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☆ Mortgage rates may be stabilizing after the election. Here's what to expect into early 2025
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Don't expect 'huge swings' on mortgage ratesElection uncertainty contributed to an upward swing in mortgage rates during October. But now that we have a president-elect, mortgage rates are expected to gradually come down over time, Lautz said. Experts say that mortgage rates might head into a "bumpy" or "volatile" path over the next year. "Our expectation is that rates are going to be in the 6% range as we move into 2025," she said. For example, if you bought your home around this time last year, when mortgage rates peaked at around 8%, you might benefit from a mortgage refinance, Lautz said.

Persons: Freddie Mac, it's, Jessica Lautz, Lautz, Jerome Powell, Robert Dietz, Jessica Lautz Jessica Lautz, Jeff Ostrowski, Jacob Channel Organizations: Getty, Federal Reserve, National Association of Realtors, Treasury, Trump, Federal, CNBC Locations: U.S

☆ Scammers are stealing homes from under their owners' noses. AI is making it scarily easy.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-22 | by ( Jordan Pandy | Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

The owner of a $137.5 million LA mansion says they're a victim of deed fraud and can't sell it. AdvertisementSpelling Manor's owner told the Journal through their lawyer that scammers filed a fraudulent deed with Los Angeles County earlier this year. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center doesn't specifically track deed fraud. Gordon eventually got his property back after the title company signed a quitclaim deed that relinquished ownership, giving him his land back. Kiar said that in September, someone contacted a title company saying they had a vacant lot to sell in Hallandale Beach.

Persons: they're, —, Aaron Spelling, It's, Eric Schmidt —, scammers, Paul Harris, Tyler Adams, it's, Fraudsters, Victor Petrescu, LKLSG, Adams, Spelling, Elvis Presley, Elvis Presley's, Riley Keough, Jerod Harris, Lisa Jeanine Findley, Graceland, Findley, Scammers, William Gordon's, Gordon, Gabriella Cázares, Kelly, Petrescu, Daniel Kenigsberg, Marty Kiar, Kiar, hadn't, fraudsters Organizations: Service, Google, Wall Street Journal, Association, Spelling, BI, Mapleton, LA, Graceland, GAB, Getty, Naussany, NBC Miami Locations: Los Angeles, Beverly, Mapleton, Saudi, Angeles, Spelling, LA, Miami, Memphis , Tennessee, Missouri, Arizona, Pima County, Texas, —, Fairfield , Connecticut, Johannesburg, Broward County , Florida, Hallandale Beach

☆ New Realtor Rules Will End Casual House Hunting, Change Homebuying
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-19 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

They'll hand 5%, or $25,000, to their agent, who then gives half, or $12,500, to the buyer's agent. They also feared that buyers' agents might "steer" clients away from homes that dared to offer less than the going rate. But in order to keep using the MLS, buyers' agents will have to abide by another rule that will further upend the old way of doing things. In the old days, a seller might have unthinkingly offered a commission of 2% or even 3% to the buyer's agent. The idea that sellers pay both agents' commissions has always been a clever sleight of hand.

Persons: they'll, didn't, Laura Ellis, they'd, Sellers, Tanya Monestier, Monestier, Ellis Organizations: Realtors, Baird & Warner, MLS, National Association of Realtors, NAR, Consumer Federation of America, California Association of Realtors, CFA, University at Buffalo Locations: Chicago, America, California

☆ The first Fed interest rate cut in years is on the horizon. Here's what homeowners, buyers need to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Valentinrussanov | E+ | Getty ImagesThe Federal Reserve is poised to make the first interest rate cut in years this fall, which can influence mortgage rates to go down. To that point, people in the market to buy a home have been eagerly waiting for the Fed to cut rates. The Fed is meeting this week, but experts say it seems more likely that the first rate cut will come in September. That would be the first rate cut since 2020 in the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. While mortgage rates are fixed and mostly tied to Treasury yields and the economy, they are partly influenced by the Fed's policy.

