Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips - Mark Stillman - iPro Real Estate

Hackers Access Data on Thousands of Loans

An estimated tens of thousands of loans and mortgages have had private data compromised online, according to an investigation from a security researcher and TechCrunch. The sensitive information that was found mostly dated back to 2008 and included loans from banks like Wells Fargo and Citigroup, among others.The banks are reportedly in the process of trying to identify the customers affected and inform them of any possible account hack

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Priciest Home in the U.S. Sells for $238M

A hedge fund billionaire is on a real estate purchasing spree. Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel, purchased the most expensive home ever sold in the U.S.—a New York penthouse overlooking Central Park—for $238 million. Griffin’s latest purchase solidifies his love for real estate, adding to his other $700 million in global real estate purchases. Griffin is becoming known for his real estate record deals—he has also purchased the

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Bad Reviews on Yelp? SCOTUS Doesn’t Want to Hear It

You may not be happy with an unfair online review you received that you feel is damaging your business. But you may have little recourse in court to have it removed if the online site chooses not to. The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear a case against the online reviewing site Yelp. The case involved Yelp’s refusal to remove allegedly defamatory reviews from its website, stemming from a 2016 defamation lawsuit.In the lawsuit, attorney Daw

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Western States Fare Best in Population Growth

Which states are growing the fastest and adding new residents? Idaho and Nevada once again lead the states in population growth rates, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau figures. Demographic changes can be key to projecting future housing needs, the National Association of Home Builders explained on its Eye On Housing blog post analyzing the census numbers.Between July 1, 2017, to July 1, 2018, Nevada posted a population growth rate of 2.

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Welcome to the Team Doug Straub Dealing the Bay Area

About Doug I’ve lived in Sonoma County for the past 50 years, namely Petaluma and Santa Rosa and have enjoyed the many wonders found in Sonoma County.I live, work and play in this beautiful region with my wife Deanna and whether we are home, in the state parks, or at the beach, we enjoy our friends and family and sustain our easy going and active lifestyle. I thrive in the outdoors and avidly maintain a healthy lifestyle as a long time golfer a

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Can You Spot Phishing Emails? New Quiz Builds Skills

Email scams are common, such as fake messages that tell you to reset your password, spam, and phishing attempts that try to winnow their way into your real estate transactions. How good are you at telling a phishing email from a real one?Google subsidiary Jigsaw is trying to educate internet users on how to spot fraudulent emails with a quiz. The quiz gives you eight email examples and allows you to choose between “legitimate” and “phi

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Real Estate Pros Get Big Win in Tax Qualified Business Income Rule

The National Association of REALTORS® is calling a recent ruling from the U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service on the new 20 percent deduction on qualified business income a “significant victory” for real estate professionals. The department and IRS issued their final regulations late last week regarding the qualified business income rule, providing greater clarity heading into the 2018 tax filing season.The final guidel

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CNBC Turns to NAR for Answers on December Sales Slump

What happened to home sales in December? Sales are typically down during the holidays, but December’s seasonally adjusted monthly decline of 6.4 percent left reporters scratching their heads—and calling the National Association of REALTORS® for the trade organization’s insight.NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun told CNBC’s “Nightly Business Report” on Tuesday that such a wide monthly swing is usually accompanied by some big news, like

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Mortgage, Rental Aid Arrives for Unpaid Federal Workers

As the longest federal government shutdown in history drags on, more than 800,000 government workers and an estimated 4.1 million federal contractors will soon face their first mortgage or rental payment due since last receiving a paycheck. As of Wednesday, the partial government shutdown has stretched 33 days and counting. Many lenders and property management firms are stepping in with help for unpaid federal workers.Several of the nation

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Are Entire Build-to-Rent Communities Coming?

Investors are shifting their strategies to focus on new development due to an increase in competition from a tight supply of housing inventory in many markets, the National Real Estate Investor reports.They’re eyeing build-to-rent strategies in markets where building and land costs are lower and where there is more entry-level home building, such as in Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.; Phoenix; and some areas of Texas.“What you’re seeing now is the

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