Money
How a deal is settled and paid, from contract to keys.
Singapore Property Agent Commission: Who Pays and the One-Side Rule
How a property agent's commission is agreed, when it falls due and who receives it in Singapore, and why one agent may never act for both sides of the same deal.
Why Singapore property agents ask for your ID and source of funds
What the law requires Singapore property agents to check before a sale, purchase or lease: identity, beneficial owners, source of funds, screening and reporting, and what happens if a client declines.
Selling or holding a home in Singapore: SSD and property tax explained
How Singapore taxes a home sold early and a home simply owned: Seller's Stamp Duty rates by purchase date, the holding period, and property tax on annual value.
UAE central bank counts AED 15.9 billion of loans under payment relief
The Central Bank of the UAE says about 156,000 bank customers had payments deferred or fees waived by the end of August 2026. It gives no figure for home loans.
UAE real estate brokers: AML duties and when a deal is reported
What UAE anti-money-laundering rules ask of real estate brokers: customer checks, sanctions screening, records, and the three cases where a freehold deal is always reported.
CertifID buys Closinglock, joining two US closing-fraud platforms
CertifID announced on 1 October that it has acquired Closinglock. The two Austin firms serve more than 3,000 US title companies. What was announced, and what is still open.
Twelve US states now have deed-theft laws as Maryland's takes effect
Maryland's deed-fraud law took effect on 1 October and Alabama's at the start of the month. HousingWire relays a vendor scorecard that counts twelve states with dedicated laws.
Fed minutes describe US mortgage financing as somewhat restrictive
The Federal Reserve's minutes of its September meeting, released on 7 October, record a unanimous rate rise and a short, sober reading of home lending in the United States.
US: FHFA reported to plan two-bureau credit reports at Fannie, Freddie
HousingWire, relaying Bloomberg, reports that the FHFA will tell Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to accept credit reports built from two bureaus. Nothing is announced yet.
What US homeowners can deduct: mortgage interest, points and SALT
A guide to the federal deductions tied to owning a home in the United States: the mortgage debt limits, how points are deducted, real estate taxes and the SALT limit, from IRS publications.
How Agent Commission Is Set, Offered and Paid in the USA Today
Since 17 August 2024, offers of pay to a buyer's broker have left the MLS in the United States. Who sets the fee, who may offer it, and who pays it at closing.
US Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure: deadlines and cost limits
Federal rules fix when a US mortgage borrower receives the Loan Estimate and the Closing Disclosure, and how far closing costs may rise between the two. The deadlines, explained.
US mortgage applications fall 4.2% as lenders tighten credit slightly
The Mortgage Bankers Association's weekly survey shows US home loan applications down 4.2% in the week to 2 October, while its credit availability index slipped in September.