Persons: Chen Zhao, Freddie Mac, Refinance, it's, Zhao, Selma Hepp, Hepp, Jacob Channel, there's Organizations: Fed, Treasury, Mortgage, Association, Finance Locations: Redfin

Just as homeowners insurance protects you financially if your home is physically damaged or destroyed, title insurance protects you if someone makes a claim against your property's title. How title insurance worksHere's what the title search and insurance process looks like from start to finish:The process of obtaining title insuranceWhen you (or your lender) hire a title insurance company, they'll perform a title search on your home. Once the title has been cleared (or cured), the title company will issue a title insurance policy. Unlike many other types of insurance, title insurance isn't an ongoing cost. While lender's title insurance is usually mandatory, an owner's title insurance policy is optional.

Persons: they'll, aren't, I've Organizations: New York, Title Association, Chevron Locations: Chevron

Determining your budgetYou can figure out how much house you can afford to buy using our free mortgage calculator. While you may already have an idea of what you think you can afford, you'll need to find out how the bank sees you. It will include a list of all of your finalized closing costs and how much cash you'll need to close. The final walkthroughBefore closing, you'll also get a chance to view the home one more time. How to buy a house FAQsHow much down payment do I need to buy a house?

Persons: You'll, George Chedid, Dana Bull, They're, Bull, you've, Don't, it's, They'll, you'll, they've, Chedid Organizations: Compass, Federal Housing Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs, US Department of Agriculture, you'll, Homeowners Insurance Allstate, Insurance Locations: Kendall Park , New Jersey, Chevron, Boston

☆ Scammers tried to steal Graceland. Here’s how to make sure they don’t get your home
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Experts say rental properties, vacation homes and homes where the owners are deceased can be targets of home title theft. Here are some ways to protect yourself:What is home title fraud? Home title fraud occurs when scammers impersonate homeowners to refinance or sell a victim’s property and pocket the money. In an email associated with Naussany Investments to CNN, a self-proclaimed scammer claimed responsibility for the attempted home title fraud. A standard American Land Title Association (ALTA) homeowner’s policy of title insurance covers home title forgery and impersonation.

Persons: scammers, Elvis Presley’s, David Fleck, ”, “, ” Fleck, “ It’s, Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis, Priscilla Presley, Riley Keough, Naussany, Florida notary’s, Jonathan Skrmetti, scammer, I’ve, Jeremy Miller, ” Miller, Fleck, ALTA’s, Miller Organizations: CNN, Naussany, Naussany Investments, New York Times, Times, Allstate, Consumer Financial Locations: Memphis, Tennessee, Los Angeles, Graceland, Florida, Nigeria, California, Georgia

☆ Your home sale could trigger capital gains taxes. Here's how to calculate your bill
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

You can reduce your home sale profit by adding often-forgotten costs and fees to your basis, which minimizes your capital gains tax liability. For example, you can start by tacking on fees and closing costs from the purchase and sale of the home, according to the IRS. The average closing cost nationwide is $4,243, according to a report from Assurance, but fees vary widely. That includes your real estate commissions and closing costs. The 'best way' to reduce capital gains taxesYou can further increase your home's basis by tacking on the cost of eligible upgrades, experts say.

Persons: Thomas Scanlon, Raymond James, Scanlon, tacking, Paul Fenner Organizations: Westend61, tacking, Tamma Locations: Manchester , Connecticut, New York, California, Commerce Township , Michigan

☆ What exactly goes into closing costs?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But there is an often-overlooked expense when buying a home: closing costs. At the same time, the Biden administration plans to take aim at so-called “junk fees” hidden in closing costs. New York, Delaware and Washington, DC, have the highest average closing costs, according to Bankrate; while Missouri, Indiana and North Dakota have the lowest. Lowering closing costs on your ownThere is one relatively simple way to lower your overall closing costs: shop around. “When you compare those offers, examine not just the rate itself but also the closing costs.

Persons: homebuyers, —, Biden, ” Jeff Ostrowski, , ” Ostrowski, you’re, homebuyers haven’t, Brian Connolly, it’s, “ It’s, ” Connolly, Connolly, ”, Freddie Mac, ” Genaro Villa Organizations: CNN, Consumer Financial, National Association of Realtors, realtors, University of Michigan, NAR, homebuyers Locations: New York , Delaware, Washington, Missouri, Indiana, North Dakota, Bankrate, AnnualCreditReport.com

☆ A $50 million private island that's a 10-minute boat ride off the coast of Florida just hit the market. Take a look.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A 7-acre private island off Florida's coast is on sale for $50 million. AdvertisementIf owning a private island is a personal dream for you, you're in luck — a 7-acre private island located just 3 miles off the coast of Florida just hit the market and could be all yours for $50 million. Jon Kohler & AssociatesFrom the dock on the mainland, the Panama City Beach International Airport is an hour-and-twenty-minute drive away. Jon Kohler & AssociatesJon Kohler & AssociatesIn this scenario, Weldon said the setup would be similar to a condo homeowners' association. Jon Kohler & AssociatesThe bungalows, which were first built in 2009, were remodeled when Seymour bought the island in 2018.

