First American Title

Glitz! Glamour! Title Insurance Scandal? Welcome to Hollywood. In August, the The Wall Street Journal shared how scammers tried to sell Graceland. This time, a legendary L.A. mansion is the target. Sarah Frano, vice president and real-estate fraud expert at First American Title, shares with Wall Street Journal that due in part to changes in technology, there has been a sharp increase in title fraud and seller impersonation across the country in recent years. In fact, 28% of title companies reported at least one seller impersonation fraud attempt in 2023. Stay vigilant by regularly reviewing county records to verify your title, setting up a Google alert of your property’s address to catch any suspicious activity, monitor your credit report for any changes and of course, utilize a professional service to purchase a title insurance policy with fraud coverage. TLDR: Whether you’re rich, famous, or none of the above, you should always know how to protect your property from fraud. 

While there are alternatives to title insurance, nothing protects your biggest investment like title insurance.

Hackers are on the move every 39 seconds. Keep an eye on your accounts for these telltale signs of a hack: - You can't log in despite using the correct password. - You receive MFA codes or access pins without attempting to log into your account. - Your account activity records show suspicious login times from unknown locations. - You notice suspicious activity like unknown charges or unrecognized social media posts.

What’s that we see? A glimmer of light in the commercial real estate market? That’s right, for the first time since 2022 we’re beginning to see increases in CRE lending. Join economists Mark and Xander as they break down the data in this week’s episode of the REconomy podcast, available on your favorite streaming platforms.

While finances are often a huge factor in the decision to purchase a home, the Five D's of Life are also key determinants of homeownership demand. Do you fall into any of these categories? #Homebuying #HousingMarket #FirstAmEcon

Attention Millennials: Keep pursuing that American Dream of homeownership – it's more within reach than you might think! Despite the common belief, student loan debt isn't the dream crusher it's made out to be. While student loan debt has grown, payment-to-income ratios have dropped thanks to higher incomes, extended repayment terms, and reduced interest rates. This has improved “education-buying power,” allowing young potential home buyers to handle debt more effectively. For more, click the link in the first comment.

A one-time payment for long-term protection? Sounds like a real value. Unlike other types of insurance, you only pay for a title insurance policy once and it will cover you for as long as you own the home (and sometimes even longer!). Learn more about the cost of title insurance, what could be covered, and when it can be used: https://firstam.us/4daqcAw

We’re excited to share the latest research on the critical role of the title insurance industry in the U.S. residential real estate market. A recent white paper from our Chief Economist Mark Fleming estimates that the industry's efforts to maintain accurate and reliable property records mitigate an astounding $600 to $900 billion in risk exposure annually for home buyers, lenders, and other participants in real estate transactions. During the pandemic, this figure even surpassed $1 trillion a year. Check out Mark’s research to learn more!  

Did you miss a Summer School session? Don't worry, we made you a cheat sheet. In fact, we made you a whole guide. To get started, download the guide: https://firstam.us/3SPfurI #RealEstate #Homebuying #HousingMarket

Optimism ahead! While it’s still not a return to normalcy, two months of increasing existing-home sales could signal clear progress and a glimmer of hope for the market. To read more about the incremental progress, click here: https://firstam.us/3B5yxZ3 #FirstAmEcon #HousingMarket #HomeBuyers