BY WILLIAM SHERMAN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Daily News reporter William Sherman in front of the Empire State Building.
In one of the biggest heists in American history, the Daily News “stole” the $2 billion Empire State Building.
And it wasn’t that hard.
The News swiped the 102-story Art Deco skyscraper by drawing up a batch of bogus documents, making a fake notary stamp and filing paperwork with the city to transfer the deed to the property.
Some of the information was laughable: Original “King Kong” star Fay Wray is listed as a witness and the notary shared a name with bank robber Willie Sutton.
The massive ripoff illustrates a gaping loophole in the city’s system for recording deeds, mortgages and other transactions.
The loophole: The system - run by the office of the city register - doesn’t require clerks to verify the information.
Click here for more from the Daily News
by Tara Darby
Is the “bigger is better” mentality fading in terms of real estate? Are the days of McMansions coming to an end? Well, it seems for some homeowners it is. There’s a new movement out there that’s creating quite a buzz among environmentalist and folks seeking a simpler life. It’s called the Small House Movement and it might just be the next small thing.
These homes bring a whole new meaning to up close and personal since most are less than 1000 square feet, some are even less than 100 square feet.
Click here to read more from Realty Times
If many home buyers have never shopped for their own title insurance, will they use a Web site that not only helps them do that, but also select their own appraiser, home inspector, surveyor, or termite company?
Jeff Lazerson thinks they will, and armed with a $100,000 Ford Foundation grant, he’s building Fairclosingcosts.com, a Web site that he says will allow not only consumers but real estate and mortgage professionals to shop for settlement services.
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Click here to visit FairClosingCosts.com