Persons: —, Saint Joseph Bay, Joe, Samuel, Black Sam, Bellamy, Jon Kohler, Lori Bembry Weldon, Weldon, Scott Seymour, Associates Jon Kohler, Seymour Organizations: Service, Associates, Panama City Beach, Jon Kohler & Associates, Business Locations: Florida, Saint Joseph, Port St, Florida's, Black's, Panama, Atlanta

☆ Should you refinance your mortgage? Here are three signs it's time, real estate experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Thanks to those high mortgage interest rates, refinance activity in 2023 was at the lowest level in 30 years. In the first and second quarters of 2023 there was only $75 billion and $80 billion, respectively, in mortgage refinance originations nationally, according to Freddie Mac, a government-sponsored entity that buys mortgages from banks. "We're just in a much higher interest rate situation with the economy," she said. "We've been so accustomed to mortgage rates as a baseline being at 2% or 3%," said Veronica Fuentes, a certified financial planner at Northwestern Mutual. Some lenders may require a higher interest rate if you finance closing costs, plus you'll be paying interest on those expenses for the life of the mortgage.

Persons: Freddie Mac, Jeff Ostrowski, Chen Zhao, Zhao, We've, Veronica Fuentes, that's, Ostrowski, CoreLogic's Organizations: Westend61, Getty, Federal Reserve, Northwestern Mutual

☆ Closing Costs for Buying a Home Have Risen Along With Rates
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Ann Carrns | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A pricey housing market and higher interest rates have made it harder to afford a house, but related expenses known as closing costs also add to the home-buying challenge. Borrowers typically paid about $6,000 for such costs in 2022, up from about $4,900 in 2021. That was on top of a down payment and other costs. The average monthly payment for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose 46 percent, to $2,045 at the end of 2022 from $1,400 a year earlier, the bureau found. The median price of a single-family home in January was $383,500, up 5 percent from a year earlier, the National Association of Realtors reported.

Organizations: Consumer Financial, National Association of Realtors

The title acceptance pilot waives the need for a lender's title insurance policy on some refinance mortgages. The Federal Housing Finance Agency recently rolled out a new pilot program that would lower refinance closing costs for some borrowers. Called the "title acceptance pilot," this program would waive the requirement that conforming loans have a lender's title insurance policy on certain refinance mortgages. Borrowers are required to purchase a lender's title insurance policy, which can be a significant out-of-pocket cost. Pushback from the mortgage industryLeaders from the mortgage and title insurance industries overall weren't pleased with this announcement.

Persons: —, Biden, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, homebuyers, Christopher Tyson, Tyson, doesn't Organizations: Service, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Mortgage Bankers Association, Union, Consumer Financial, National Community Stabilization Trust, homebuyers

Biden unveiled a plan that includes tax credits and down payment assistance to improve housing affordability. Eligible homebuyers would get this tax credit for two years, meaning you could get a total of $10,000 in tax credits for buying a house. Down payment assistanceAnother piece of Biden's plan for more affordable homeownership is the $25,000 in down payment assistance he wants Congress to provide to first-generation homebuyers. What hopeful homebuyers should knowAs a whole, this plan could substantially improve housing affordability, enabling more Americans to become homeowners. And even for homebuyers who qualify for tax credits or other assistance, saving up for a down payment remains a big barrier to homeownership.

