Consumer Advice

Aug. 13, 2026

Farewell FinCen

On March 1, 2026, FinCen's reporting requirement began. Now, its over. And the Fed's are going to delete the reports that have been submitted since March 1st. So, the FinCen reporting requirement was entirely a waste of time.

Who is impacted? In our world, it's primarily LLC's that were …

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Posted in Consumer Advice
June 14, 2026

HannaList

When Howard "Hoby" Hanna IV, CEO of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, published his recent essay, "The MLS Is Not a Product. It's Infrastructure," some industry onlookers rushed to paint him as a noble defender of the real estate realm. A more accurate headline would have been: "Steward of …

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Posted in Consumer Advice
April 2, 2017

General Warranty Deeds Versus Special Warranty Deeds

Ownership of, or title to, real estate, whether commercial or residential, is transferred with certain guarantees or warranties made by the seller that the title to the property is being transferred free and clear of any ownership claims or other encumbrances (including financial ones). 

 

General Warranty Deed

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Posted in Consumer Advice
Jan. 8, 2017

7 Tips for Staging Your Home

By: G. M. Filisko

Make your home warm and inviting to boost your home’s value and speed up the sale process.

 

The first step to getting buyers to make an offer on your home is to impress them with its appearance so they begin to envision …

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Posted in Consumer Advice
Jan. 1, 2016

Pittsburgh Business: Why Hire a REALTOR(R)

Saving time and money

Hire a realtor for local market expertise, efficiencies  

If you’re buying or selling a home, you’ve probably noticed properties listed as “for sale by owner.” Many such listings tout the advantages of handing the process yourself and saving on closing costs.

 

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Posted in Consumer Advice
Dec. 15, 2015

Pittsburgh Business: What Is A Fiduciary?

A fiduciary must exercise loyalty, confidentiality, disclosure, obedience, diligence, and accounting to the principal. Examples of fiduciary relationships are from a trustee to a beneficiary; a guardian to a ward; an agent to a principal; an attorney to a client; and an executor to an estate.

 

The …

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Posted in Consumer Advice