First American Blog - The First Word

Every night you hear the floorboards creak from footsteps when no one is home, and you swear you felt someone standing behind you only a moment ago. Living in a house with these kinds of creepy occurrences may not be appealing to most, but a recent survey from Realtor.com found that a number of Americans would actually be willing to buy a haunted...

Staying organized is easier said than done – especially when you’re a busy, on-the-go real estate professional. To help facilitate better organization, some real estate agents have turned to leveraging cloud-based services that boost efficiency and productivity, while at the same time helping them go paperless.

When you apply for a mortgage, your lender will provide a Good Faith Estimate, often referred to simply as a GFE. A GFE is a government-standardized form that gives estimates of the charges and fees that will be associated with closing your transaction. The lender is required to issue the GFE within three business days after receiving your loan...

Building a brand new home on an empty lot gives you a great deal of flexibility and freedom as a homeowner. There is no prior house to renovate or add onto; you basically have a blank canvas to make all your own. So if you are the first one to live in your home, can you skip the title insurance?