Persons: Biden, —, Dan Green, homebuyers Biden, hasn't, doesn't, Green, Daryl Fairweather, Fairweather, White, homebuyers Organizations: Biden, Service, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Consumer Financial, homebuilders, Loan, Program, Bank of America Mortgage, Democrats

President Joe Biden's State of the Union address as prepared for delivery:Good evening. A former American president actually said that, bowing down to a Russian leader. And it’s because of you that tonight we can proudly say the State of our Union is strong and getting stronger. Americans pay more for prescription drugs than anywhere else. I say this as a lifelong supporter of Israel and the only American president to visit Israel in wartime.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Franklin Roosevelt, “, Hitler, Roosevelt’s, Lincoln, Putin, Ronald Reagan, thundered, Mr, Gorbachev, we’ve, Insurrectionists, ., Jan, I’ve, Latorya Beasley, Roe, Wade, Harris, Kate Cox, Kate, – that's, won’t, Hope, Shawn Fain, Dawn Simms, Dawn, That’s, Jill, I’m, Keenan Jones –, Sen, Bob Casey’s, It’s, It’d, Edmund Pettus, John Lewis, Betty May Fikes, ”, Banning, Jasmine, Jackie, we’re, Evan, Paul, Israel, –, We’ve, aren’t, They’ve, We’re, King, Bobby Kennedy, you’ve, Let’s Organizations: Madame, Union, Overseas, Republican, NATO, Alliance, National Security, America, That's, Act, Infrastructure Law, UAW, Big Pharma, Medicare, Affordable, White, Initiative, Women’s Health Research, Grants, Child, Big Oil, Social Security, Border Patrol Union, Dreamers, Peace Corps, Ameri Corps, Corps, American, House, NRA, Hamas, United, U.S, ARPA, Star Locations: Joe Biden's State, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, American, Russian, America, Finland, Sweden, United States, Birmingham , Alabama, Alabama, Dallas, Texas, COVID, That's America, Belvidere , Illinois, Belvidere, it’s, Shawn, HBCUs, Minnesota, Ireland, Selma , Alabama, Selma, Uvalde , Texas, Uvalde, Iowa, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Red, China, Taiwan Strait, I’ve, Scranton , Pennsylvania, Claymont , Delaware, United States of America

☆ The American Dream is under siege
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Parents of young children are making difficult choices to afford child care — or they’re opting to evade it by dropping out of the workforce altogether. Even as the inflation rate has cooled across the US economy, child care remains a sore spot for many families. The weekly price of day care for a toddler surged 9% in 2023, according to Care.com, a marketplace for child care. Of course, Allison is hardly alone in feeling like the American Dream has been more difficult — and expensive — to attain than imagined. “The American dream is being taken away from the younger generation by the housing affordability challenges,” said Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors.

Persons: Hana Husković, Price, Hana, Michelle, they'll, ” Hana, “, It’s, they’ll, ’ Allison Powell, Liam Kelly, ” Allison, Allison Powell, Corinne ., ”, Allison, I’ll, homebuyers, Lotfi Karoui, Goldman Sachs, Lawrence Yun, Yun, Priscilla Almodovar, Fannie Mae, ” Almodovar, that’s, Almodovar, they’d, Homebuilding, Mark Zandi, Biden, ” Lael Brainard, Brainard, ” Brainard, ‘, Rachael Gambino, Garrett Mazzeo, Rachael, Deborah Brunswick, John General, ” Rachael, won’t, they’ve, – Organizations: New, New York CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Wall, CNN, Federal, Intercontinental Exchange, ICE, Bloomberg, Getty, Rust Belt, National Association of Realtors, North, NAR, That’s, Baby Boomers, Homeowners, Federal Reserve, Moody’s Analytics, White, National Economic Council, American, Target, Starbucks, Facebook Locations: New York, United States, Atlanta, Peachtree Corners , Georgia, Decatur, Decatur , Georgia, Carolina, Yugoslavia, Italy, Mexico, Oakland , California, Livermore, San Francisco, California, Los Angeles, San Diego, Francisco, Miami, Honolulu, Rust, Des Moines , Iowa, Dayton , Ohio, Cleveland , Ohio, Scranton , Pennsylvania, Los Angeles , California, North America, America, States, Lansdale , Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

☆ Here are Monday's biggest analyst calls: Netflix, Nvidia, Apple, Meta, Lowe's, Walmart, Target, Pepsi & more
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

JPMorgan upgrades Lowe's to overweight from neutral JPMorgan said investors should buy the stock ahead of earnings later this month. JPMorgan reiterates Netflix as overweight JPMorgan said it's standing by its overweight rating on shares of Netflix. Loop reiterates Meta as buy Loop raised its price target on the stock to $550 per share from $440. Loop reiterates Alphabet as hold Loop raised its price target on the stock to $155 per share from $140. " UBS reiterates Target as buy UBS says Target shares are "compelling."

