Wells County Land Title Receives October Recognition
The Wells County Chamber of Commerce staff and Ambassadors surprised owner Colin Andrews and staff Lori Brubaker and Kirsten Scheiman with Wells County Land Title as the October Member of the Month. Wells County Land Title is located at 116 South Main Street in Bluffton.
Wells County Land Title has been locally owned and operated since 1991. Andrews purchased the business in January 2021 from Andy Carnall. Andrews, who is also an Attorney for Andrews & Crell, said that purchasing the business made sense because he was already a Title Agent for Wells County Land Title. “I was already doing the legal work for deeds and Andy was busy being in the Prosecutor’s office, it was time and a natural fit to take over the business. We would like to grow the business and we had to do something different.”
Wells County Land Title offers a wide variety of services such as property searches, title insurance, escrow closings and services, recording services, notary services, and convenient closings.
Lori Brubaker, Title Manager, has been with the company for eight years and works on the front end of the transactions. “I do a lot of the research on the properties and really enjoy putting the pieces together,” said Brubaker. “When there is a sale, we do a lot of research to make sure there are no liens, judgments, incorrect property descriptions, unsatisfied mortgages, fraud, or even unpaid taxes. We will go back 30 years and make sure everything is in correct order for the customer. The Title Insurance Policy, which is required by every lender, ensures that the property is free and clear from any issues.”
“After Lori is done getting everything in order for the closing, I present the end result to the customer,” said Kirsten Scheiman, Closing Agent. “This is the part I enjoy the most in my job because at the closing table is place where people are happy or relieved. I thoroughly enjoy working with the customers face-to-face, communicating with them, and presenting the final piece of the transaction.”
“I think we do a great job and people walk away from here comfortable and confident that everything is taken care of,” explained Andrews. “Customer service is important to us and we want to give people a peace of mind that we will take on that task to prevent any issues or stress so the customer doesn’t have to worry. We want this to be a happy transaction for people when they walk out and go on their way.”
Community involvement is very important to Wells County Land Title. “I have been in this community all of my life and I wanted to get more involved to lay bigger roots for my family and grandkids,” said Brubaker. “Being involved in your community is important for change.”
“I am raising my family in Wells County and I want to see our community flourish,” said Scheiman. “I want to see activities for my kids that other communities have. I want them to grow up here with opportunities, so they don’t ever want to move away.”
Andrews said when he moved into the community, he was told it would be difficult to meet people. “I had the absolute opposite experience. People were so welcoming and open. I moved here right when Bluffton NOW! was making changes in downtown and now we have some new amenities that make life a little easier and fun.”
“This is still a small community and we know all of the realtors or we have met most of the people that come into our office,” said Andrews. “There is something about small being beautiful and you are connected with people and you want to do a good job. Our customers are not just a number or a transaction; however, we see these same people in other places in the community and it’s important to have a positive relationship.”
Andrews said their work and involvement in the community has been very rewarding and will continue to do more.
Pictured in the photo left to right:
Jessica Beste, American Mortgage, Chamber Ambassador
Erica Lehman, Coldwell Banker-Holloway, Chamber Ambassador
Erin Prible, Wells County Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director
Nick Huffman, Steffen Group, Chamber Ambassador
Kirsten Scheiman, Wells County Land Title
Cathie Peterson, Steffen Group
Kevin Pritchard, Ruoff Mortgage, Chamber Ambassador
Lori Brubaker, Wells County Land Title
Keith Muhlenkamp, First Merchants Bank, Chamber Ambassador
Colin Andrews, Wells County Land Title
Casey Robbins, Farmers & Merchants Bank, Chamber Ambassador
Alyssa Sponseller, Archbold & Lewis, Chamber Ambassador