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Evelio and Milagros Esteban are in their 70s and they’ve been homeowners for years. But recently they ran into trouble paying their mortgage. That was when they mistakenly transferred their home deed to another Miami resident, who offered to help them rent out their home. Thinking they were signing a Section 8 housing application — …
Continue reading “Elders and Real Estate Fraud: A Burgeoning Problem”
Florida is a snowbird’s paradise. It’s no surprise that condos make up a major portion of the market. Recently, though, Florida condos are presenting specific challenges. They’re getting hard to finance. Home buyers in Florida can expect to put at least 25% down. For coastal homes, which lenders consider risky, the expected down payment can …
Continue reading “Condo Bubble? What’s Going On in Florida Now?”
The Register of Deeds of Shelby County, Tennessee recently took to a live television newscast to warn the public about scammers scouring funeral listings and obituaries. They’re looking for dead people whose homes they can steal. They forge deeds. They record bogus title transfers. Once they have control over their ill-gotten homes, criminals sell them, …
Continue reading “Register of Deeds Blasts Crooks Who Steal Homes Out From Under Owners’ Funerals”
If you or someone you care about is 62+, you’ll know it’s important to avoid sketchy financial offers targeting older adults. But what about reverse mortgages? From time to time, media outlets point to scams or high-pressure tactics involving reverse mortgages. And it’s true that reverse mortgages are designed for senior homeowners. But are these …
Continue reading “Reverse Mortgage Scams? What Seniors Need to Know.”
We all know about porch pirates… but look out for title pirates. They’ll take your whole porch. Title piracy is deed fraud. It happens when someone uses a deed to deliberately take over someone else’s real estate. It’s an unusual crime, but according to the National Association of REALTORS® (which cites FBI figures), it’s been …
Continue reading “Ahoy There, Matey! Look Out for the Title Pirates”
KeyBank® is putting $400,000 into NeighborWorks Western Pennsylvania. Why? To make housing accessible to Black communities — as they have been disproportionately left out of homeownership. Sure, $400,000 is a modest sum these days. But it’s part of a bigger picture. In recent years, KeyBank has contributed close to half a billion dollars to Greater …
Continue reading “KeyBank Talks Fair Housing—Putting Its Money Where Its Mouth Is”
Michael B., a real estate broker, has changed his mind. He’s now pleading guilty in a felony fraud case involving deed theft. In Florida, fraudulent real estate schemes are not unusual. But when a real estate broker in active status is pursued for deed fraud, that’s the kind of case that stands out. Yes, you read …
Continue reading “Deed-Stealing Florida Broker Pleads GUILTY”
New York State Attorney General Letitia James is championing a cause near and dear to our hearts: safe and secure deeds. On the last day of July 2023, the A.G. announced an indictment of a Long Island resident for deed theft. Joseph Makhani faces two counts of criminal possession of stolen property and one count …
Continue reading “Deed Theft Crackdown: New York’s on a Roll”
Some people will steal their own mothers’ homes. In a stunning case of deed fraud, a woman named Wanda donned a wig and pretended to be her own elderly mother, then tried to steal her home in Hillsborough County, Florida. A video recording shows Wanda using the Notarize computer-based notary service, signing a quitclaim deed. …
Continue reading “Quitclaim Forgery Is Snatching Florida Homes From Seniors and Dead People”
On June 24, 2023, New York’s lawmakers passed a bill to create the crime of deed theft and help New Yorkers hold onto their homes. The state’s Attorney General, Letitia James, has been vocal about the need for new legislation to help keep New Yorkers in their homes. State Sen. Brian Kavanagh and Assembly member …
Continue reading ““Deed Theft” Is a Crime, Says New York Legislature”