Category: Real Estate
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Mental Health in Question: Was the Deed Transfer Valid?
The farmhouse that inspired a 2013 horror film called The Conjuring has attracted visitors to Round Top Road in Burrillville, Rhode Island for years. Then, officials closed the site. There were concerns that the place had become a fire hazard, and the owner was acting strangely. Meanwhile, an actor decided to buy the famous house.…
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When Home Insurance Costs Rise, With No End in Sight, What Can a Deed Holder Do?
The price of a home is one thing. The interest rate on a mortgage is another. But there’s still more in a homeowner’s budget these days. Rising insurance costs have to be taken into account. The classic 30-year, fixed mortgage can help keep a deed holder’s costs in check for decades. Yet home insurance premiums…
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Home Buyers Need Title Companies. Agents Shouldn’t Be Getting Paid to Select Them.
In a recently settled case, Maryland sued one of its title companies. The claim? That the company, together with a few affiliates, made kickbacks to agents. It’s a sad story of greed. It also offers some insights for our readers, and gives us a reason to talk about insuring our home titles—a precaution that should…
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Wrongdoing by Your Real Estate Agent? Five Steps to File a Complaint
A Deeds.com Quick-Start Guide Have you suffered a loss that you believe was the fault of your agent? Do you believe there was a lapse in professionalism? Perhaps even unethical conduct on the part of an agent? Here’s a quick-start guide to addressing the situation, in five steps.
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What’s All the Fuss About Home Buyers Tapping Their Retirement Accounts?
“I’m not a huge fan. Other people like it,” Trump told reporters. The topic? Home buyers raiding their 401(k) savings to come up with down payments. The remark created a stir. A Trump adviser had just appeared on the Fox Business channel, saying that a new federal plan would give people better access to their…
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Inheriting a Home? Read This First.
Now more than ever, an inherited home is a valuable gift. Yet when the inheritance time comes, you might not be sure what to think or do. Or you might simply have questions. Thinking ahead can help get you through that time with confidence. Here‘s a brief guide to planning ahead.
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FinCEN’s 2026 Real Estate Reporting Rule: Does It Apply to Your Deed Transfer?
Beginning March 1, 2026, a new federal reporting requirement issued by the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) will apply to certain residential real estate transfers. This rule is separate from county deed recording requirements and does not change how deeds are prepared or recorded. However, depending on how a transaction is structured, it…
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First-Time Home Buying? How and Where to Buy a Home You’ll Enjoy for Under $250K
Aspiring deed holders are backing off from the market in droves. Prices are high. Mortgage approvals aren’t easily had. The economic outlook is still uncertain. And most would-be buyers (one new survey says three-fourths of renters!) think they’ll never be able to get their own deeds. All of that is very much real. But yes,…
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Compass Just Became the World’s Largest Brokerage. What Buyers and Sellers Should Know
Compass Inc. announced this month that it successfully acquired Anywhere Real Estate for $1.6 billion. A bargain. Consider the high-profile brands that AnywhereSM holds: Century 21, Coldwell Banker, Sotheby’s International, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, and Corcoran. Headquartered in New York, Compass is now the biggest real estate brokerage on Earth.
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Leave Some Deeds for the Rest of Us! Will the White House Lower the Boom on Corporate Buyers?
You may have heard about the Trump executive order on real estate investment companies. The idea is about keeping large companies from buying homes that ordinary deed seekers would want to buy. It comes in the midst of poll results showing voters upset with high prices, and profit-seekers buying up homes. Does this depend on…
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Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve Chair: What This Means for the Deed Market
Donald Trump has decided: Kevin Warsh should take the key position on the Federal Reserve’s governing board. It’s no secret that Trump wants lower interest rates. Will Warsh deliver? And will this stimulate deed transfers in a market that’s been frustrating hopeful sellers and buyers alike? Let’s check into this now.
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U.S. Housing Affordability Politics: What Is Still Possible?
Is it possible to offer real relief to people struggling with our housing affordability challenge? If so, then how? What do you think? Many of us have very good ideas. Can our law and policy makers hear us? The need for affordable U.S. housing has been left hanging way too long. So let’s look at…
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People Living in Train Cars? It’s a Thing.
It certainly is. Some train car homeowners live in them, as with the picture here. Others rent them out as novelty vacation rental homes. You can even stay in one to try out the lifestyle! It’s not even a new idea. The concept of living in a train car has attracted people for generations.
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More Deed Holders Slip Under Water. Lost Equity Risk Varies by Region.
The average deed holder is doing OK—sitting on $299K. But as high as home values are, across-the-board homeowner equity is down from its 2024 highs. Home equity belonging to the average U.S. deed holder went down by about $13K last year. In 32 states, people have been losing equity. Most strikingly, the number of mortgage…
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Can I Sell My Home With Unpaid Property Taxes or Tax Liens?
Any deed holder who’s struggling with the cost of living would understand: meeting property tax deadlines can be stressful. Sometimes, tax deadlines bring impossible burdens to a household. Those who need to sell their homes may wonder what can be done about the back taxes. The city or county government may have recorded a property…
