Category: Real Estate News
Preserve & Protect Your Homestead Exemption: What Homeowners Need to Know
By Roland Love, Independence Title Vice President and Attorney If you own a home in Texas, your residential homestead exemption is one of the most important tools for reducing your […]
Read More of Preserve & Protect Your Homestead Exemption: What Homeowners Need to Know >>Changes in Economic Policy
By Mark Sprague, Independence Title Director of Information Capital Since the economy emerged from the shocks of the pandemic, there is a case to be made that the economy has […]
Read More of Changes in Economic Policy >>CTA’s Wild December Ride
By Roland Love, Independence Title Vice President and Attorney Hold on tight … for now, the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) is again on hold. The U.S. Court of Appeals for […]
Read More of CTA’s Wild December Ride >>What is FinCEN and Why Does the Title Company Care About It?
By Karen Burnett, Senior Vice President, Escrow Manager FinCEN is part of the US Department of the Treasury that was created to help identify how some cash funds were being […]
Read More of What is FinCEN and Why Does the Title Company Care About It? >>How Does Your Title Company Protect You and Your Clients from Cyber Threats and Fraud? Independence Title Uses CertifID
By Kara McGregor, Independence Title’s Sr. VP of Branding and Public Relations Real Estate transactions are a rich target for fraudsters and cyber criminals, with valuable assets and staggering amounts […]
Read More of How Does Your Title Company Protect You and Your Clients from Cyber Threats and Fraud? Independence Title Uses CertifID >>The Changing Real Estate Market: What You Need to Know
by Mark Sprague, Independence Title’s Director of Information Capital The real estate market is changing. For the last 10+ years, lending rates have been artificially low. That, in turn, with […]
Read More of The Changing Real Estate Market: What You Need to Know >>Brokers Have Some Decisions to Make … FAST …
by Kara McGregor, Senior Vice President; Roland Love, Attorney and Vice President; and Kaema Roberson, Vice President of Education June 24, 2024 – As the legal landscape on agent commissions […]
Read More of Brokers Have Some Decisions to Make … FAST … >>So now what?
Real Estate Market Update from Mark Sprague Independence Title’s Director of Information Capital In real estate, the big question is: “When will we return to normalcy?” Would anyone be surprised if […]
Read More of So now what? >>Economic Update
by Mark Sprague, Independence Title’s Director of Information Capital DATELINE: May 3, 2024 The Federal Reserve will likely maintain higher interest rates for an extended period due to firmer-than-expected inflation […]
Read More of Economic Update >>Asking the Right Questions About the National Press on Austin
Per the Wall Street Journal: “Once America’s Hottest Housing Market, Austin is Running in Reverse” Rebuttal from Mark Sprague, Director of Information Capital, Independence Title The proposition by the media: […]
Read More of Asking the Right Questions About the National Press on Austin >>Your Real Estate Business and Upcoming CTA Deadlines
Compliance update for the 2023 year-end and the 2024 new year By Roland Love, Independence Title Vice President, Attorney, and Educator The Corporate Transparency Act, which goes into effect in […]
Read More of Your Real Estate Business and Upcoming CTA Deadlines >>Has the Residential Real Estate Market Changed? Market Update with Mark Sprague
By Mark Sprague, State Director of Information Capital A question Realtors, economists, real estate analysts, and more have been getting for the past 18+ months: Has the residential real estate market changed? For […]
Read More of Has the Residential Real Estate Market Changed? Market Update with Mark Sprague >>Market Update with Mark Sprague Summer 2023
By Mark Sprague, State Director of Information Capital The market had hoped that moderating inflation would have a positive impact on rates by the middle of this year. Not going to happen. Not […]
Read More of Market Update with Mark Sprague Summer 2023 >>Market Update with Mark Sprague
By Mark Sprague, State Director of Information Capital The Federal Reserve Bank’s policy-making committee (FOMC) raised rates this week (at the November 1-2 meeting) by .75% and kept a hawkish tone given the […]
Read More of Market Update with Mark Sprague >>How the Federal Reserve Impacts Mortgage Rates
Compiled by Mark Sprague, State Director of Information Capital The other day was the Federal Reserve meeting; their decision was another 75-basis point / ¾ point rate hike. Mortgage rates have surged […]
Read More of How the Federal Reserve Impacts Mortgage Rates >>The Long-Awaited Slowdown In the Pace of Economic Activity Nationally is Here, or Is It?
By Mark Sprague, State Director of Information Capital Jobs nationally and locally continue to be created at a robust pace. (Job openings are twice the number of people out of work nationally and […]
Read More of The Long-Awaited Slowdown In the Pace of Economic Activity Nationally is Here, or Is It? >>Tax Time in Texas – Homestead Exemption Q&A with Roland Love
By Roland Love, Vice President, Business Alliances & Field Operations Our recent note regarding the legislative change generally allowing a person to claim a homestead exemption anytime during the year […]
Read More of Tax Time in Texas – Homestead Exemption Q&A with Roland Love >>2022 and Beyond! A Market Update from Mark Sprague
By Mark Sprague, State Director of Information Capital As many of you look to 2022 and beyond, we all know it’s really anybody’s guess as to what the future holds. However, many of […]
Read More of 2022 and Beyond! A Market Update from Mark Sprague >>New PID Notice Requirements Q&A
By Kaema Roberson, VP – Director of Education If you haven’t already heard, beginning September 1, 2021, sellers will be required to provide notice to buyers when selling property located […]
Read More of New PID Notice Requirements Q&A >>Mark Sprague’s Update to Lumber Futures
I keep getting these questions: “What are builders doing on purchasing lumber at these high prices?” “Any recommendations on when this will go down and how long?” and “Will prices […]
Read More of Mark Sprague’s Update to Lumber Futures >>