more finance? Yes. Finance is the clients, the buyer, buy with us within one year, and they do a refinance. We do offer 50% discount for title. Nice, yes, for within five years, we offer 25% discount.

ATTILIO:
Nice, you have so you guys are like, when I Yeah, and then there was more. Wait, one more. Wait, 50 and then 25

ADRIENNE:
you’re saving

TRAN:
money within one year.

ATTILIO:
25 five years, and then 25%

TRAN:
for within five years. You guys are like,

ATTILIO:
when I go returning, when I go boba tea, and you keep stamping my card, and then I get one free one. It’s just like that. It’s a reward program, and that’s good to know, because people like, we get clients, and I look up their tax report, I’m like, oh, man, you guys are, like, refinance a holics, and so you might as well see

ADRIENNE:
you get a punch card. Do you guys get punch cards to those people?

ATTILIO:
It’s like a version of It’s a loyalty program. Come back you. And then, you know what? If you do, like, I tell you what I gonna make one. I go make a reward program. I talked to Stephanie to prove this. No, he didn’t. But I’m just but I’m just saying it on the radio anyway. If you guys do, if you guys do three in a row with them within five years, Stefan is going to give you one free, boba tea, whatever you like, the Uber Ube, you like mochi, you like whatever you’re going to give it a if you do three within five years, just refer all your friends to FHT. Is what the point is.

ADRIENNE:
Okay, I’ve got another question, and either Tran or Barney, either one of you can take this. So you know, people may have had experience with the title and escrow process in other states, yeah. What is different about Hawaii, or what’s unique about Hawaii that you know our listeners should know, yeah,

TRAN:
yeah, of course, I’ll be happy to take that. So for escrow and title processing in Hawaii is slightly different from other states. Is that state of Hawaii has a good funds law, so all funds must be in escrow to business day prior recording date, yes. So we would need all funds, and also we will try to get all the clients signed so all signed off, and funds must be in escrow to business day before the closing date. So that is very important. And I’m not sure if everyone is aware, but that is our standard that we follow in State of Hawaii. Yeah.

ATTILIO:
So, okay, okay. Hawaii people, you getting ready for sell your house, you’re in escrow. And Hawaii people, we love do this. We’re like, oh, we in escrow. And they’re already getting the Sam Boyd Vegas package. They’re already, like, getting all their big piles of money they’re gonna be putting on the craps table. Do not do that till it records, till it records, and then make sure all the money trying to be like, hey, where the money? She’s over there. Like, on auntie. Like, wait, where the money? Where your money? Where your money? And then she’s all that two days before, by the way. Tran, this is a state law. It’s not a FHD thing. It’s not a trend. Everybody has to follow. This is required by law, yeah, and it’s business days, so don’t be going flying Vegas on the Red Eye on the weekend, and your house never closed yet. Wait till the funds hit the hit hit your account.

TRAN:
Yeah, make sure you sign. Make sure that we record before you do everything else.

ATTILIO:
Oh, trend, you know. I always, I get this question, and I don’t, you know, you i If you don’t, if you know, you don’t know, because it’s like, you know, one of the Tilly was off the cuff questions. But is it, what is the actual for I heard, I always heard it was like, when title transfers, it was like, 805, like, that’s like a term eight, like 8am in five minutes. Is that still true? Is that a wife’s tale? When does it actual like in, in, in the moment of time? When does title transfer on the on the business day? Yeah?

TRAN:
No, it’s true. Okay, 805

ATTILIO:
Yeah, you guys call it the 805 so I’ve been telling the truth all these years because I learned it. I thought of honor, if the house, uh, burns down at 806 congratulations. The buyer is owns that pile of rubble. But if the bucket burns down at 801 you better call the fire department and put that fire out and go get your homeowner’s insurance in play. So people are always wondering, like, when does that happen? When did that happen? So yeah, 806, they can come over there and be like, Hey, you trespassing. Get out of my house. So make sure you get this stuff done. But if you’re wondering when it is, it’s 805, yep.

ADRIENNE:
And make sure, yeah. So we’ve been hearing a lot on social media and the news just around about a lot of fraud, yeah, like people getting scammed out of very large down payments, or even, like, their earnest money deposits. Like, what are some of those red flags, the red flags? Or, how do you guys prevent that from happening? There at first white title, yeah.

