The long-time readers of this blog remember back when the financial crisis was imploding, and how we followed the ensuing mortgage-industry collapse. People from Jim Grant to the FHFA were gathering on-the-street intel from this blog, and we had an audience on Wall...
Thanks to Susie for sending in this story of everyday realtor fraud - committed by the third-highest-producing agent team in the country - and an agent who just couldn't be a do-gooder and turn them in. He tried to extort $800,000 from them instead:...
Hat tip to daytrip for sending this in from the latimes.com: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-squatter-art-thief-charged-20151020-story.html When police responded to reports of a squatter at a San Francisco mansion over the weekend, they didn't expect to...
A sophisticated scam by fraudsters hacking into realtor accounts: http://www.turnto10.com/story/30190372/real-estate-scam-costs-ri-couple-13k There’s a consumer alert about an apparent scam targeting families in Rhode Island after a local couple lost $13,000. Experts...
Sellers who are forced to fend for themselves are smart to consider all the angles. But you hate hearing people being put in this position:
There have been 116 new listings of NSDCC houses this year. As expected, 61 of those were on the market last year (53%), and that's not counting the sellers who listed with a different company. Why are listing agents allowed to intentionally deceive the consumer?...
Because California has been exempted by the IRS from their debt-tax on short sales, we should still see more of them in the coming months and years. They tend to be shady - here's how a case in Nevada turned out:...
The informant is getting used to being on national TV, and is a little nervous here. As a result, the significance is understated - JPMorgan Chase defrauded their investors, and then the Department of Justice let them off the hook:
Every American should read this article that exposes the cozy relationship between big banks and government - thanks daytrip for sending! http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-9-billion-witness-20141106 An excerpt: One mortgage in particular that sticks out in...
Here's a fascinating story about the prosecution of people who defaulted on liar loans they obtained in 2006. The U.S. Attorney accused of them of mortgage fraud, and the defense attorneys - some appointed by the state - made the case that banking executives intended...
