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Auctioneer licences in Alabama, South Carolina and Kentucky explained
Three southern states license auctioneers in three different ways. Apprenticeship, classroom hours, fees, bond or recovery fund, renewal and the rules for selling real estate.
Auctioneer licences in Illinois, Tennessee and Virginia: the rules
Illinois, Tennessee and Virginia each license the person who calls the bids. Training, exams, fees, bonds, renewal and the rules for selling real estate at auction, state by state.
Indiana's fund, Louisiana's bond, Wisconsin's register: auctioneer law
How Indiana, Wisconsin and Louisiana license auctioneers: who is exempt, the exam, fees, the recovery fund or bond, renewal, reciprocity and what each law says on real estate.
US auctioneer licences: Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania compared
Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania each license auctioneers under their own statute. Their age, training, exam, fee and consumer protection rules are compared here.
Calling bids in North Carolina, Georgia and Ohio: the licence rules
North Carolina, Georgia and Ohio each license auctioneers their own way. Training, exams, fees, recovery funds, renewal dates and the rules for selling land are set out here.
Closing day on a US home purchase: papers, wires and what follows
What federal rules and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau say about closing day in the United States: who attends, what is signed, wire warnings, rescission and servicing notices.
Buying a US condo or HOA home: what lenders check about the project
How Fannie Mae and the FHA judge a condominium project in the United States, from reserves and critical repairs to special assessments, dues and the association's lien.
USA: 2026 conforming loan limits, jumbo loans and cancelling PMI
The 2026 conforming loan limit is US$832,750 for a one-unit home. How the figure is set, when a mortgage becomes a jumbo loan, and the points at which private mortgage insurance ends.
US tax rules when real estate is paid for in digital assets
How the IRS treats digital assets used to buy or sell US real estate: property rules, basis, the Form 1040 question, and the 2026 changes to Forms 1099-S and 1099-DA.
US mortgage AI denials: what the adverse action notice must say
When a model declines a home loan in the United States, federal law still asks for specific reasons. The clock, the content, the sample forms and where the CFPB circulars stand.
US electronic recording of deeds: URPERA, ESIGN and county rules
How a deed or mortgage reaches the public record electronically in the United States: the federal ESIGN Act, the state acts built on it, and what a recorder may accept.
US federal AVM rule: who it covers and what its five factors require
Since 1 October 2025 a federal rule has set quality control standards for automated valuation models in US mortgage lending. Who is covered, the five factors, and the gaps.
US first-time buyers: IRA withdrawals, 401(k) loans and the MCC
How federal rules treat retirement money used for a first home in the United States, how the Mortgage Credit Certificate works on Form 8396, and what a buyer can deduct at purchase.
US flood zones and the lender's flood insurance rule for home buyers
How flood zones are drawn in the United States, when a federally regulated lender must require flood insurance, and what the national programme covers, with its limits and waiting period.
How a US foreclosure auction works, from the 120-day rule to the sale
Federal rules set when a US mortgage servicer may start a foreclosure and when a sale must wait. State law sets the notices, the auction, redemption and deficiency.
How to read the weekly US mortgage rate: Freddie Mac's survey and APR
What Freddie Mac's weekly survey of US mortgage rates measures since November 2022, which loans it averages, and how it differs from a lender's quote and from an APR.
US fake review rule: what the FTC bans for real estate agents
A federal rule in force since October 2024 bans fake, bought and undisclosed insider reviews. How its six prohibitions read for US agents and brokerages, and what a violation can cost.
USA: home inspection or appraisal, and who gets the appraisal report
A home inspection and an appraisal answer different questions for a US buyer. Who orders each, what FHA and VA say about theirs, the right to a copy, and radon testing.
USA: when a home loan can close without a traditional appraisal
How Fannie Mae's value acceptance, its property data option, hybrid appraisals and Freddie Mac's ACE work in the United States: which loans qualify, the limits, and who gets what.
How to read US house price measures: FHFA index and Census medians
The FHFA index said US house prices rose 2.6% in a year while the Census median new home price fell 5.8%. What each official measure counts, and why they part.