TRAN:
So first of all, I just want to state that for us, our wire instructions never change, yes, like, ever Yes, that’s your number one. And then second is, would be to call you, ask officer at a verify number before sending out the funds. Feel free to call me or our office anytime to verify why instructions before sending out funds. And, yeah, be more cautious. If you see any like, we would be more cautious. Yeah, we receive any changes of why instructions, or if the you know instruction you receive have, like, some typos or string grammar in the email, yes, or Yeah, if it’s a like, encouraging of, you know, secrecy, or, you know, like, don’t tell anybody, yeah, tell anybody. Or secrecy. Like, oh, it’s off, yeah. But if anything so off at all, or if you request things to send funds, always make sure to call to confirm. You can check with your agent. You can check with us, check with Team Lally, see once your funds do how much it is and where to send it to, and we happy, always happy to take a call. By the way,

ATTILIO:
Tran has a security authentication protocol. When you call her, she’s gonna you’re gonna ask her, what’s the password, and Tran is gonna respond with

me. I

ATTILIO:
just kidding. But anyway, we have fun at what we doing, because what we what we do, can be kind of boring, but we’re not boring people. No, that’s the point of all of this. Is we take very seriously what we do. If anything seems out of the ordinary, all you got to do is call up Tran and say, hey, the wiring instructions was to this account you sent in the beginning. Now there’s now they’re telling me that it needs to go to a tellio Lamborghini fund. Is this? Is this? Right? You can be like, No, so yeah, that’s a red flag. A red Lamborghini, a checking account for a Tilly. Oh, is the red flag? Nope. Don’t be wiring the money over there or like, Hey, can I get this in Bitcoin? No. Any other questions before we wrap it up?

ADRIENNE:
No. So we’ve got just a couple minutes. Is there anything that we should have touched on with you guys that we didn’t that you want our listeners to hear about?

ATTILIO:
Yes, you guys get one each.

TRAN:
Okay, honestly, I think that everything that you know needed to know you already have covered it. But I just want to, just want to highlight some information that also needed is that when you’re in an escrow transaction or doing an escrow process, yeah, just trying to keep in mind of any travel plans or outstay Yeah. So just want to bring this that up. So just try to keep us informed. Like Barney have said, communication is key, yes. So let your agent know. Let us know if there’s any travel plans that you use so we can plan ahead. We always trying to be as prepared, yeah as yeah as possible. And this is definitely a team work that we try to flow successfully for you.

ATTILIO:
Yeah. I was like, Yeah, I have a recording. Chan was calling Mr. Silva from Waianae, and he was like, trans like, Hello, yes, we need to schedule your mobile notary, and you got to go sign. Oh. And then Mr. Was like, Well, okay, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, onion Chan was like, What is that sound in the back? Oh, that’s slot machines. I’m in Vegas. Oh, I gotta go sign. So communicate people. You gotta communicate, you know what? Just stay put, close your transaction. But even if you don’t, but

ADRIENNE:
just let them know they can send them over notary. It’s fine. Oh, where you’re at, easy. They’ll figure it

ATTILIO:
out. I’m at the California I’m at the craps table number two, but a hot dog vendor, okay, we’ll be right there, proper state ID, but yeah, the point being is that you guys are on top of it. Like, are you going to anticipate everything? Nobody has that freaking crystal ball. So be patient. Be patient with the process over communicate. Barney. Barney, yes, Barney, here’s my question to you. You know, I always ask you this, how do you make agent Tell me one thing that how you make agents lives easier.

BARNEY:
How do I make agents lives easier? How do you make agents lives easier?

ATTILIO:
You you as Barney, like, do you dress up like a purple dinosaur at their open house and welcome people in with bowls of candy? Like, what do you do for the agents to make their lives easier? This is you. This is your point. Because we know Realtors listen to the show. We know you don’t admit it, but we know you’re listening to our show. So Barney, for an agent that wants that needs your help, what can you do for them? And then we’ll wrap it up.

BARNEY: 
Yeah, for sure. So again, I’m, yeah, I’m a account executive and a marketing rep here, first white title. So, you know, we provide different services like, you know, promoting listings, price changes, open houses, you know, really whatever you need, we’re going to try and get creative. And, you know, we’re staying on top of what’s changing in the market. We’re using tools like AI to help try and predict things, to help try and get creative ways to market properties, so you got to stay on top of things, and, you know, try and stay ahead of the changes. But I think, you know, it’s super important to highlight also super quickly. I mean, you got to ask yourself and everything you’re doing, you know, are you having fun? Right? Yeah. I mean, transparently, Team Lally house has fun. I don’t know anybody, at least, personally here has more fun than Attilio, yes. And that shows like, you know, him and his team are having fun. So same thing, you know, like, I try and wake up and, you know, look myself in the mirror and say, like, you know, am I having fun? If not, what am I doing, right? Yeah. So I would say just challenge yourselves to ask yourselves, are you, are you also having fun with what you’re doing? Yeah? Like, like you guys said earlier, this isn’t necessarily considered like the most exciting field, right? Yes, you know some people, some other people on the outside would view this boring, but it’s really important work, but you can make it. Doesn’t mean that it can’t be fun. Yeah, it can. It can still be fun.

ATTILIO: 
So I will tell you, if you want Barney to show up at your next open house and help you out and greet people at the front door by saying I’m Barney,

ADRIENNE: 
he will, he will do it. I’m Barney. Thank you, Barney

ATTILIO: 
and Tran, there you go. Skirt, everything. The grab skirt. All right, I’ll wear it all Yeah. Thank you

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