Late last week, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker authorized Executive Order 2020-10 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This effectively issued a stay-at-home order, outlined social distancing behavior, and declared essential businesses that would remain open. The order took effect Saturday March 21, 2020 at 5:00PM and lasts through April 7, 2020. Fortunately, title insurance companies […]
This past month saw a tremendous increase of attention given to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. President Trump declared the pandemic a national emergency with plans to increase testing and shut down travel to Europe. Schools, restaurants, bars, sporting events, and other nonessential businesses are closing down for the time being. Across the country, Americans are […]
The biggest economic news of the past several weeks stems from the impact of the spreading coronavirus. Stock markets have tumbled, and investors remain uncertain. In spite of this, reports from manufacturing, retail, and housing indicate growth in each respective industry. Stock Market Falls Amidst Coronavirus Concerns Coronavirus concerns have caused a tremendous shift for […]
The purpose of title insurance is to protect you, the home buyer, from ownership disputes caused by title defects. Many financial lenders require buyers to purchase title insurance. But do you need title insurance if you buy with cash? In short, the answer is yes. Regardless of your payment method, problems with your title can still arise. […]
January threw a variety of obstacles at investors around the world. Tensions seemed to flare between the United States and Iran, negotiations on trade continued between the U.S. and China, the coronavirus spread to several countries, and impeachment proceedings continued in the Senate. Despite all of this, the stock market entered February at an all-time […]
The home buying process should be a joyful one. The last thing anyone wants to worry about as they are closing their purchase is whether or not they have a true legal claim to the property. It may seem like a trivial concern; however, some estimates have claimed that 30% of all land titles have […]
Despite stock markets finishing near all-time highs at the end of 2019, the beginning of the new year is already presenting new challenges for investors. While the housing industry remains optimistic, manufacturing continues to suffer. And, several political issues will continue to affect the markets as we begin the new year. Year-End Review of Housing […]
While news about the trade talks caused some volatility this week, the primary influence on mortgage rates was Friday’s labor market data. Stronger than expected job growth was unfavorable for rates, and they ended the week a little higher. Against a consensus forecast of 185,000, the economy added a massive 266,000 jobs in November. In […]
It was a relatively quiet week for mortgage rates. The major economic data came in close to the expected levels, and there was little decisive news about the trade negotiations with China. The most significant economic data released this week came from the housing sector, and lower mortgage rates have been boosting recent activity. In […]
The trade negotiations with China were the main influence on mortgage rates again this week, but this time they had a favorable impact. The major economic data came in close to the expected levels and caused little reaction. As a result, rates ended the week lower. Last week, it seemed like the U.S. and China […]