NEW: Senate panel advances foreign-farmland disclosure overhaul. The Agriculture Committee voted 12-11 to advance the 2026 farm bill. The measure would expand reporting for foreign interests in U.S. agricultural land and let USDA place liens on land tied to unpaid disclosure penalties. It now heads toward full Senate consideration. agriculture.senate.gov/agric…

A lender alleges a Baltimore real-estate fraud ring cost it more than $14 million. The federal lawsuit says the group used shell companies to buy homes for about $40,000 to $50,000, then resell them to related entities at prices up to 300% higher without disclosing the relationship. The lender says it made about 91 loans before payments stopped and properties entered foreclosure. thebanner.com/economy/real-e…

STUDY: Seller impersonation fraud attempts are surging. A 2026 survey of title professionals found 59% of firms reported at least one attempt in the prior calendar year, up from 28% in 2024. Vacant land remained the top target, and one in four firms reporting an attempt also reported a paid claim. alta.org/business-operations…

Arizona’s expanded foreign-adversary land law takes effect today. SB 1683 broadens the state prohibition to cover leases, concessions, options and other current or future interests in real property. It lowers the substantial-interest threshold from 30% to 15% and allows courts to order divestment of prohibited interests. The law also restricts covered foreign adversaries from operating or accessing specified surveillance, communications, sensor and autonomous equipment on Arizona real estate. azleg.gov/legtext/57leg/2r/l…

New Jersey’s State Commission of Investigation warns that deed fraud complaints are increasing and recommends stronger seller and notary identity checks, uniform property alerts, voluntary title freezes and faster relief for victims. nj.gov/sci/documents/Final%2…

Today, we remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001, and honor the first responders, families, and communities forever impacted by that day. We will never forget.

San Diego County supervisors adopted a recorder-notification and title-theft-prevention program. Property owners must be notified within 30 days after specified deeds, quitclaim deeds, mortgages, or deeds of trust are recorded.

SCAM ALERT: Baldwin County, Alabama, says fraudulent emails are targeting property owners and professionals with active Planning Commission cases. The messages may use real case numbers and property details to support bogus payment demands. The county says it never requests wire transfers. fox10tv.com/2026/09/06/baldw…

The Harris County Attorney's Office files two lawsuits alleging a multi-property deed-fraud scheme that left more than a dozen families seeking to reclaim their homes. One suit alleges defendants forged a warranty deed by impersonating a family member. Some disputed properties were later sold to buyers unaware of the alleged ownership problems. abc13.com/post/family-hopes-…

An Orange County, Florida, jury convicted a woman of identity fraud and unlawfully filing false documents after prosecutors said she recorded fraudulent $50 million lien claims against two judges’ property.

NEW: Miami-Dade deputies arrested a 73-year-old man accused of exploiting a woman with severe dementia in an effort to take ownership of half her townhome. Investigators say he also collected about $17,600 in rent from her tenant. He faces exploitation, first-degree grand theft, and organized fraud charges.

NEW: A House bill would stop the federal government from taking farmland through eminent domain if another workable site is available. “The Not In My Barnyard Act protects America’s producers and ensures our working land is dedicated to feeding the country." - Rep. Glenn Thompson

STUDY: China-linked agricultural land transactions were disproportionately located in U.S. counties containing military interest points, a peer-reviewed analysis found. Researchers examined 38,722 foreign transactions reported from 1996 through 2024. Excluding the Smithfield acquisition, 43.7% of 71 China-linked transactions occurred in military-interest counties, compared with 11.3% of all foreign transactions. journals.plos.org/plosone/ar…

NEW: Delaware begins developing statewide standards for recurring property reassessments. A legislatively created working group held its first meeting after the state’s three counties completed their first reassessments in decades. Counties must now reassess every five years, while New Castle County still faces up to 5,500 appeals.

NEW: Texas attorney arrested in alleged $1.45 million property-tax-lien Ponzi scheme involving forged quitclaim deeds. Federal prosecutors say David Thomas Gilchrist raised money from roughly 20 investors for purported purchases of Texas county tax liens, but used funds for personal expenses and payments to earlier investors. He is charged by complaint with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and witness tampering.

WOW: Federal records show a corporation USDA classifies as Chinese-owned paid $21.2 million in cash for 1,513 acres of California farmland about 16 miles from NAS Lemoore, the Navy’s West Coast strike-fighter hub. NAS Lemoore does not appear on the current federal list used for CFIUS real estate review near military installations, potentially leading to a blind spot for U.S. government agencies.

NEW: Allegheny County says court orders voided fraudulent deed transfers involving dozens of Pittsburgh-area homes and restored all affected properties to their original owners.

NEW: Missouri prosecutors charged a Ferguson man with filing false documents and stealing $25,000 or more after police say he used a quitclaim deed with forged signatures from two deceased owners to take a Florissant-area property inherited by their children.

JUST IN: Federal and county records show a corporation USDA classifies as Chinese-owned bought 1,513 acres of California farmland for $21.2 million in November 2024, roughly 16 miles from Naval Air Station Lemoore, the Navy’s West Coast strike-fighter hub.