LandAmerica Tax & Flood Services and Ellie Mae to Launch ePASS Internet Connectivity to Mortgage Brokers

Business Wire, August 3, 2004

RICHMOND, Va. & DUBLIN, Calif. -- Richmond, VA-based LandAmerica(R) Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:LFG), a leading provider of real estate transaction services, and Dublin, CA-based Ellie Mae(R), the leading provider of desktop and Web-enabled technology for the mortgage industry, today announced the launch of full integration of LandAmerica Tax and Flood Services (formerly LERETA Corporation) with the ePASS(R) Web transaction platform.

Mortgage originators will now be able to order LandAmerica's flood hazard certification services in a faster, more efficient and secure process through ePASS. Mortgage originators will be able to set up LandAmerica as an ePASS "QuickLink." This link will remember the originator's user name and password, and with two clicks of a mouse, provide the ability to order and receive flood certifications instantly, which are then accessible at any time for viewing and printing directly on the desktop. This secure transmission will populate received data directly into a number of leading desktop origination solutions including Encompass, Genesis, Contour, PipeLine, Byte, Harland and others, saving time and reducing errors by eliminating the re-keying of data.

LandAmerica Tax and Flood Services employs state-of-the-art systems, creative solutions, and personal service to maintain a nationwide network that provides tax and flood services to the mortgage lending industry. LandAmerica is a leader in accuracy with one of the lowest loss experiences in the industry -- reducing the cost of handling exceptions and improving borrower relations. Automated databases and real-time front-end delivery systems help ensure fast, flexible data exchange. The LandAmerica Tax and Flood Services IT team has over 70 data processing professionals and has set industry standards for information systems and processing techniques, including advanced on-line processing systems and paperless work environments.

"We're excited about the launch of ePASS connectivity," said Dale Quarto, President of LandAmerica Tax and Flood Services. "We now will be available to 90 percent of the mortgage originators via ePASS, providing us with a real opportunity to expand our services. The combination of Ellie Mae and LandAmerica technology will provide our customers with the best experience available today."

Ellie Mae's ePASS technology is the industry standard, connecting the majority of third-party mortgage origination companies to their wholesale lenders and settlement service providers. ePASS enables users to eliminate redundant work, reduce origination costs, close loans faster, and provide secure data transmission for sensitive consumer information in compliance with Gramm-Leach-Bliley safeguards. In the first quarter of 2004 alone, over 1.4 million loans were originated using ePASS technology.

"The addition of LandAmerica's Flood Services to our ePASS platform continues our focus of providing our customers nationwide access to the leading and most utilized service providers. LandAmerica Tax and Flood Services has built a sound reputation for delivering quality products coupled with superior customer service, which is exactly the type of partner that we are excited to connect with our clients," said Joseph Tyrrell, Senior Vice President for Vendor Relations, of Ellie Mae.

About LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc., a Fortune 500(R) Company

Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc. is a leading provider of real estate transaction services and on Fortune(R) magazine's 2004 list of most admired companies. Through its many subsidiaries, LandAmerica serves residential and commercial customers with more than 800 offices and a network of 10,000 active agents throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe.

About Ellie Mae, Inc.

Dublin, California-based Ellie Mae, Inc., winner of the 2003 Inman Innovator Award for Most Innovative Company in the mortgage and real estate industries, is the leading provider of desktop and web-enabled mortgage industry productivity technology. Ellie Mae's ePASS Web-transaction platform is the industry standard, connecting more than 30,000 third-party mortgage origination companies with leading wholesale and correspondent lenders and 90,000 settlement service providers. Ellie Mae products include the Encompass mortgage management system, Contour and Genesis loan origination software, Executive Web Sites and Ellie Mae Docs. To learn more about Ellie Mae, call 888-955-9100 or visit www.elliemae.com.

Copyright (C) 2004 Ellie Mae, Inc. and LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Ellie Mae(R), ePASS(R), Encompass(TM), Contour(TM), Genesis(TM), Executive Web Sites(TM), Ellie Mae Docs(TM) are the sole property of Ellie Mae, Inc.

LandAmerica is a registered trademark and sole property of LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc. Fortune 500 and Fortune are registered trademarks of Time, Inc. and are used with permission.