Southwestern Title & Escrow offers a tremendous portfolio of resources to assist with your real estate needs. When you are selecting one of  the Santa Fe area title companies, choosing to do business with a locally owned company has many rewards.

In addition to Santa Fe city and suburbs, we serve the following areas, communities and villages in Santa Fe County: Agua Fria, Apache Canyon, Arroyo Hondo, Arroyo Seco, Canada de los Alamos, Canoncito, Cerrillos, Chupadero, Cuarteles, Cundiyo, Cuyamungue, Cieneguilla, Edgewood, Eldorado, El Rancho, Galisteo, Glorieta,  Jacona, Jaconita, La Bajada, La Cienega, La Mesilla, Lamy, La Puebla, Las Campanas, Lone Butte, Madrid, Nambe, Ojo de la Vaca, Pojoaque, Rancho Viejo, Rio en Medio, San Marcos, Santa Cruz, Seton Village, Stanley, Tesuque, Tierra Contenta, Valencia, plus those areas of Espanola, Pecos, Golden and Chimayo that are in Santa Fe County. We also can assist you with any real property title and escrow needs you have in Rio Arriba County through our professional affiliation with Valley Abstract in Espanola, NM.

Update: August, 2009      Southwestern Title & Escrow is proud to announce its 15th anniversary. The company has grown steadily to now hold the second largest market share (out of 8 Santa Fe title companies) in the Santa Fe County market area. 

Southwestern Title & Escrow is committed to providing a positive experience for its customers and employees. Customer satisfaction is the number one priority of Southwestern Title & Escrow. We are “Driven By Service”. Our seasoned professionals are committed to the smooth completion of every real estate closing transaction. Southwestern Title & Escrow offers over 450 years of experience from its professional staff of 25.

We value our home town and are committed to its well-being. The ownership, management and staff at Southwestern Title & Escrow are deeply involved in the community of Santa Fe with active roles in numerous civic, educational and artistic organizations.

Title & Exam Department:

Southwestern Title & Escrow offers a Title and Exam department replete with highly experienced experts in title searches and the examination of the status of title. The deaprtment is ably managed by Mike Thompson who has over 20 years in the industry. Senior Examiner Fred Barela recently joined our team, from Capitol Title, and is now in his 39th year providing title exams. Marco Ortiz, Senior Examiner and spouse of Lynnea Ortiz, Escrow Officer at Southwestern Title & Escrow, has also joined our team from Capitol Title. His 20 years in the business make him one of the most knowledgeable examiners in the area. Jennifer Pearson, perenially voted everyone’s favorite fellow employee, specializes in title report research and preparation. Joyce Arellano is the Policy preparer and has been in our industry for almost 20 years, formerly as a title examiner. Anthony Rael handles the task of recordings at the County Clerk’s office, plus picks up and delivers documents for Escrow Officers and clients. Victoria Porter sets up new files & processes new orders, starting the search process. And Christopher Lopez is in charge of copies and letters for distribution of that information to Realtors and Lenders, plus our buyers and borrowers that are provided specific information. Sharon Armijo wraps it all up by updating and posting to our title plant (our proprietary database of title documents and plats). The quality from start to finish is of utmost importance and our team has the track record to instill confidence in every file we prepare.

Marketing:

Formerly President of the New Mexico Land Title Association and offering a long and successful track record in the industry, Otis Phillips recently joined Southwestern Title & Escrow to spearhead the marketing and quality control efforts. His hands-on style and get the job done approach inspire our staff to reach higher and expect success. If you have seen our company name anywhere or found us to be involved in any project, Otis Phillips had something to do with it. If you have suggestions on how we can do a better job for our clients, Otis would love to hear from you. He can be reached at OtisP@sftitles.com and his direct number is 505-946-2995.

Management and Ownership   

Attorney and long standing title company executive Tim Vigil is the Manager and part owner of Southwestern Title and Escrow. Formerly President of Capitol City Title Services, Vigil was at Capitol for 25 years. Vigil is a New Mexico native with family roots dating back to the 1700’s in the village of Cundiyo and also is the grandson of Governor Edwin L. Mechem. Graduating from NMSU in 1986, Vigil has gone on to receive his Juris Doctorate Degree from UNM School of Law in 1989. He has taught business law courses at SFCC as well as for the NM Land Title Association.

In addition to training title examiners and making underwriting decisions, Vigil has an exemplary reputation as a problem solver and resource for complex title issues. He is married with one son and they reside in Cundiyo, NM.

John Fox purchased a controlling interest in Southwestern Title & Escrow in April, 2009 and, soon thereafter, doubled the professional staff to include some of Santa Fe’s oldest and most experienced title and escrow experts.  John is also an owner of Valley Abstract & Title Co. in Espanola, New Mexico.  John is a native Santa Fean and has practiced law in Santa Fe since 1978.  He practiced with his father, Robert Fox, until 1994 and with the firm Sommer, Fox, Udall, Othmer & Hardwick from 1991 to 2001.  John’s legal practice has focused on real estate, title, transactions, exchanges, trusts and estates, plus small business.  John is a graduate of Santa Fe’s St. Michael’s High School and serves as Chair of its Board of Trustees.  John believes strongly in supporting local businesses.

Update January 2010:

John Fox and Tim Vigil have announced that they are now sole owners of Southwestern Title & Escrow, having just completed a buy out of the former owners. Fox and Vigil plan to continue the emphasis on service and quality that Southwestern Title & Escrow is known for.