Persons: Evercore, it's, wouldn't, Rivian, Piper Sandler, Piper, Jefferies, Willis Towers Watson, URBN, Morgan Stanley downgrades Hershey, Morgan Stanley, Morgan Stanley downgrades XPO, Stifel, Raymond James downgrades, Raymond James, Melius, Roth, Guggenheimer, Guggenheim Organizations: Apple, Barclays, Walmart, EV, JPMorgan, generics, UFC, WWE, Netflix, Citi, Willis, PepsiCo, PEP, LT, UBS, Urban Outfitters, Google, 4Q, Bulls, Target, Bank of America, of America, Bank of America downgrades Duke Energy, Duke Energy, Brands, Nvidia, Deutsche Bank, Industries, Deutsche, SilverBow Resources Locations: U.S, Bank of America downgrades, NWL, Republic, Mohawk

☆ Most people buying homes get screwed into spending thousands on a tedious fee. That may be about to change.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An alternative to title insurance called an attorney-opinion letter might help buyers save money. Title insurance, which is required to close on most properties in the US, can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. The savings from using attorney-opinion letters could help Americans facing high prices and high borrowing costs better afford homeownership. Some say title insurance is obsolete, since modern technology has improved access to public records essential for confirming a home's title or owner. "It's been clear for years that something is seriously wrong with title insurance," Schwartz wrote in 2022.

Persons: —, Insider's Mattathias Schwartz, Fannie Mae, Schwartz, Homebuyers, Forbes Organizations: Service, Street, Mortgage, Iowa, The New York Times Locations: Philadelphia, Midwest

☆ Inside a Plan to Save Homeowners Hundreds of Dollars Closing Their Mortgages
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Andrew Ackerman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

November’s existing home sales increased for the first time in six months and prices rose for the fifth straight month. WSJ’s Dion Rabouin digs into the details of the November sales report. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—A government-controlled mortgage giant has a plan that could help more Americans save around $1,000 on closing a mortgage, the latest attempt to chip away at high costs that officials say discourage home buying. Fannie Mae last month said it would expand the types of mortgages it will purchase that rely on a cheaper alternative to title insurance, which is one of the biggest fixed costs tied to closing a mortgage.

Persons: WSJ’s Dion Rabouin, Joe Raedle, Fannie Mae Organizations: Getty, WASHINGTON

☆ Washington Quietly Scrapped a Plan to Save Homeowners Thousands of Dollars
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Andrew Ackerman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Mortgage giant Fannie Mae abandoned work on the program in August. Photo: Eric Lee for The Wall Street JournalWASHINGTON—The Biden administration pushed to save homeowners thousands of dollars in closing costs on certain mortgages, part of a broad effort to slash fees and save Americans money. Objections from an obscure industry and from lawmakers helped kill the plan. Government-controlled mortgage giant Fannie Mae was preparing this summer to finalize a program to test out eliminating one of the biggest fixed costs associated with closing on a mortgage: title insurance.

Persons: Fannie Mae, Eric Lee, The Wall Street Journal WASHINGTON —, Biden Organizations: The Wall Street Journal WASHINGTON Locations: Government

☆ The race to create the 'Amazon of real estate' could change home buying forever
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

But after years of trying, the basic structure of buying and selling a home remains pretty much the same. Even if you accept a bit of intricacy, real estate remains a stodgy industry — and regulation is at the core of that resistance to change. Despite the best efforts of would-be disruptors to cut out this middleman, 88% of buyers this year enlisted a real-estate agent, a Zillow survey found. Short of a tech-enabled homebuying nirvana, there are some other changes that could make the process easier for consumers. Saul Klein, an early internet evangelist in the real-estate industry, told me he sees an approaching "paradigm shift."

