Tag: Real Estate Scams
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Multiple States Demand Paybacks From Company That Paid Deed Holders to Use Its Brokerage in the Future
States have come down hard on listing agreements that bind deed holders to one brokerage to sell their homes in the future. Now, under a settlement agreement, MV Realty must pay restitution for the harm done to Massachusetts deed holders for contracts that bound customers for 40-year periods. If MV Realty complies with the agreement, it will…
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Texas Says Time’s Up for Deed Hustlers
A wave of real estate scams has prompted action by Texas lawmakers. Real estate theft and fraud are now in the criminal code. Naming deed crimes is part of a growing trend that you might recall from a series of articles we’ve offered on New York’s new law, naming “deed theft” as a crime category.…
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End Deed Fraud! Florida Tests ID Rule, California Requires Alerts
Real estate prices keep rising. A home title is increasingly valuable. For people who specialize in deed fraud, deed records might as well be pots of gold. These smooth operators are on the lookout for properties they can control, sell, or use to obtain loan or rent money. What happened to the days when a…
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On the Rise: Deed Theft in New England
Can you imagine if someone faked a quitclaim deed and transferred your home out from under you? Years of steadily built-up equity, taken in one fell swoop. It does happen. New York has had to formally create a crime named “deed theft” to treat it with the seriousness it deserves—not just as forgery, but in…
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Is a Cash Real Estate Buyer Trying to Rip You Off?
Making a cash sale is about working with someone who’s ready to buy your home without needing a mortgage to do it. Without a financing contingency, a cash sale is a simple, reliable, quick process. Or is it? Sad but true: Scammers, posing as would-be cash buyers, are out there. All-cash home sale scammers want…
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Sell a Home You Don’t Own? Here’s How They Do It in Scottsdale
Here’s a true story about seller impersonation that landed in the news during the first week of 2026. The story starts with an owner of a home in Arizona getting an alert from the local deed recorder’s office of Maricopa County. Uh oh. The recorder’s office was notifying the deed holder that the title to…
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Another Brooklyn Deed Theft? Isn’t This a Felony Now?
Carmella Charrington of Brooklyn has a disturbing story to tell. And New York City’s News 12 reporters listened. In a state where deed theft is now named as grand larceny under the criminal law, some self-declared “new homeowner” broke into her home earlier this month. Then the stranger tried to evict Charrington. The office of…
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The Sting: Arizona Real Estate Agent Calls the Cops, Derails Deed Fraud
A fast-acting real estate pro helped nab the suspected perpetrator of a deed theft against a senior. John Rowan, a Scottsdale real estate agent and investor, got a call from a stranger whose friend reportedly inherited a home and wanted to sell it as-is. Rowan went to check out the Phoenix-area home. A landscaper present…
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Stolen Home Recorded as Sold for $10. How Will Texas Respond?
A family home was stolen in a fraudulent sale, for just $10, with a forged deed. Now, an heir is fighting in court to recover the property. Shannon P., the heir who’s fighting, views her lawsuit as a public service announcement as well as a struggle to recover generational wealth. “If you’re not checking on…
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“Locking” Your Home Title? Read This First.
You might have seen ads urging you to get services that “lock” your title against deed theft. First, is deed theft really a thing? Next, if it is, do “title lock” companies really prevent it? Yes, and no. Let’s break this down, Q&A-style. Then, we’ll offer some important but simple tips to keep tabs on…
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Leaving Your Home for a While? An Arizona Trucker Has a Cautionary Tale
“This is home. It will always be home,” D’Andrea Turner told ABC’s Channel 15. “I raised my babies here.” D’Andrea’s ex, Keith Turner, is a trucker who went out on the road for long stretches at a time. This left the home unattended, as the pair had separated. This year, the two parents learned their…
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Buy Safely. Learn From Others. Anticipate Pitfalls in Manufactured Home Deals.
At Royal Village, a manufactured home community in Toledo, Matthew Caton fought hard for his rights. Matthew was among a number of residents who lingered in a rent-to-own status. They’d been promised their titles 180 days after they bought in. But they’d been waiting more than a year when they heard they’d finally receive their…
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Seniors Lose Billions Each Year to Scammers: 5 Quick Tips to Protect Yourself
According to the FBI, scammers take advantage of seniors to the tune of billions annually. A lot of this happens because seniors own a massive amount of U.S. real estate, a hard and valuable asset. To avoid enriching the wrong people, keep our five tips in mind. Consider sharing this column with friends who need…
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Ohio Cancer Survivor Recovers Home After Quitclaim Fraud
A Dayton homeowner finally got her deed back. The title to Robin M’s home was swiped out from under her while she was undergoing cancer treatments two years ago. Last year, she proved that her property was taken from her by deed theft. The Common Pleas Court of Montgomery County, Ohio determined that her Dayton…
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“We Buy Ugly Houses” (And Other Ponzi Schemes)
We’ve all stumbled into bad deals at some point — but maybe not as painfully as Ronald. In 2017, a retired Texan named Ronald took some very questionable advice. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Ronald invested with a certain Charles Carrier, who owned (what appeared to be) a hugely successful franchise…
