Buying a Home? Beware of These Real Estate Scams & Costly Mistakes
In Search of Excellence, Island Style
Release Date: 08/19/2026
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info_outlineBuying a Home? Beware of These Real Estate Scams & Costly Mistakes
In this episode of In Search of Excellence: Island Style, Larry Gonzales sits down with longtime friend Maggie Marcelli, Assistant Vice President at Title Guaranty, for an important conversation about what Hawaiʻi homebuyers, sellers, and real estate professionals need to know before getting to the closing table.
Maggie shares what Title Guaranty is seeing in today’s Hawaiʻi real estate market, including condo transactions falling out of escrow because of rising HOA fees, insurance costs, special assessments, and buyers reconsidering properties after inspections. Larry and Maggie explain why buyers shouldn’t automatically be scared away by repairs, why a home inspection matters—even with new construction—and why having an experienced REALTOR®, lender, and escrow team can make the difference when problems arise.
They also explore assumable mortgages and why a low interest rate doesn’t automatically make an assumption the best financial decision. Buyers need to consider the cash required to cover the equity gap and the opportunity cost of tying up those funds.
The conversation then turns to one of the most important topics of the episode: title fraud and wire fraud. Maggie explains the difference between escrow and title insurance and shares real cases involving attempted fraud—including a cash buyer whose more than $500,000 was intercepted after fraudulent wiring instructions appeared to come from the escrow officer. The episode closes with additional scams homeowners may encounter after closing and an invitation for Hawaiʻi real estate professionals to connect at The Pitch, held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.
Guest
Maggie Marcelli
Assistant Vice President | Title Guaranty
Title & Escrow
Instagram: @tg_escrow_kapolei
Email: maggie.marcelli@tghawaii.com
Timestamp Highlights
00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:58 Maggie’s Background and Hawaii Move
02:43 Proxy Marriage and Chef Husband
05:08 COVID Notary Hustle
07:28 Market Shifts and Condo Cancellations
10:57 Repairs, Inspections, and Negotiation
16:00 Rates, Education, and Assumable Loans
27:01 Assistant VP Role and Kapolei Branch
28:44 From USAA to Title Guaranty Leadership
32:31 Career Breakthroughs
33:48 Relationships Over Transactions
36:17 Helping Buyers and Sellers
38:26 Right Way to Buy
43:09 Golden Rule Mindset
43:59 Title and Escrow Explained
48:47 Title Fraud Red Flags
50:49 Wire Fraud Horror Stories
57:45 Scams After Closing
01:00:35 The Pitch Taco Tuesday
01:05:39 Final Thanks and Wrap
Subscribe to In Search of Excellence: Island Style on YouTube and follow the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for more conversations about Hawaiʻi real estate, mortgage strategies, financial literacy, military life, leadership, and building long-term wealth.
If this episode helped you better understand title insurance, escrow, wire fraud, assumable loans, or the home-buying process, share it with a homebuyer, homeowner, veteran, military family, REALTOR®, or anyone preparing to buy or sell a home in Hawaiʻi.
And if you're thinking about buying a home in Hawaiʻi or using your VA home loan benefit, connect with Larry and The Broker Mortgage Experts to create a strategy that fits your goals.
🌐 www.larrythelo.com