Cyber Security Best Practices

WARNING! Given the rise in cyber crime, if you receive an e-mail or any other communication that appears to be generated from Title Stream that contains new, revised or altered bank wire instructions, please consider it suspect and call our office at a number you trust. Always call Title Stream BEFORE wiring to verify wiring

The Landlord-Tenant Relationship

Title Stream is a certified vendor under the LREC, and we continue to offer a variety of complimentary classes throughout the year to help further real estate agents in their profession.  One such offered course is on the Landlord Tenant Relationship.  Below you will find a few takeaways from this two hour CE. A lease

Taxation and Real Estate

On December 22, 2017 the President signed a new tax bill that affects real estate called Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. It became effective January 1, 2018 and affects income taxes for income earned in 2018. The bill, affecting taxation and real estate, in summary is as follows: Federal Income Tax Only $10,000 can be deducted

Quick Guide to Wills

As of July 1, 1999, Louisiana law now only recognizes two forms of testaments as valid: Olographic Testaments and Notarial Testaments. However, if a testator wrote a will in accordance with the form requirements for one of the types of testaments which existed prior to the revision, then that testament will still be considered valid

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Quick Guide to Successions

Successions Without Administration: This type of succession is recommended for estates worth more than $75,000 and that are not overly complex. This is the most common type of succession in Louisiana. In this type of succession the executor of the estate is approved as an independent executor and they are free to manage the estate’s

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smart homes

Smart Homes: What Goes With the Property When Sold?

When a house is being sold, the prevailing notion is that the seller is still entitled to everything not screwed or embedded into the property upon final walk through. For decades, an emptied house looks roughly the same no matter where you are: empty walls, while plugs and light switches remain. Today, more and more

Cyber Security: What’s Your Risk?

It is important to understand what risks you may be susceptible to if using a free (or nearly free) email service like Gmail, Hotmail & Yahoo. It is often trivial to compromise an account on these email services, once this happens, it is not very difficult to figure out the parties involved in a closing

Successions and Real Estate

Let’s face it, no one wants to deal with a succession. Opening a succession means someone close to you has died. After funeral costs, medical bills, and other debts, the last thing an heir wants to do is pay an attorney to be able to take ownership of the property that was rightfully left to

How New Construction Homes Affect the Title Search

Building a brand new home on an empty lot is like having 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? Title Insurance helps protect you and your lender from certain risks that could be associated with the

CFPB Wells Fargo Case

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has rightly emerged as the hero in the story this month about fraudulent practices at Wells Fargo. The bureau was the lead agency in the investigation of the bank, where some 5,300 employees (now fired) illegally opened millions of unauthorized bank and credit card accounts in customers’ names in order