Name: Inside the mortgage fraud scandal rattling real estate | Deconstruct
Uploaded: 2026-02-26T21:00:01Z
Description: In Season 5, Episode 2 of Deconstruct, hosts Lilah Burke and Hannah Kramer talk about the latest in the Alexander brothers court case, the drama over Manhattan's Worldwide Plaza, and interview senior reporter Keith Larsen about fraud within the multifamily mortgage industry. Watch the full episode here, and listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or TheRealDeal.com.

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In Season 5, Episode 2 of Deconstruct, hosts Lilah Burke and Hannah Kramer talk about the latest in the Alexander brothers court case, the drama over Manhattan's Worldwide Plaza, and interview senior reporter Keith Larsen about fraud within the multifamily mortgage industry. Watch the full episode here, and listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or TheRealDeal.com. 

Inside the mortgage fraud scandal rattling real estate | Deconstruct

Silverback Development’s Josh Schuster once told TRD: “There’s one particular lawsuit that has a lot of bad words… and there is my own way of seeking remedy…” Fast forward to Feb 2026 — he’s now expected to plead guilty to a $10M “Ponzi-like scheme,” facing up to 20 years in prison.

Josh Schuster to plead guilty to $10M Ponzi scheme

Is San Francisco actually back? After a pandemic-era retail exodus, AT&amp;T and The RealReal are reopening in the same Union Square locations they left in 2023 — joining other returners (and new arrivals) testing the waters downtown.

San Francisco's Union Square hums back to life with return of AT&T, The RealReal stores #shorts

New York’s ultra-luxury rental market is hitting staggering numbers. 💸
Seagram liquor heir Eli Bronfman just signed a $120,000/month lease for his SoHo triplex penthouse, while a West Chelsea residence owned by former Howard Hughes CEO David Weinreb landed $177,500/month.  As mortgage rates stay elevated and the luxury market surges, more of the city’s wealthiest are choosing to rent — at six figures a month.

You won't believe what luxury apartments cost in NYC now #shorts

On July 13, 2026, the real estate industry’s heavy hitters return to The Village Club of Sands Point for The Real Deal Golf Classic.

Tee Off with TRD in 2026 at The Village Club of Sands Point

Who’s getting cut out of the housing market? 🏠 The White House is weighing a ban on firms that own 100+ single-family homes — a threshold that could sideline not just mega-landlords, but hundreds of mid-size investors.

More details emerge on Trump’s single-family home investor ban #shorts

Florida condo boards are making headlines for all the wrong reasons. From alleged multimillion-dollar fraud at Florida's second-largest HOA to special assessment battles and boardroom election brawls, a pattern keeps emerging: big money, limited oversight and residents left footing the bill.

Hammocks fraud case drags into year four #shorts

"Freeze the rent.” It was Zohran Mamdani's loudest campaign refrain. Now City Hall has the votes to try.

Next up, rent freeze? Mayor Mamdani names five new members to rent board #shorts

Deconstruct is back. New hosts from The Real Deal's newsroom are bringing you the most important news for New York City's real estate world. Up first: the Epstein files reveal how top townhouse brokers tried to claw their way into Jeffrey Epstein's Upper East Side mansion. Plus, early impacts on real estate from the Mamdani administration, Mark Zuckerberg's maybe-buy in Miami, and more.

How real estate brokers scrambled to get inside the Epstein house

In a new episode of Coffee Talk with TRD’s Amir Korangy, LPT Realty’s Robert Palmer gets candid on his company’s explosive growth, how he’s using tech to reinvent the brokerage model, his 2017 purchase of the Jacksonville Armada soccer team, and whether he’s really selling to Compass CEO Robert Reffkin.

Is Robert Palmer selling LPT Realty to Compass CEO Robert Reffkin? | Coffee Talk

Mayor Mamdani’s upcoming “Rental Ripoff Hearings” are already igniting fierce backlash across NYC. Some landlords aren’t holding back — including H.L. Dynasty’s Humberto Lopes, who suggested property owners should “bankrupt the city” by withholding taxes in protest. Is this accountability or political theater? And have rents really become a “ripoff”? Sound off in the comments below!

Landlord calls for NYC property owners to stop paying taxes

After eight years of shutdowns, endless renovations, billion-dollar cost overruns, a global pandemic, and even a takeover by the Chinese government, the legendary Waldorf Astoria New York is finally back on the market.

Waldorf Astoria hits market after eight-year condo conversion #shorts

The Chicago Bears could be eyeing a move to Indiana 👀 — but Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker says there’s “progress” on keeping them right where they are. It’s the latest chapter in the high-stakes tug-of-war between states (and cities) competing for major sports franchises — and the economic development they promise to deliver. Should the Bears stay in Illinois or migrate? 🐻⬇️ Drop your take in the comments!

Are the Chicago Bears moving to Indiana? #shrots

Mark Zuckerberg's Miami move is a great story. It just might not be a true one.

Wrong address? Sources say Mark Zuckerberg isn’t buying Jersey Mike’s founder’s home #shorts

The AI gold rush is reshaping real estate. OpenAI snapping up West Coast office space and fueling a data center land rush, with trillions in investment projected by 2030. It's a windfall for the industry, but a potential bubble if profits don't materialize fast enough.

Sam Altman’s OpenAI adds 223K sf to Seattle office footprint #shorts

When you hear “Billionaires’ Row,” you think 432 Park, Central Park Tower, One57 — record-breaking heights, panoramic views, and some of the most expensive homes on the planet.

Can the Malabar Residences move Billionaire's Row across Park Ave?

Celebs are taking moviegoing's future into their own hands. 🍿 Kristen Stewart just bought LA's historic Highland Theatre, joining Hollywood heavyweights like Tarantino, Spielberg and others scooping up movie landmarks before they disappear.

Does #Hollywood have to save itself? #shorts

Beckham penthouse flip ✅ Mayweather rent drama 👀 Ellen's Montecito return 🇺🇸 Welcome to your celeb real estate update.

Celebrity real estate update: The Beckhams, Floyd Mayweather & more #shorts

MAG Partners' MaryAnne Gilmartin knows the recipe for a successful NYC development. The pioneering mind behind the Barclays Center and the New York Times Building stopped by the BSH test kitchen to show off her culinary skills and talk about her firm's winning development philosophy.

The Industry Dish with MaryAnne Gilmartin | Brand Studio

Artefacto has spent 50 years perfecting the signature warm contemporary aesthetic found in Five Park's Penthouse 4701. 