Stocks sink as worries about an interest rate hike rattle tech investors
Major stock indexes fell sharply Friday after a strong jobs report set the stage for the Federal Reserve to hike rates, rattling shares of companies that are involved in sky-high artificial intelligence investments. The threat of higher interest rates often sends stocks lower because borrowing money, especially the large sums that AI firms are borrowing, becomes more expensive.
|
Chicago real estate feud boils over as MLS shuts down Zillow's data access
A massive feud between Zillow and local industry leaders erupted after Chicago's major multiple listing service cut off the aggregator's data access, causing thousands of local home listings to suddenly vanish from the platform. In an ultimate rebellion against artificial intelligence in the lucrative business of dream homes and rental apartments, Zillow, the real estate data aggregator, now has fewer followers in Chicago and Illinois.
|
Modification of Restrictive Covenants in New York
New York has enacted Real Property Law § 327-a, effective June 3, 2026, which imposes new obligations on sellers, common interest communities and property owners to address historical discriminatory restrictive covenants in recorded documents. These covenants, which may be found in older deeds, declarations or subdivision documents, purport to restrict ownership or occupancy based on protected characteristics such as race, religion or national origin.
|
Opinion: Congress should protect property rights, not shift title risk to consumers and lenders
Federal housing regulators have weakened these safeguards. In recent years, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have allowed attorney opinion letters and other title insurance alternatives for certain loans and refinances. These products are often promoted as a way to lower closing costs. But removing protections does not meaningfully reduce closing costs, nor does it remove risk. It only shifts that risk to consumers, lenders and ultimately to taxpayers.
|
Automated Title Search & AI Tools: Why Title Plants Matter
The conversation around artificial intelligence in title search is accelerating fast. As AI tools become more capable of retrieving, reading, and interpreting public record data, a common assumption is starting to take hold: if AI can access the records, it can produce a reliable title outcome. As interest in automated title search continues to grow, that assumption is becoming more prevalent across the industry. That assumption oversimplifies how title actually works.
|