Shout-outs and murmurs

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Catching up on a few new ways to spend your time online:

--From the L.A. Times: The real estate title industry has put together a website -- www.clta.titlewizard.com -- that, for the first time, allows consumers to see what the major title insurers charge for their policies. This is in response to charges the industry is anti-competitive. It’s not clear that this will foster competition, but it could help.

--Realtor Richard Johnston has launched a new bank-owned real estate site, http://www.bankowned.la. The site is targeted to buyers who are interested in bank-owned -- that is, foreclosed -- homes located in the San Fernando Valley & Santa Clarita Valley.

--Discount brokerage Redfin has put up a Los Angeles page that includes links to an LA-themed blog, LA home searches, LA forums, and an absolutely awesome blogroll.