FINALLY!!This morning NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced a deal with Fannie and Freddie and OFHEO to change the way the whole appraisal system works. This is surely going to shake things up ….   There’s absolutely no questions about it …. over-inflated appraisals fuelled unsustainable price appreciation during the housing boom, and those appraisals […]

The new buzzword in legal and banking circles these days is WORKOUT. So what exactly does that mean and how does it translate on a daily basis?
Well, given the trend toward more commercial defaults, here is a possible workout solution to consider. We at MarylandCommercialTitle are always trying to look at novel solutions to solving our […]

Things can go wrong and when they do, it’s not pretty. Securing proper endorsements on your title insurance policies requires a full review of all your options.
John Murray’s Blog provides a detailed look at how Limited Liability Company’s (LLC’s) — which have been adopted by all 50 States, the first coming into existence back in 1977 – […]

It’s always good to know what’s new ….
So, along those lines, here’s some news. The American Land Title Association (ALTA), recently approved three new form closing protection letters. These new forms took effect on January 1, 2008. These forms clarify the extent of the title insurers’ liability and the limitations on that liability.
Jon Anderson, Senior […]

 How A Bill Becomes A Law, Live and Open for all to see ….What will the final version look like?
One Step Closer in the House >> A $150 billion economic stimulus package overwhelmingly approved by the House of Representatives Tuesday would raise the conforming loan limit and the upper threshold for FHA loan guarantee programs, from […]

In an eye-opening editorial to the Baltimore Sun today, noted Baltimore real estate attorney Jay Dackman, Esq., wrote a facinating piece arguing that it’s “time to end abuse in tax sale cases.”
According to the article, and by way of review, in 2003, the Maryland General Assembly changed the laws regarding attorney’s fees charged in tax-sale foreclosure cases […]

BIG CHANGES ARE IN THE AIR: Hoping to speed delivery of its $150 billion pick-me-up for the U.S. economy that has been rushed through Congress with bi-partisan agreement, the Bush Administration reluctantly agreed to temporarily increase the size of the mortgages Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can purchase, from $417,000 to nearly double that.
HUGE NEWS for the […]

In a significant case that may very well shape the way real estate title underwriters operate amongst themselves in the hyper-competive world they reside in, the Supreme Court today rejected Chicago Title Co.’s attempt to revive part of a $43 million award it won from competitor First American Title Co.
The case centered on an Ohio employee, […]

New Mexico’s Governor, and ex-Presidential candidate Bill Richardson, told the Associated Press in a story published in the Albuquerque Tribune that New Mexico lawmakers will have to wait a year before tinkering with the state’s uniform title insurance rate regulations.Gov. Bill Richardson saying the issue is too complex for legislators to tackle in their lone 30-day […]

Check your mailbox. The notices are on their way and there’s a New Year’s gift waiting for you, courtesey of the State of Maryland.
It’s your latest Maryland property assessment. Brace yourself. It’s absolutely not going to reflect the slowdown in the real estate market.
The average tax is rising 33 percent over three years ago. Ouch! It’s an […]