Foreclosure Scams To Be Aware Of

Homeowners facing foreclosure should be aware of unscrupulous lenders and scammers. Don't get me wrong, most lenders and agencies are reputable and legit. However some lenders, commonly second mortgage issuers will use unethical practices that increase the risk of nonpayment by the borrower. These tactics may include lending a large amount in hopes that the borrower will not be able to keep up with the payments, charging outrageous interest, points or fees. They may also repeatedly refinance the loan without any real beneficial reason to the borrower. Homeowners facing foreclosure are often targets of these scammers because they are seeking any solution possible at the time.

One of the most common tricks is an "equity skim". What is equity skimming? This is when a buyer approaches you and offers to get you out of foreclosure buy paying off the mortgage or offering money when the property is sold. They will often suggest you move out quickly and sign the deed over to them. They will then collect rent from the property and fail to make payments on the mortgage. The lender will continue the foreclosure process and foreclose. Signing over the deed does not mean you are no longer obligated to make mortgage payments.

Another trick scammer's use is to set up a "counseling" agency. They may contact you offering to do certain services for a given fee. Often times these are thing you can do yourself for free. It is important to note that most services are legitimate and will provide lots of great help.

So what do you do if you suspect you are being duped? The most important things is don't sign any documents unless you fully understand what you are signing. If the party you are dealing with makes any sort of promises make sure they are in writing. If you arrange a contract of sale loan assumption make sure you know weather or not you are released from liability of the debt. Consult with your attorney before agreeing to any deal that involved your home. Should you decide to sell your home to stop foreclosure, have a look at any possible complaints pertaing to the prospective buyer.

Mark Lambie is the owner of Stop Home Foreclosure a website for helping people facing foreclosure.


AddThis Social Bookmark Button

In The News:


Washington Times

The Truth About Mortgage Refinancing Revealed By Connecticut ...
SBWire (press release), WI - 18 hours ago
Westport, Connecticut based Mortgage Broker Don Caiati reveals mortgage refinancing secrets at a new web site that is full of free reports, a home buying ...
Refinancing suddenly booms Honolulu Advertiser
Lenders Backlogged By Refinancing Rush Washington Post
Low Mortgage Rates Bring Refinancing Boom MSNBC
Forbes - Modesto Beeall 24 news articles

Telegraph.co.uk

Average Mortgage Rate Hits 5%, Lowest in Decades
New York Times, United States - 10 hours ago
Of course, buying a home is a more lengthy process than simply calling up a mortgage broker to refinance, and activity typically slows during the holiday ...
Long-Term Mortgage Rate Falls Again Wall Street Journal
Banks' mortgage rates fall below 5% Boston Globe
Homeowners with good credit scores are poised to capitalize on ... Baltimore Sun
Scripps News - AHNall 96 news articles

Washington Times

US Banks Offer Mortgages Below 5% After Fed Action
Bloomberg - 20 hours ago
The Mortgage Bankers Association’s index of applications to purchase a home or refinance a loan dropped to 1143.8 for the week ending Jan. ...
Mortgage rates fall to record low again Forbes
Freddie Mac: Benchmark mortgage rate continues to new low MarketWatch
Bold government action can solve housing crisis North Texas e-News
American Banker - Connecticut Postall 603 news articles

Cardoza proposal could aid housing crisis
Stockton Record, CA - 4 hours ago
Under the Cardoza plan, the payment on that mortgage refinanced to 4 percent fixed rate would drop to $1194 a month. Contact reporter Bruce Spence at (209) ...

REFILE-UPDATE 1-US mortgage demand dipped before Fed move-MBA
Reuters - Jan 7, 2009
The jump in applications during December may have been driven by homeowners already "on the fence" and prepared to refinance on a drop in mortgage rates, ...
Mortgage applications down in latest survey Forbes
Week-to-week mortgage applications down 8.2% MarketWatch
Fewer apply for home loans; credit line delinquencies increase Los Angeles Times
KVOA.com - Kansas City Starall 63 news articles

Boston Globe

Fed’s Rosengren Calls for ‘Concerted’ Fiscal, Monetary Policies
Bloomberg - 6 hours ago
... to purchase or refinance homes,” Rosengren said. The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped for a 10th week to 5.01 percent yesterday, ...
Rosengren sees path to recovery Boston Globe
Fed's Rosengren says recession more severe than thought Reuters
all 52 news articles

Los Angeles Times

Congressional Press Release on Mortgage Deal
Wall Street Journal - 11 hours ago
"Despite efforts by Congress to address this issue, not enough lenders have come to the table to help borrowers with bad mortgages refinance into new, ...
Citigroup reaches agreement with key senators on mortgage ... Minneapolis Star Tribune
Citigroup agrees to allow judges to help modify some mortgages IdahoStatesman.com
all 562 news articles

TopNews

Question & Answer on mortgage refinancing
Boston Herald, United States - Jan 1, 2009
If I refinance the mortgage on my current house, will I hurt my chances for getting a loan for a new place later on? A: No. Refinancing a loan shouldn’t ...
MORTGAGES: 30-year Mortgage Rate Falls For Ninth Straight Week To ... CNNMoney.com
Mortgage Rates Hit 37-Year Low Poynter.org
Home-Mortgage Rates' Next Stop: Below 5% Wall Street Journal
Ventura County Star - Wall Street Journalall 457 news articles

Refinancing shoots through the roof
Plano Star Courier, TX - 17 hours ago
“Quite a few people have remortgaged,” said Craig Jarrell, loan officer with Pulaski Mortgage. “Most people who refinance are new homeowners as recent as ...

