Experts air foreclosure crisis solutions (Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune)
Minnesota's foreclosure laws need careful assessment and the massive amounts of paperwork generated by the mortgage and real estate industries needs to be recorded electronically, a Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis official said Thursday. "We're very behind the curve," said Dick Todd, a bank vice president, told a gathering of more than 100 housing experts and government officials. That means ...

Business Highlights (AP via Yahoo! Finance)
The recording industry won a key fight Thursday against illegal music downloading when a federal jury found a Minnesota woman shared copyrighted music online and levied $220,000 in damages against her.

2 mortgage brokers to plead guilty in alleged equity skimming (Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune)
Two Twin Cities mortgage brokers have agreed to plead guilty in federal court this week in connection with an alleged equity skimming scheme that targeted financially distressed and vulnerable homeowners. Michael Fiorito, 39, of Prior Lake, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis to a single mail fraud count in exchange for the dismissal of a conspiracy charge and three other ...

Orono woman among three people charged with racketeering, theft by swindle (Waconia Patriot)
Three west-metro residents were each charged Sept. 20 with eight felonies in connection with a multi-million dollar mortgage scheme.

Real Estate Woes: To Buy Or Not To Buy? (WCCO Minneapolis/St. Paul)
An index that forecasts home sales fell in August to a record low. The National Association of Realtors said Tuesday pending sales for existing homes fell 6.5 percent from July and 21.5 percent from a year ago. Video: Heather Brown Reports More Consumer News More Minnesota News More Consumer Videos