Wasson Enjoys Work At Waco Title

Gary Wasson of Waco Title in Pineville enjoys his work in a job that is often complicated.

He got into the title business in 1996 after being unemployed and looking for a job for four months. A friend owned Elk River Abstract and offered him a job. He started working there in June of 1996 and fell in love with the work, he said. In February 2001, Wasson ended up buying the title company across the street, Barker Abstract, and changed its name to McDonald County Title.

In 2007 Waco Title bought Elk River Abstract, and in 2010, Waco bought McDonald County Title. At that time the two businesses were combined.

Asked why he decided to sell to Waco Title, Wasson said, "As a private owner, to keep up with technology and advances in the industry is a huge and expensive undertaking. So I figured I could serve customers a lot better by joining forces with them."

Wasson explained what he does every day.

"We research titles to real estate for the purpose of insuring those titles to owners and lenders. We help to eliminate any liens or issues with the title and then we actually close the transaction for the parties involved. We're kind of the place that all the real estate transactions funnel down to to make sure they turn out right. We take those questions out of someone's mind to make sure they're getting a clear title."

He said researching a title can take an hour or two for something simple or up to a week or two for something complex. Not long ago he had to research a title back to 1870, he said.

"It's interesting to go back that far and research a property," he said.

For their research, employees at Waco Title use a combination of courthouse records and their own records that are kept in a vault on site, he said.

Asked what he enjoys about his job, Wasson said, "I enjoy interaction with the customers and being able to fix complex problems with their title."

As for customers' reactions to the work, he said, "Overall, we get a great reaction. Most people are pleased. Although the general public doesn't understand what we do."

For example, he said, one customer did not have an easement to get to his property. Wasson had to work with his neighbor and his neighbor's bank.

"You've sometimes got to juggle a lot of people. Just getting one easement took four people and one bank agreeing."

Once that customer understood how complex the transaction was, he was very appreciative.

Wasson said Waco has plans to expand in Missouri and Arkansas. Waco Title was founded in Springdale, Ark., in 1885.