Persons: that's, you'll, they're, it's, Mike DelPrete, Rob Hahn, DelPrete, aren't, they'd, pocketing, —, ClosingCorp, we're, John Berkowitz, hasn't, Berkowitz, They're, Bobby Bryant, Bryant, Rich Barton, Wendy Gilch, Gilch, Saul Klein, Klein, James Rodriguez Organizations: Companies, University of Colorado Boulder, National Association of Realtors, Ojo, Group Inc, Universal Locations: Washington, California, Georgia

☆ How to avoid getting scammed out of your home or becoming a victim of land fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Gordon isn't the only victim of this type of fraud — known as home-title fraud, land fraud, or seller-impersonation fraud — where scammers impersonate the rightful owner of a property by forging documents in order to sell it. Petrescu and Gordon share a few measures property owners can implement to help stop land fraud from happening to them. That may seem like an obvious one, but for a vacant piece of property, owners might forgo that extra security. He used the same title company to buy the land and to refinance it a year later. "Here we have the same title company that I used, and now the fraudster's using the same title company," Gordon said.

Persons: —, William Gordon's, Gordon isn't, scammers, Daniel Kenigsberg, Victor Petrescu, Levine Kellogg Lehman Schneider, Grossman, " Petrescu, Petrescu, Gordon, William Gordon William Gordon Another, there's, hadn't, Victor Petrescu Levine Kellogg Lehman Schneider, he'll Organizations: FBI, MLS, Service Locations: Arizona, Tucson, Fairfield , Connecticut, Miami, Petrescu, Pima County , Arizona

☆ An Arizona man planned to build his retirement home on a plot of land he bought 20 years ago. The problem: It was sold for $200,000 without him knowing.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"I noticed the last four digits of the social security number were not mine and the address was wrong — the mail shouldn't have even gotten to me," Gordon told Insider. Gordon, 65, bought the undeveloped, 3 1/3-acre property in 1999 for $76,500, Pima County property records show. AdvertisementAdvertisementGordon spoke with Title Security Agency, the Arizona company that handled Gordon's title work when he purchased the property in 1999. He told Insider that in this instance, the seller was found out to be fraudulent soon after the deal closed. He told Insider he spoke with a broker that had four fraudulent incidents in one day.

Persons: William Gordon, Gordon, He's, —, Penny Davis, Gabriella Cázares, Kelly, it's, we've, Eric Gibbs, I'm, Gibbs, Jeff Murtaugh, he's, who's, Murtaugh, ORNTIC Organizations: Service, Security Agency, First American, Pima Recorder's, Title Security Agency, Realty ONE, Realty Executives, Old, Title Insurance, Insurance, News Locations: Tucson, Wall, Silicon, Tucson , Arizona, Pima County, Phoenix, Arizona, Pima, Texas, Bexar, —, Real, Realty Executives Arizona, Old Republic

☆ New home sales rose to a 17-month high in July
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington, DC CNN —New home sales rose in July from the month before, beating estimates and reaching a 17-month high, as buyers continue to look to new construction as an option in the face of a historically low supply of existing homes. While new home sales have been trending higher over the past year, sales of existing homes have been down for the past few months. Sales in the Midwest surged 47.4% from a month ago and sales in the West were up 21.5% from June. Meanwhile, sales in the Northeast declined by 2.9% from last month and dropped by 6.3% in the South. “When existing homes are hard to find, new homes at the right price are a good substitute.”

Persons: Kelly Mangold, ”, George Ratiu, Odeta Kushi Organizations: DC CNN, US Department of Housing, Urban Development, Census, Real Estate Consulting, ”, Midwest, National Association of Realtors, “ Builders, Builders, First Locations: Washington, –

☆ People are impersonating homeowners to take out mortgages and steal the money. Here are the best ways to stop it happening to you.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Three industry professionals told Insider that incidents like this also happen in the US, and that homeowners should be taking steps to avoid it happening to them. The frequency of this specific type of fraud is hard to quantify, with most data tending to focus on the prevalence of mortgage fraud as a whole. Industry professionals told Insider in March that real-estate fraud as a whole has surged in the past year. Even in cases where the defrauded individuals successfully contest the loan, Berg said it can still be "costly and, of course, upsetting." The experts agreed that another way to stay safe is by purchasing insurance, such as an owner's title policy.

Persons: —, Jay Allen Macdougall, Macdougall, Josh Migdal, Migdal, Hayden, Arthur Pfizenmayer, Pfizenmayer, Bridget Berg, Berg Organizations: Service, Toronto, FBI, Federal Trade Commission, Industry, United States Sentencing Commission Locations: Canada, Pfizenmeyer, CoreLogic

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