EXHIBIT 99

                    THE FIRST AMERICAN CORPORATION ANNOUNCES
                       FIRST QUARTER 2001 EPS EXPECTATIONS

SANTA ANA, Calif.,  April 11, 2001 - The First American Corporation (NYSE: FAF),
the nation's leading,  diversified  provider of business information and related
products and services,  today announced that, in conjunction  with its April 10,
2001,  news  release  explaining  its  plans to  launch  an  offering  of senior
convertible  debentures,  it expects to at least meet the current  first quarter
2001 IBES  consensus  EPS  estimates of 27 cents.  The company  plans to release
first quarter 2001 earnings  before the opening of regular market trading on May
2, 2001.

         The First  American  Corporation  noted that while the company does not
typically comment on its earnings expectations,  and does not undertake to do so
in the future,  it  believes  the  announcement  of its plans to launch a senior
convertible debt offering warrants such disclosure.

         The First  American  Corporation,  based in Santa Ana,  Calif.,  is the
nation's  leading,  diversified  provider  of business  information  and related
products  and  services.  The  corporation's  three  primary  business  segments
include:  title information and services;  real estate information and services,
which  includes  mortgage  information  services  and database  information  and
services;  and consumer  information  and services,  which provides  automotive,
sub-prime and  direct-to-consumer  credit reporting;  direct-to-consumer  public
records reporting;  resident screening;  pre-employment screening;  property and
automotive  insurance tracking services;  property and casualty insurance;  home
warranties;  investment  advisory;  and trust and banking services.  Information
about the  company  and an  archive  of its press  releases  can be found on the
Internet at www.firstam.com.

         Certain statements made in this press release, including those relating
to the company's  first quarter 2001 earnings,  are  forward-looking.  Risks and
uncertainties  exist which may cause results to differ materially from those set
forth  in  these  forward-looking  statements.  Factors  that  could  cause  the
anticipated  results  to differ  from  those  described  in the  forward-looking
statements  include:  interest rate fluctuations;  changes in the performance of
the real estate markets;  general volatility in the capital markets;  changes in
applicable government regulations; consolidation among the company's significant
customers  and  competitors;  legal  proceedings  commenced  by  the  California
attorney  general and related  litigation;  the company's  continued  ability to
identify  businesses  to be  acquired;  changes  in  the  company's  ability  to
integrate  businesses  which it  acquires;  and other  factors  described in our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000,  filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements speak only as
of  the  date  they  are  made.   The  company  does  not  undertake  to  update
forward-looking  statements to reflect  circumstances or events that occur after
the date the forward-looking statements are made.

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