Fraudsters scammed family out of NYC brownstone with forged docs they used to impersonate heirs: DA
A sprawling conspiracy to strip a grieving Harlem family of their brownstone has netted charges against 18 individuals and three companies, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced Thursday - a case prosecutors say unraveled only after years of persistent investigative work into one of the borough's most brazen property fraud schemes. The defendants allegedly forged documents, impersonated heirs, and engineered a fraudulent sale of a West 131st Street brownstone to pocket $1.636 million in mortgage and construction loan proceeds.
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Deed Theft Is Surging: How Scammers Use Forgery and AI to Steal Homes in Broad Daylight
Homeowners need to be aware of house title theft, also called deed theft, a type of fraud that threatens an individual's ownership of their home. "Deed theft is rampant in New York City, with criminals illegally scamming people out of their homes in broad daylight," said Christine Clarke, chair and commissioner of the NYC Commission on Human Rights, in a press release announcing the creation of the Mayor's Office of Deed Theft Prevention.
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Norfolk couple reimbursed after illegal subdivision issue delayed home sale
A Norfolk couple who said they were blindsided by thousands of dollars in unexpected costs while selling their home due to an illegal subdivision issue say they are finally getting their money back. Michael Carter told 13News Now in April that he and his family were forced to place $5,000 into an escrow account just days before closing on their home after learning the property had an unresolved subdivision issue dating back decades.
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No Broker, No Bank, No Problem: How AI Could Turn Mortgages Into a Self-Service Experience
Artificial intelligence seemed more like science fiction than reality to many people just a few years ago. Now, it is everywhere, and soon, it could be making decisions on whether you qualify for a mortgage. "We're really most of the way there already," says Noah Kenney, founder and principal consultant at Digital 520, a strategic technology advisory. "Rocket Mortgage and Better will approve you in eight minutes now."
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Mortgage rates climb to highest level in 9 months
Turmoil in the bond market, fueled by the war with Iran, is sending US mortgage rates higher and threatening to make buying a home even more expensive. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 6.51% this week, reaching the highest level since August of last year, according to Freddie Mac. It was the sharpest weekly increase in mortgage rates since April 2025, when the bond market suffered similar stress after President Donald Trump first announced his plans for sweeping, historic tariff increases on nearly all countries.
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