Member Highlight – Abstractor: Santita Newsom
Although she is relatively new to the title abstracting business, Santita Newsom quickly developed her skills in the field and now plays a key role with Fidelity National Financial – West TN Operations. A native of Olive Branch, Mississippi, Santita followed her graduation from Olive Branch High School in 2006 with a focus on legal studies at Northwest Community College and Ole Miss. After the birth of her daughter in 2007, she took a break from school and began work at Martin, Tate, Morrow, and Marsten, P.C., in Memphis, Tennessee, where she was first a mail clerk and later a legal assistant. She then worked as a freelance writer for several businesses as she devoted more time to raising her daughter.
Santita joined Fidelity National title in 2018 as a residential abstractor. In a few short years, she has performed residential and commercial title searches in 79 of the 82 counties in Mississippi and various counties in Tennessee. In her current role, she manages the Mississippi Title Abstract Department and serves as Assistant Manager for the production department. Santita provides support to Fidelity agents and approved attorneys by responding to inquiries and troubleshooting problems arising from title examination. She also provides training and support to the abstract department while overseeing vendor relations.
“Many people see real estate as being a beautiful house or a luxury shopping center;” Santita says, “I see beyond that. I see history, easements and covenants, fee simple and leasehold, and reservations and agreements.” Her experience digging into the land records has taught her to “love the history that is contained within each title search.” The most important lesson Santita has learned as she grew as an abstractor is to “always read the deeds, and when you’re done, re-read the deeds.” When searching, she tells us, “I always think about each person who plays a role in the closing – the lender and purchaser who are both making a huge investment; the real estate closing firm who have committed to closing by a certain date; and our title company who is committing to the matters discovered. It is always my goal to answer any questions or concerns . . . to ensure that all parties can be confident on closing day.”
In thinking about coping with the challenges of abstracting work, Santita advises, “There are going to be a lot of days that are mentally challenging, and on those days I recommend a good playlist.” She enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her daughter, Camoyri (14), who attends Northwest Rankin Middle School. Her close family members are still located near Olive Branch with her brother working as a civil engineer in Memphis and her sister as a licensed physical therapist in Southhaven.