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☆ 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

☆ I don't let my child use Roblox. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-08 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Unlike most of the video games for Xbox or PlayStation, Roblox's games are user-generated — and there are thousands of them. A screenshot of Roblox games rated "all ages." Roblox screenshotOn Tuesday, Hindenburg Research, a short-seller, published a report accusing Roblox of inflating user metrics and deceiving investors. The Hindenburg report also accused Roblox of "exposing children to grooming, pornography, violent content, and extremely abusive speech." Nonetheless, Roblox users identifying as 9 years old and up can still beat up homeless people in "Beat Up People Outside of 7/11" with over 900,000 visits.

Persons: —, he'd, SpongeBob, Mickey Mouse, Hindenburg, Roblox, I've Organizations: Hindenburg Research, Service, Xbox, Roblox, Bloomberg, Wal, Safety Locations: Hindenburg, Roblox's, Roblox

"We have kind of a two-level house — it's not a two-story, but there are two levels," Smith-Frady told Business Insider. AdvertisementIn May 2024, the average cost of flood insurance in Florida was $781 a year, according to personal-finance company NerdWallet. Advertisement"It basically makes the home a total loss if they don't have flood insurance," Meyer Lucas said. "In Florida, there's really high flood risk, which I think is broadly understood, but that the cost associated with that flood risk is not being captured in home values." "The storms are happening so diversely in so many different areas of the state," D'Amario told Business Insider.

Persons: Helene, —, Hurricane Helene, Alexis Smith, Smith, Frady, Idalia, She's, Katie Mallah, Mallah, Katie Mallah Mallah, it's, Heather Cameron, Cameron, Holly Meyer Lucas, Meyer Lucas, Jon Schneyer, Pete, haven't, Jesse Gourevitch, there's, Ryan D'Amario, D'Amario Organizations: Service, FEMA, Business, Flood Insurance, Hurricanes, Sunshine State, Farmers Insurance, Bankers Insurance, Miami Herald, Capital Economics, Palm, Street Journal, Environmental Defense Fund Locations: Florida, St, Petersburg, Hurricane, Bradenton, North Carolina, Tampa, Sarasota, St . Petersburg, Shore, Shore Acres , Florida, Insurify, Palm Beach, Nature, Appalachia, Gulf

☆ I own a collection of over 100 perfumes. Here are 3 red flags I look out for when shopping for fragrances.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-02 | by ( Eliza Partington | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I own over 100 perfumes and have learned what things to look out for when shopping for fragrances. I'd steer clear of secondhand sellers who appear to have a large inventory of expensive perfumes. As someone who has a collection of over 100 perfumes, I've encountered my fair share of red flags when shopping for fragrances in person and online. From secondhand sellers to irregular packaging, here are the things I always look out for when shopping for perfume. Beware of secondhand sellers with large collections of expensive perfumesI suggest checking the seller's other listings to see if they have a suspiciously large collection.

Persons: —, Chris Hellier, Kristina Strasunske, Maison Francis Kurkdjian's, it's Organizations: Service

☆ Real estate fees settlement created 'a new competitive ballgame,’ expert says. Here's what buyers, sellers need to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

New rules on buying and selling homes are in play, now that a settlement from a class-action lawsuit has taken effect. At the time of listing a property, the home seller negotiated with the listing agent what the compensation would be for a buyer's agent, which appeared on the MLS. "Now, the buyer chooses how much the buyer's agent makes, the sellers choose how much the seller's agents make," Glenn Kelman, CEO of online real estate brokerage firm Redfin, told CNBC. Any confusion around the new practices among agents and consumers will likely be temporary, said Kerry Melcher, head of real estate at Opendoor. "Real estate agents are good at moving the market," she said.

Persons: brokerages, TikTok It's, Glenn Kelman, Kerry Melcher Organizations: National Association of Realtors, MLS, Finance, CNBC Locations: U.S, Opendoor

☆ EEOC says Globe Life "created, condoned" a work environment that is hostile and abusive to women
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-27 | by ( Susan Antilla | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Federal agency finds Globe Life tolerated nonconsensual touch, unwelcome genital exposure, sexual quid-pro-quos at top agency. EEOC says agents at the Globe Life agency were employees, not contractors. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has found that Globe Life tolerated a "pervasive pattern of harassing conduct" against women at one of its top-producing sales agencies. American Income Life is one of five wholly owned subsidiaries of Globe Life that sell life, accident, and supplemental health insurance. Globe Life disclosed that risk in its filing this morning with the SEC and said it would fight any such lawsuit vigorously.

