article thumbnail

Opinion: Title insurance is vital to protecting the American dream

Housing Wire

The capital markets depend on the due diligence, transparency, and protection our industry provides to do its job. Low claims ratios are a testament to the work our agents do to eliminate items prior to closing. Real estate is a $3 trillion industry in the United States.

Title 512
article thumbnail

Risk of mortgage fraud is on the rise in the current market

Housing Wire

Eric Hill, an Atlanta real estate agent representing a nationwide homebuilder, had a plan to help more than 100 homebuyers get mortgages. The problem: They did not qualify for the loans. Hill’s scheme, also enabled by a group of co-conspirators, caught up with him, in part because many of the loans started going south. Petersburg.

Mortgages 397
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

What to Know About FHA Loans

Realty Biz

Your debt-to-income ratio, including mortgage payments, cannot normally be more than 43% of your monthly income If you have suffered bankruptcy, you will need to wait 2 years to apply, or 3 years with a foreclosure FHA vs. Conventional Loans Conventional loans don't have the government's backing and require higher credit scores to qualify.

article thumbnail

What is a Seller’s Disclosure? Here’s Why It’s Important

Redfin

The listing agent must be transparent with buyers about any known issues with the property, so some will do this upfront to make the process quicker. As a buyer, it’s important to carefully review the seller’s disclosure packets with a real estate agent and during the home inspection. . Estate sales or bankruptcy sales.

article thumbnail

Pre Approval vs Pre Qualified vs Underwritten Pre Approval: What’s It All Mean?

HomeLight

Chris Austin , an experienced agent in the Kansas City, Missouri, area, warns that if you start home shopping without getting preapproved, “You could be growing a taste for something you can’t afford — or maybe you can afford more than you think.” A preapproval helps you establish your home shopping budget. Bank statements.

article thumbnail

Working Distressed Properties: How to Navigate and Win in This Evolving Market

HomeLight

If you are already a listener, come join us to mastermind with other listeners, connect with the guests that you hear on the show, learn from other agents and share your knowledge, get exclusive content, influence future episodes, and more. You can find the group here: HomeLight Agent Mastermind – The Walkthrough. FreddieMac.

article thumbnail

Should I Get an Online Quote to Sell My House?

HomeLight

The online-quote model can benefit home sellers who are looking to achieve one or more of the following objectives: Minimize public interaction: If you, your spouse, kids, and pets don’t want to be inconvenienced by a parade of potential buyers, agents, inspectors, appraisers, and contractors, online quote companies offer few interruptions.