Mortgage refinancing skyrockets
Cincinnati.com, OH - Jan 3, 2009
... 2009 With US mortgage rates the lowest in 30 years, local lenders say they've seen a strong surge in loan applications as homeowners seek to refinance ...
Waco banks seeing a boom in mortgage refinance applications Waco Tribune Herald
Borrowers seeking to refinance may face challenges WTOP
As mortgage rates slide, refinancing applications take off Dallas Morning News
all 15 news articles
mortgage refinance - Google News
Your Ad Here

Games at Buy.com

Holiday Home Store at Buy.com

Mortgage Lead and Mortgage Leads

A mortgage lead is an exciting thing because you are filled with the thought of buying a house. Mortgage leads are listings of information dealing with how... Read More

Cardinal Principle of Homeowner Personal Loans ? It is a Solution for Any Sort of Financial Funding

You bought a house and you were promoted to the position of a homeowner. It was perhaps the most important decision of your life. Now you are... Read More

Home Mortgages: How About Those 1.75% Loans?

You've undoubtedly heard or seen ads for mortgages with very low interest rates such as 1.75%. For example, one mortgage company in the city where I live... Read More

How to Get Your Home Mortgage Loan

If you are thinking of purchasing a new home soon you will need to know how to qualify for a new home mortgage. If you have a... Read More

Top 10 Things to Consider on Home Loans

Here are our Top 10 most important things to consider when shopping for a Home Loan, Equity Line of Credit, or Refinance, courtesy of Loans-Directory.Org:Down-PaymentFixed Versus Adjustable... Read More

Bad Credit History? How Financing and Buying a Home Can Help You Improve Your Financial Situation

Financing and buying a home can help improve your financial situations, especially if you have a bad credit history. Adding a mortgage payment to your monthly expenses... Read More

Home Loans ? Repair Credit Errors in Three Days!

Most consumers are aware that a history of paying bills late or not at all can hurt one's ability to obtain a loan. All financial transactions are... Read More

Using a Home Mortgage Calculator

There are a variety of tools online that you can use to determine how much you can afford to pay for a home, how much the monthly... Read More

Little Known Secret: Eliminate your Mortgage in 23 years or less!

Wanna know a little secret? There is an ingenious method you can use, to pay off your 30 year fixed rate loan, in 23 years or less.... Read More

Adjustable Rate Mortgage - How They Work?

How does an ARM work.The borrowers interest rate is determined initially by the cost of money and the time the loan is made. Once the rate has... Read More

Homeowners? insurance: The mortgage connection

A home owners' insurance is the cover for the house against natural calamities as well as liability. This covers the house and its contents but also other... Read More

UK Mortages: A Guide Through The Maze

Types of UK MortgagesYou may be wasting your money with the wrong type of mortgage. Knowledge is power.There are essentially two different types of mortgage:Repayment only, (capital... Read More

Mortgage and Credit Card Companies Under the Spotlight on Consumer Charging

For the first time since May 1996 reports have indicated that wage increases have risen faster than house price inflation. According to Nationwide, "The overall picture remains... Read More

Types of Home Equity Loans

There are at least two types of home equity loans.The first is a term or closed end loan and the second is basically a line of credit.... Read More

What is a Current Account Mortgage?

Current account mortgages are fairly new to the sector. They are quite different to other types of mortgage as they enable you to set off all your... Read More

Reverse Mortgage ? Be Sure You Need It Before Applying For One

Reverse mortgages used to be considered the last resort of desperate retirees who needed to borrow against their home equity in order to pay for medical expenses.... Read More

Keep Your Eye Focused on Treasury Bond Rates To Adjust Your Current Mortgage Rates

Mortgage rates typically are based off the current rates of treasury bonds. Most lenders set their long term mortgage rates in line with 10 and 30-year treasury... Read More

To Refinance or not to Refinance -- Here is the Answer

I have written many articles on refinancing a fixed rate mortgage to an adjustable rate mortgage. I have helped people cut as much as $800 off their... Read More

Home Loans for Credit Challenged Borrowers

Just because you have negative items on your credit report doesn't mean you can't obtain a home mortgage loan. There are options for you. Bad credit is... Read More

What is a Tracker Mortgage?

A tracker mortgage 'tracks' the Bank of England base rate, meaning your mortgage stays in line with interest rates and the market in general. The result on... Read More

Refinance Benefits - Refinancing Could Save You Money

The most common reason most people refinance is to save money, but many people refinance for various other reasons.1. Refinancing to Lower Your Monthly Payment for an... Read More

Home Mortgage Rate Shopping - Why Some Shoppers Give Up And Others Dont

About 29% of current homeowners and a much larger percent of consumers with income levels above $50,000 feel it best to stay as far away from offers... Read More

Home Equity ? Let the Market Eliminate Your Private Mortgage Insurance

In decades past, most people who were interested in obtaining a home loan were required to put down at least 20% of the purchase price. Those days... Read More

No Money Down Home Loan

Are you in the market to purchase a home but are concerned about not having enough money for the down payment? No down payment home loans or... Read More

Types of Mortgage Interest Rate

Here is a useful guide to the different types of Mortgage Interest Rates that are available. Mortgage Lenders offer all kinds of different deals when it comes... Read More

What Length Mortgage Is Right For You?

You've found the home that is right for you, and now you need to do the same thing for a mortgage. There are several options for people... Read More