Persons: EEOC, —, Arias, Mark P, Carey, Renee Zinsky, Michael Russin, she'd, Zinsky, AIL, Sarah Reay, Matthew D, Trina Orlando, Anne Rose Dana, King, Jennifer Haworth, Simon Arias, partied, marshaling, Globe, Panda, Wilmer Hale, Matt Darden, Abeni Mayfield, Department of Justice —, Deborah A, Kane, Amy Williamson Organizations: Globe Life, Service, Commission, Business, BI, Globe, Arias Organization, Securities and Exchange Commission, Wexford, King & Spalding, Las, Department of Justice, Research, SEC Locations: Southport , Connecticut, Wexford, Pennsylvania, Morgantown , West Virginia, Las Vegas, Columbia , Maryland, Pittsburgh

Amelia is the latest generative AI tool that Amazon has brought to market in the past year as it seeks to capitalize on the hype sparked by OpenAI's ChatGPT. The company has introduced an AI-powered shopping assistant named Rufus, a chatbot for businesses dubbed Q and Bedrock, a generative AI service for cloud customers. More than 400,000 of Amazon's millions of third-party sellers have used its AI listing tool, up from 200,000 in June, he said. With Amelia, Amazon is counting on generative AI to help with a key issue for third-party merchants — account troubleshooting. Amazon said the tool uses retrieval-augmented generation, or RAG, a popular AI industry framework that combines generative AI with long-established methods of information retrieval.

Persons: Nathan Stirk, Amelia, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Rufus, Anthropic, Andy Jassy, Jassy, Thos Robinson, it's, Dharmesh Mehta, Mehta Organizations: Getty, Central, CNBC, New York Times, Google, Microsoft, Merchants Locations: New York City, Seattle .

☆ 3 couples who recently got mortgage interest rates under 3% share how they did it
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Read previewOver the past few years, US mortgage rates have fluctuated wildly, leaving both homebuyers and sellers scrambling. AdvertisementThis can lead to significantly lower interest rates, making monthly mortgage payments more affordable and saving thousands over the life of the loan. The Federal Open Market Committee, which oversees US monetary policy, is expected to cut interest rates at its meeting this week. This could lead to further declines in mortgage rates in the coming months. Here are the stories of three homebuying couples who secured mortgage rates below 3% since March 2023 using assumable mortgages.

Persons: —, Louis, Freddie Mac, aren't, Grace Lucchese, Mickey Ricard, Boston —, Lucchese, Ricard, Riccard, Brian Sankey, Fort Knox, Sankey, Brian Sankey Sankey, wouldn't, Amy Yzaguirre, Yzaguirre, I've Organizations: Service, Federal, Fed, Federal Reserve Bank of St, Business, Federal Housing Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Market Committee, Boston, Lucchese, assumable Veterans Affairs, Veterans Affairs, Army, Toyota Tacoma Locations: Lucchese's, Sudbury , Massachusetts, Boston, couple's Massachusetts, Elizabethtown , Kentucky, Fort, Elizabethtown, Oregon, Idaho, Tigard, Portland, Sherwood

☆ Homebuyers have a fresh 'bargaining chip' to play, following new rules for how real estate agents are paid
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-11 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A recent rule change shook up how real estate agents are paid, but it comes with an upside that could help buyers beat other offers on a home. As of Aug. 17, homebuyers must negotiate how much they pay their real estate agent before starting their home search, a shift from the decades-long practice where both buyer's and seller's agents were paid from the sale proceeds, typically splitting 5% to 6% of the price. With the rule change, buyer's agents can be paid a number of ways, including as a percentage of the home price or a set fee. They could also still be paid out by the seller if it's offered. But the change in policy also gives buyers an edge by allowing them to remove the seller's obligation to pay the agent's commission, potentially making their offer more competitive than other bids.

Persons: homebuyers, it's

☆ Compass CEO Robert Reffkin: It's still a seller's market
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCompass CEO Robert Reffkin: It's still a seller's marketRobert Reffkin, Compass co-founder and CEO, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss the housing markets as mortgage rates fall and new home sales rise.

Persons: Robert Reffkin, It's

☆ 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

☆ 90% of real-estate investors report losing money on a property. Here are their top regrets and how to avoid them.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Advertisement"I had a full-time job at the time, and I even had a property manager managing the properties," Cabrera said. Dutton, who has dealt with sellers wanting out, says even property owners trying to offload the problem can lose money in the process. This way, if one unit loses money for whatever reason, the other units will continue to cash flow. In terms of considerations when thinking about the location of an investment property, Dutton noted that one of the biggest expenses buyers often miss, especially in places like South Florida, is property taxes. Another tax mistake buyers make is checking the current property tax and assuming they will pay the same amount.

