Selling
Closing fees, payoffs, the deed — what comes out of seller proceeds and why.
Wire Fraud Is Stealing Six Figures From Home Buyers. Here's Your Defense.
In 2023, criminals stole more than $145 million from real estate transactions. The FTC and FBI can help, but only if you act within hours of discovering the theft. Here's exactly what to do.
Owen CastellanosJune 11, 20268 min readYour Flood Insurance Could Vanish if Congress Misses the September Deadline
The government shutdown that stranded Florida buyers last fall is over, but NFIP's authorization expires again on September 30 — and if history repeats, the mortgage market stops with it
Maren CollierJune 2, 20266 min readWhat the NAR Settlement Actually Means for Your Closing — The Parts Nobody Explained
The August 2024 rule change shifted who pays the buyer's agent, but the real cost may have just moved, not disappeared
Talia BrennanMay 26, 20269 min readMost realtors are good. But their training, their trade group, and your closing all have holes you should know about.
Georgia requires more hours to license a hairdresser than a real estate agent. That's only the beginning
Talia BrennanMay 23, 202610 min readThe Email Looked Legit. The Wiring Instructions Were Not. Here's How Wire Fraud Works at Closing—and Why the Law May Not Save You.
A Cle Elum homebuyer almost lost $700,000 to a fraudster who spoofed his title company's email. This is how these scams work, who gets paid when the deal closes, and what you must do before you send a single dollar.
Camille DraytonMay 22, 20267 min readWire Fraud at Closing: What Every Home Buyer and Seller Must Know Right Now
Criminals stole nearly $175 million from real estate victims in 2024 alone. Here is exactly how the scam works, why your closing is a target, and the specific steps that stop it.
Priya WhitfieldMay 22, 20267 min readWhat Changed in Your Home Buyer's Agent Contract After August 2024
The Sitzer-Burnett settlement took effect on August 17, 2024, reshaping buyer-agent agreements nationwide. Here is what the new rules mean at the closing table.
Daniel ReyesMay 19, 20264 min readYou Left Money on the Table: Harris County Homestead Exemptions Explained
Texas homeowners could be saving thousands annually, but many don't know what they're entitled to claim.
Joanne ParkMay 19, 20268 min readYour Realtor Isn't a Real Estate Encyclopedia: What the 75-Hour Training Doesn't Cover
Most buyers treat their agent as the all-knowing authority on their largest financial transaction. Here's the gap between what agents are trained to do and what you actually need them for.
Camille DraytonMay 18, 20269 min readThe Home Warranty Your Agent 'Recommends' at Closing: What's Really in It for Them
Your real estate agent might offer you a home warranty as a closing gift. Here's why that 'peace of mind' pitch deserves a harder look.
Joanne ParkMay 18, 20267 min readWire Fraud at Closing: 3 Steps to Protect Your Closing Funds
Real estate wire fraud has hit $500M a year and targets 1 in 20 closings. Three verification steps — call, verbally confirm, set a code — stop almost every loss before you send your closing funds.
Owen CastellanosMay 4, 20264 min readThe 1997 Tax Trap Hitting Home Sellers in South Dakota — And What You Can Do Before You List
If you've owned your home more than a decade, the IRS may owe you nothing — until you sell. Here's the math most sellers never run until it's too late.
Camille DraytonMay 3, 20266 min readThe Quiet Economy of the Closing Table
How a fifty-year-old federal law meant to protect home buyers from kickbacks created the loophole that made kickbacks the business model — and what it took for one state's attorney general to finally say so.
Talia BrennanMay 2, 202628 min readThree brokerage mergers in 12 months, and the case for shopping anyway
Rocket-Redfin. Compass-Anywhere. Real-RE/MAX. The pitch is convenience. A 25-year closing attorney calls it consumer haze, and he wants you to compare anyway.
Wallace HardyMay 1, 202613 min read