Fed Chair Powell Rules Out Direct Intervention in Mortgage Market To Reduce Rates
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has said the central bank will not directly intervene in secondary mortgage markets to ease mortgage rates, ruling out an idea favored by some to increase affordability for homebuyers. Speaking on Tuesday at the National Association for Business Economics conference in Philadelphia, Powell discussed the Fed's progress with "quantitative tightening," or the effort to reduce the more than $6 trillion of securities it holds on its balance sheet.
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More metro Atlanta homeowners shocked by liens against their brand-new homes
Homeowners in Austell purchased brand-new homes, only to find out their properties already had several liens filed against them. The CEO of the Atlanta-based company is facing more than a thousand liens and legal actions. Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln has worked to get answers for these homeowners.
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7 ways title companies can combat seller impersonation fraud
Let's talk seller impersonation fraud. While this scam has been nationwide for a few years now, it is likely to become more prevalent as we head into 2026. So, how does it work, and what should everyone in real estate know about it? It starts with a phone call or an email. A "seller" wants to unload a vacant lot quickly, and the price looks like a bargain. But behind the scenes, it's a criminal posing as the property owner, and by the time anyone realizes, the money is gone.
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FinCEN Renews Geographic Targeting Order
On October 9, 2025, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network ("FinCEN") issued a renewal of its Geographic Targeting Order ("GTOs"), which require U.S. title insurance companies, including their subsidiaries and agents, to collect, retain, and report specified information regarding certain non-financed residential real estate transactions involving legal entities. The new GTO is effective from October 10, 2025 through February 28, 2026.
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Allentown title agent Louis Belletieri sentenced to several years in federal prison for $10 million fraud scheme
The owner of an Allentown title insurance company will serve time in federal prison for a fraud scheme that totaled nearly $10 million. Louis Belletieri, 44, of Allentown, was sentenced Wednesday to 4½ years in prison for defrauding a title insurance underwriter and clients, and submitting a fraudulent application to the Small Business Administration, according to federal court records.
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