Buyers must purchase homeowner’s insurance to protect their home and their property; title insurance to protect their lender’s stake in the ownership of their property; and are typically advised to purchase their own title insurance policy to cover their investment, too. In addition, buyers who make a down payment of less than 20 percent typically pay mortgage insurance premiums.

Real estate topics took a back seat to big issues like the pandemic and power grid failures in 2021 with the Texas Legislature. Of the 3,800 bills enacted into law, real estate still got a little attention.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing $67 million to help resolve heir property issues. Heir property refers to "family-owned land that is jointly owned by descendants of a deceased person whose estate did not clear probate. The descendants, or heirs, have the right to use the property, but they do not have a clear or marketable title to the property since the estate issues remain unresolved."1

The Maine legislature recently passed a bill that focuses on adding certain protections and requirements around option contracts for the purchase of real property or rent-to-own real property.

Perhaps unexpectedly, a recent case says “yes” and this is a scary (but salutary) ruling for any mortgage holder—although it is appropriate to add that the reckoning could have been avoided if the mortgage holder was more careful in paying attention to its situation. [Bank of New York v. Terrapin Industries, LLC, 189 A.D.3d 620, 139 N.Y.S.3d 149 (1st Dept. 2020).]

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Under California law, a grant deed is generally understood to transfer the entire fee title interest in real property, unless it expressly states otherwise. (See, e.g., Civil Code sections 1105 and 1113.) If the seller wants to reserve any rights in the transferred property (such as an easement), the reservation should be expressed in the grant deed.

On June 29, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in PennEast Pipeline Co., LLC v. New Jersey. PennEast presented the question of whether a private company could condemn a pipeline right-of-way across state-owned property under the authority of a specific federal statute. The court ultimately upheld the company's right to condemn, but did so in a divided 5-4 opinion that is also characteristic of recent state court eminent domain decisions.

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The Court of Appeal of California, Third Appellate District, recently affirmed a trial court’s decision striking claims for quiet title and declaratory relief under California's anti-SLAPP statute, finding that recording a judgment constitutes a protected activity which is privileged under Civil Code § 47(b)(2). See Reynolds v. Palmbaum, 2021 WL 3184943 (Cal. Ct. App. July 28, 2021). The plaintiffs, a husband and wife, purchased a home with each owning a one-half interest as their separate property pursuant to a prenuptial agreement.

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Families of a giant rodent native to South America have been invading a luxury gated community in Argentina, highlighting the country's controversial environmental and social policies.

United Wholesale Mortgage CEO Mat Ishbia said Monday that the Pontiac-based company plans to start accepting cryptocurrency for payments before year's end, making it the first major nationwide mortgage lender to do so.

Acting United States Attorney Rhett DeHart announced today that James Thomas Bramlette, 42, of Salt Lake City, Utah, pled guilty to Wire Fraud and Tax Fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 and 26 U.S. § 7202, before United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel. Bramlette will be sentenced at a later date.

Employees of a prominent Gainesville commercial real estate firm whose offices were stormed by an armed SWAT team this summer could face felony charges after a criminal investigation said they bilked their former employer out of a cache of confidential documents and deals worth millions.

Designer: How do you feel about some zebra pattern as an accent? Homeowner: Sure, I guess. Designer: BRING ME THE HERD

In March 1916, the Richmond Hill Police precinct, which covered all of Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, Morris Park, and part of Forest Hills, was designated a mounted precinct. That is, every mounted police officer throughout Queens was transferred to the 283rd Precinct in Richmond Hill.