Persons: it's, Whitney Dutton, Daniel Cabrera, Cabrera, Cabrera isn't, Shelby Johnson, Johnson, Dutton, Chrissy Grigoropoulus, Grigoropoulus Organizations: Service, Native Realty, US Army Locations: South Florida, San Antonio, North Carolina, Florida, New York's Nassau County, New York

☆ A future-of-work expert explains why some companies are willing to risk losing talent to get workers back to the office
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

And workers themselves welcome the new culture of flexibility that offers them a better work-life balance. AdvertisementThere is no doubt that the transition is underway, Ravin Jesuthasan, a renowned future-of-work expert and author of "The Skills-Powered Organization," told Business Insider. However, some organizations exhibit a certain amount of inertia when it comes to adapting to the new working culture. There's lots of people who want to come work here, and so this is our culture and this is how we're going to sustain our culture," Jesuthasan said. The most important thing is that people have to understand the logic of why you create these rules," the future-of-work expert said.

Persons: —, Ravin, Jesuthasan, We've, Richard Baker, it's, It's, that's, I'm Organizations: Service, Business, Organization, Employees

☆ Homebuyers are flocking to a type of loan that offers a lower mortgage rate. But they often require bigger down payments, and lenders don't like to give them.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Homebuyers seeking lower mortgage rates are snapping up a rare type of loan. AdvertisementA type of mortgage that can offer ultra-low rates is becoming more popular among homebuyers — but they're rare and difficult to come across, real estate experts say. Buyers have been increasingly turning to assumable mortgages, or home-lending schemes where a buyer takes over a seller's mortgage, at the rate it was originally financed. Borrowing costs on the 30-year-fixed mortgage, the most popular type of mortgage in the US, ticked higher to 6.7% last week, according to Freddie Mac data. Meanwhile, 85% of existing homeowners have a mortgage rate under 6%, per an analysis from Realtor.com.

Persons: —, Freddie Mac Organizations: Service, Business

☆ The key price support levels to watch as sellers return to Nvidia
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Todd Gordon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

To start let's examine the 200-day moving average on the daily chart below shown as a dashed blue line. Looking back to the most recent correction in April, that was the support level of the price-to-moving average spread: 34%. We could be approaching a support level based on this analysis. This could occur by price continuing to move lower along with the moving average trending higher as the recent higher price readings factor into the average. The 50-day moving average of the daily volume totals is clearly in a decline since April.

Persons: Steve Eisman, Eisman, We're, Todd Gordon, Gordon, NVDA Organizations: CNBC, Nvidia, Jan, Edge, Inside Edge, NBC UNIVERSAL Locations: NVDA

☆ Defining a buyer's market 'is always a bit tricky,' real estate expert says: 4 signs to monitor
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Despite those headwinds, some indicators show the housing market is shifting away from a seller's market. That doesn't mean it's a buyer's market — yet: "The term buyer's market is always a bit tricky to work with," said Chen Zhao, the economic research lead at Redfin, an online real estate brokerage firm. There are "rules of thumb" to define a buyer's market, like having more than four months of supply, she said. "We're still nationwide somewhat in a seller's market, not a buyer's market yet," he said. Here are four signs that can help you recognize if the housing market in your area is more in buyers' favor: 1.

Persons: Freddie Mac, Chen Zhao, Zhao, they're, We're, Daryl Fairweather, Redfin, Julie Zubiate, Selma Hepp, Sellers Organizations: National Association of Realtors, NAR, Federal, Zillow, CNBC, Finance, Sdi, San Francisco Bay Area Locations: U.S, Redfin, San Francisco Bay

Mortgage rates haven't moved much in recent days, with average 30-year mortgage rates sticking around 6.51% so far this week, according to Zillow data. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates were 6.05% this week, according to Freddie Mac data, which is a 12-basis-point decrease from the previous week. As inflation comes down and the Federal Reserve is able to start cutting the federal funds rate, mortgage rates should fall further as well. Now that the Fed has paused hiking rates, mortgage rates have come down a bit.

Persons: Lawrence Yun, Freddie Mac Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Zillow, Federal Reserve, Fed Locations: Chevron

☆ June home sales slump, pointing to a buyer's market as supply increases
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"We're seeing a slow shift from a seller's market to a buyer's market," said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the Realtors. These inventory levels are the highest supply since May 2020, boosted by homes sitting on the market longer. Supply of homes for sale is weakest on the lower end, but is seeing a new surge now. While the sales price nationally is high, new listing prices are lower. Either home sales rise, or, if the prices do not rise, the prices would buckle down," Yun added.

