Closinglock launches payment tools to secure homebuyer funds
Closinglock has launched SecurePay open payment links and buyer earnest money deposit (EMD) returns, allowing title companies to securely accept and refund buyer funds through a single platform. SecurePay links accept earnest money, option fees and closing costs before a file opens. EMD returns use pre-verified bank accounts to deliver refunds by the next business day.
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Wire Fraud in Title & Escrow Is Intensifying: 7 Takeaways From Qualia's 2026 Report
Cybercrime has hit record highs, and real estate's feeling the pressure. In 2025, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) logged more than one million complaints for the first time in its 26-year history, with total U.S. losses reaching $20.87 billion, up 26% year over year. Real estate fraud complaints climbed 32% on an annual basis to 12,368, and losses jumped nearly 60% to $275.1 million.
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Hispanic homeowners in Florida pay 58% more for insurance than white homeowners, report says
A new report is raising concerns about homeowners insurance premiums in Florida, finding that costs tend to run higher in Black and Hispanic neighborhoods than in white neighborhoods. The report, titled "Redlined, The Persistence of Racial Inequality in the Cost of Homeowners Insurance," was published by the Consumer Federation of America and examined how homeowners insurance premiums differ from neighborhood to neighborhood across the state. According to the report, across the U.S., Black neighborhoods pay 16% more and Hispanics 30% more than white neighborhoods.
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Nearly 1 in 3 mortgage borrowers fears foreclosure, JD Power survey warns
The share of mortgage borrowers who believe they are at risk of foreclosure has nearly doubled in four years, according to new data from JD Power's 2026 U.S. Mortgage Servicer Satisfaction Study released Thursday. According to the survey, 30% of borrowers now say they fear losing their home, up from 17% in 2022. The figure does not reflect actual foreclosure rates, which remain manageable, but it points to a meaningful shift in how borrowers are feeling about their financial position at a time when escrow payments are rising, late fees are increasing, and the broader financial health of the average homeowner is declining.
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