I
owa County, Wisconsin is facing a real estate crisis after a cyber-attack deleted the county's network and title records needed to close property sales. The ransomware attack occurred last month, but its effects are only now being felt by buyers, sellers, and their realtors.

    Realtor Christina Weitzel, who covers properties in Iowa County, said her clients are growing frustrated as they're unable to move forward with closings. "My clients are starting to get frustrated," she explained. "I have buyers that were supposed to close in the next few days, but now can't."

    The deleted data is causing issues for sellers trying to close their property sales. Weitzel estimated that hundreds of people across the county are facing these same problems. She also mentioned that holding costs for sellers are a significant concern, as they're still responsible for mortgage payments and utility bills while unable to close.

    Weitzel expressed her desire for transparency from the county on when the issue will be resolved. "I'm looking for honesty on how long it will take," she said. However, the Iowa County District Attorney declined to comment, and the county administrator only provided a written statement acknowledging the attack and promising to provide updates on their website.

    The cyber-attack has left some buyers in a difficult position, as they're responsible for mortgage payments on two homes due to the inability to close on one of them. Weitzel warned that if the issue continues beyond a month, there will be "a lot of angry people out there." Despite the frustration, she reminded buyers that it's a temporary issue and encouraged them to explore other properties in the meantime.