Category: Real Estate
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A New Century’s American Dream: Holding a Deed, or Retiring Early?
The world has changed. Work is increasingly automated, and jobs aren’t guaranteed. Property values are high. Could early retirement be taking homeownership’s place at the core of the American Dream? In previous generations, secure careers underpinned the dream of holding a deed. Financial independence was not as urgent when a career and retirement were predictable.…
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Reach Equity, for Zero Interest? Beeline Gets Deed Holders Buzzing
Blockchain-based home equity lenders are now in business. Here, we look at one. Digital mortgage lender Beeline Holdings, based in Providence, Rhode Island, offers conventional home mortgages as well as alternative loan products, for primary homes and investment properties alike. Beeline serves people, and it serves other mortgage companies. The company recently got itself listed…
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Buying Another Home? Qualifying as a “First-Time Home Buyer” When It’s Not Your First-Ever Deed
First-time home buyer status can make a purchase more affordable. And you don’t have to be a first-ever deed holder. “First-timer” is typically defined as someone who (a) actually never held a deed before; or (b) has not owned a primary home for more than three years. Just three years of faithfully holding your deed,…
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Judge Forces White House Budget Director to Keep Consumer Bureau on Life Support
Begrudgingly, Russell T. Vought just requested $145 million from the Federal Reserve to keep the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — which he runs — alive. Barely. Only a few months of the CFPB’s work will be covered by that $145 million. Judge Amy Berman Jackson declared in a December 30, 2025 federal court order that…
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The Fair Credit Reporting Act: Behind the Scenes When You Acquire a Deed
Getting a deed often depends on a credit report. That’s because credit history is essential to the outcome of a mortgage application. Wrong or breached data can lead to denied loans and other negative effects, like higher mortgage interest rates. There is some good news for an applicant who’s turned down. The applicant must be…
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Higher SALT Caps, Lost Credits: How the 2025 Tax Law Affects Deed Holders
On the Fourth of July, 2025, Donald Trump signed the “Largest Tax Cuts in History” into law. California’s governor calls the law a plan for the ultra-rich. And yes, as SmartAsset.com points out, independent analyses show most of the new tax cuts will benefit those who already enjoy high incomes. Many changes begin with the…
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Eyes on the Ball: Fair Housing Strengthens a Society’s Commitment to Equal Rights
Housing discrimination leads to so many regrettable circumstances. It divides and segregates us. It sits at the core of the affordability struggle. It leads to unrest, anger, and desperation in our cities and towns. Unfairness in the housing setup constantly affects the quality of people’s medical care, safety…even access to healthy food. It impacts some…
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Quitclaim Deeds, Gift Deeds, and Transfer on Death Deeds
Transferring real property between family members is one of the most common estate planning activities in the United States. Whether parents want to pass a family home to adult children, siblings need to resolve inherited property ownership, or grandparents wish to gift vacation property to the next generation, understanding the available deed options is essential…
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Buying Into an HOA? Check These Deed and Property Research Tips
Common interest communities, also known as homeowner associations or HOAs, can be condominium properties, subdivisions, and planned developments. Some have buildings with multi-unit homes. Some are made up of freestanding houses. Many buyers look to acquire deeds to HOA units, rather than whole properties, because of the relative affordability of condos. Others downsize to condos.…
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Fannie and Freddie Prepare to Count Crypto in Loan Approval Decisions. How Will the Market Respond?
In June 2025, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to map out how cryptocurrency could be counted as an asset for home loan applications. Borrowers could keep their crypto accounts. They would not need to convert assets into dollars to receive their loans. In a directive signed on June…
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Throwing in the Towel? Redfin Looks at Who’s Leaving “Flood-Prone” Counties
Redfin recently took a look at the twists and turns in deed transfer trends since 2019, before the pandemic began. The company found some striking geography stats. Water is moving people. Flood-Prone America Is Seeing More People Move Out Than In, Redfin has announced.
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The Push for Fair Housing: Can Equity Triumph Over Hardball Politics?
The National Fair Housing Alliance keeps the public updated on housing access. Its recent reporting indicates that U.S. housing discrimination has been rising over the past decade. In our digital era, we cannot talk about discrimination without implicating automated systems. So we need to understand fairness in the context of our computer age. Technology can…
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Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Boss Faces Investigation—After Accusing Others of Loan Fraud
Real estate developer William (Bill) Pulte directs the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Pulte is also the self-assigned chair of the boards of both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Now, an investigation is underway as to whether Pulte (together with select employees) has misused federal authority and resources.
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Can Buyers Waive the Inspection Upfront? Some States Might Jump on the “No” Train
A few U.S. states discourage sellers and agents from expecting homebuyers to waive their right to a home inspection. This is a consumer-protection issue for states. And that’s not all. The inspection companies don’t like to be left out of deals. And they are lobbying for what they call buyers’ Right to Home Inspection (RTHI)…
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Real Estate “Reset” in 2026? Redfin Thinks So; Here’s the Logic
In an article published this month, titled “Welcome to The Great Housing Reset,” Chen Zhao and Daryl Fairweather of Redfin write, “Next year will mark the beginning of a long, slow recovery for the housing market. The Great Housing Reset will take shape in 2026.” Significantly, Redfin predicts that incomes will rise faster than home…