Persons: Lawrence Yun, Danielle Hale, Yun Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Realtors, Realtor.com, Investors Locations: Patchogue, N.Y, Patchogue , New York

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

Some of the most important factors to consider when buying a house are price, size, and location. Location and neighborhoodLocation is something you're stuck with until you move, so be sure you're choosing a city, school district, and neighborhood that suits your needs. If homes are flying off the shelves, you'll need to be prepared to make fast offers that get noticed right off the bat. If the appraisal comes in lower than what you offer, you'll have to make up the difference or renegotiate with the seller. Evaluating a house's resale potential is critical, as you want to be sure you're making a smart investment of your money.

Persons: Glen Pizzolorusso, Hope, that's, they're, it's, you've, they'll, you'll Organizations: Glen Christopher Luxury, Facebook, Energy Locations: Connecticut, Chevron

Market trends and data analysisTo get a better idea of whether you should sell now, get familiar with your local housing market. The best time to sell a house depends on your local market, but generally speaking, you'll find the following are true. This would provide steady monthly income and allow you to wait to sell until market conditions improve. You should consider local market conditions, your financial and personal needs, and larger economic conditions before you sell your house. To determine the best time to sell your house, look at local market trends, economic forecasts, and seasonal patterns.

Persons: they're, you'll, it's, we'll Organizations: Data, National Association of Realtors, Chevron Locations: Chevron

Understanding the role of a real estate agentWhat does a real estate agent do? To be able to represent buyers and sellers in this process, real estate agents all have to meet their state's requirements for real estate salespeople. Another type of real estate agent you may come across is a real estate broker. Real estate agent vs. RealtorNot all real estate agents are Realtors. How to find a real estate agent FAQsHow many real estate agents should I interview before making a decision?

Persons: that's, they've, you've, It's, you'll, Keller Williams, You'll, they're, I'm Organizations: Realtors, National Association of REALTORS, NAR Locations: Chevron

☆ I got a 2.75% mortgage rate when most other homebuyers were being quoted 7%. Now I can save more for retirement.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

An assumable mortgage allows qualifying buyers to acquire the interest rate, current principal balance, and other conditions of a seller's existing loan. In June, we bought it for $400,000, assuming the seller's mortgage at a 2.75% interest rate with 26 years left on a 30-year fixed-rate loan. The assumable mortgage process was actually straightforwardBefore starting the assumption, we thought it would be very difficult. It seemed that they were trying to steer us away from the assumable mortgage and toward getting a new one. They even offered us a lower interest rate below the current rate, but it was still significantly higher than what I was getting through this assumable process.

Persons: —, Brian Sankey, We've, wouldn't, Sankey, Taryn Root, Brian Koellish, it's Organizations: Service, Business, Veterans United, Loans Locations: Kentucky, Elizabethtown, Fort Knox , Kentucky, Elizabethtown , Kentucky

☆ Amazon sellers lose coveted buy box ahead of Prime Day after Target discount snafu
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-13 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Even though Fishman is the owner of the VitaCup brand, he said he lost the buy box to a reseller of his coffee products. That meant it was indexed by Amazon's pricing algorithms, Fishman said, causing him to lose the buy box. Angus Mordant | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesWinning the buy box is paramount to a seller's success on Amazon. Nearly 98% of sales made on Amazon go through the buy box button, the FTC alleged in its suit. "The only way to get back the Amazon buy box is to lower our price on Amazon," Arnold said.

Persons: Tom Williams, Brandon Fishman, Fishman, I've, David Zapolsky, Amazon's, Target, Angus Mordant, Mason Arnold's, Arnold, Sunwink, we're Organizations: Washington , D.C, Cq, Inc, Target, Amazon, Walmart, Federal Trade Commission, JPMorgan, Bloomberg, Getty, FTC Locations: Washington ,, Harriman , New York

☆ School's out, and parents' financial stress is in
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Speaking of money and vacations: In today's big story, summer vacation means financial stress for parents looking to keep their kids busy while school is out without breaking the bank . The big storyThe cost of summeriStock; Rebecca Zisser/BISchool's out for summer, but the relief for kids is causing financial pain for their parents. Further complicating things is most camps don't cover the two-plus months parents need to fill for their kids. The result is sometimes a patchwork system of camps and part-time nannies that parents need to cobble together. AdvertisementThis year, skincare products proved to be a lightning rod for kids and parents at elite summer camps , writes BI's Anna Silman.

Persons: —, Rebecca Zisser, Juliana Kaplan, Madison Hoff, Kate Dehler, BI's Anna Silman, Anna, You've, Goldman Sachs, it's, Alyssa Powell, Gen, Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Jack Sommers, Annie Smith, Grace Lett, Amanda Yen Organizations: Service, Business, Karma, Hindenburg Research, Adani, Bank of, Samsung, Indian, The Locations: What's, Al, Florida, Russian, New York, London, Chicago

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