Ticor Title opens in Moses Lake
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 month, 3 weeks AGO
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | June 5, 2026 3:00 AM
MOSES LAKE — The new Moses Lake office of Ticor Title Company held a ribbon-cutting Tuesday with the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce, welcoming the local business community to meet the team.
Branch Manager Steve Martinez has been in the title and escrow business for 15 years, he said. He had just started work at REC Silicon when that company ran into financial difficulties at its Moses Lake plant.
“They started taking voluntary layoffs,” Martinez said. “I had already started dabbling in (title and escrow) with my wife, and I liked it. I loved the work, so I started at the very bottom of the industry and worked my way up through the years.”
Martinez’ wife, Danna Martinez, had begun working in the title and escrow field about a year and a half earlier, Steve Martinez said. The two of them worked together at another local title company before opening the Ticor office in November. Danna now works with her husband at the Ticor Title branch.
Ticor Title is a member of the Fidelity National Financial family of companies, the largest group of title companies and title insurance underwriters in the U.S., according to its website. Ticor has 12 other offices in Washington state, including one in the Tri-Cities. The Moses Lake office will be the only other Ticor location in central Washington.
“I’ve been a Realtor for 10 years now, and (I’ve worked with) Steve and Danna literally ever since I started,” said Tara Zerbo, a broker at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Mann Realty. “I’ve had nothing but wonderful experiences with them, and exceptional customer service.”
Ticor Title
1626 W. Broadway Ave.
Moses Lake
509-491-6630
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COLUMBIA BASIN — It’s hot and smoky outside? This is the Columbia Basin. We’re used to this. Here are some chances to get out and have some fun no matter what the sky looks like. July 25 Christmas in July at the Market Who says you have to wait until December for holiday cheer? Stroll through decorated vendor booths, shop amazing local makers and growers, enjoy holiday-themed fun, festive music, sweet treats, and surprises for the whole family. Wear your favorite Christmas shirt, Santa hat, or holiday outfit. 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at Moses Lake Farmers Market, McCosh Park, 401 W. Fourth Avenue. Info: www.farmersmarketml.com.
