As a little girl, Jackie Hahn-Jackson dreamed of driving big rigs up and down the interstates. We have no doubts that she would have made an outstanding trucker, but we are selfishly glad that she instead built a career in the title industry.
Her tenacity and attention to detail make her a perfect fit as a Title Review Specialist. It’s not a position that every title company has, but we’ve learned very quickly that it’s a valuable one. Jackie is in her element when she is diving deep into title research and delivering a clean title that’s ready for settlement.
Through her hard work, she makes life easier for everyone else on our team — and ensures that everything goes smoothly for agents and buyers.
If you talk to Jackie for a while, you know she’s got great stories. And not just about the title industry. Check out this quick Q&A and get to know her better!
Who is the most famous person you’ve ever met?
I would have to say a band by the name of the Outlaws and Lynyrd Skynyrd. I met them, as well, some of them. I was constantly seeing the Outlaws. I got to know them very well — I was not a groupie — but that led to me meeting the semi-new Lynyrd Skynrd band.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A truck driver. You know, the big trucks. I was just fascinated by their size. That’s what I wanted to be when I was a little girl.
What was your first job?
I worked for a publishing company as a proofreader.
What was your first big purchase when you were young?
My Jordache jeans. Am I aging myself? … Then we lived in apartments and somebody stole them out of the laundry room.
What is the weirdest food you’ve ever eaten?
Eel … and I’ll never eat it again.
Do you have a signature recipe?
I’m just a Southern cook, so I like homemade potato salads. I just like to cook anything. It doesn’t matter to me. And I love to bake. My Paw-Paw’s peanut butter cake is my favorite.
What is the best advice you were ever given?
Just to be myself and that nobody else walks in my shoes. That came from an attorney that I used to work for. We’re still very close. I’ll never forget her telling me that.
What do you do to turn things around when you’re having a bad day?
I constantly think positive. I just look for the good in everything that I do, you know.
What’s a work-related accomplishment that you’re proud of and what did you learn from it?
I got into this business in 1998. The attorney/title company that I was working for told me that I would excel in this business, and he wanted me to go get my license. So I studied and got my Maryland license within a three-month period.
I stayed in post-closing for a long time, but in post-closing I did a little bit of everything. At one title company, I set up a binder review process because we were getting a lot of kickbacks on legal descriptions being incorrect and spellings and everything.
Once I got into the binder reviews, I found out how much I loved reviewing title. I loved getting a dirty title and being able to clean it and make it all pretty and tidy for the processor.