Don’t Be a Victim of Foreclosure Scams!

Posted on December 30, 2008
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Don’t Be a Victim of Foreclosure Scams!

The real estate market has taken blow after blow in the last couple of years. The housing bubble in much of the United States has burst and homeowners are desperately trying to get out of debt and repay their housing loan. The critical disposition of fiscal crisis for the homeowner has left them susceptible to scams and fraudulent activities from people trying to make money off of dreadful misfortune. The best approach to escape being ripped off is to persistently be aware and investigate the latest cons in the housing market.

Avert Falling Prey to Con Artists

You may see notices in the neighborhood from companies asserting that they can help you avoid foreclosure if you call their phone number and enlist their services. For any baffled property owner, this may seem like their liberation from the chaos of the imminent loss of their home. When the homeowner meets with the representative, there is an exchange of paperwork which promises that the company will negotiate with the homeowner’s lender. Months may pass and the homeowner learns nothing from the company until it is revealed that they have actually signed over the ownership of their home to the company. How is it so easy for these scam artists to abscond with people’s homes? A number on a sign or the business that claims to be a “mortgage consultant” or “foreclosure rescue agency” can be hard for a homeowner to scrutinize.

What You Can Do to Make Sure You Are Getting a Reasonable Deal

When working with any company that guarantees to save your home, it is always essential to have all documents studied by a lawyer. If the representative asks you not to seek the advice from anyone other then his or her institution, this should be notice to you that they are cheating you. By no means sign a document blindly or without having the proper time to read it over. Usually, these documents are full of legal language that makes comprehending the details difficult. When presented with any contracts, you must have them studied by an independent advisor.

Moreover, if you are asked to pay money upfront, this should be another indication to avoid this deal. Normally, putting down money for those who are suppose to help you avoid your financial straits is not necessary and puts you at risk for losing even more money. Also, there should not be a short time restriction on being able to accept a proposal. Any legitimate business will be able to offer you the same deal tomorrow or even the next week.

What can you do if you don’t have enough money to hire a lawyer to sue these companies? NeighborWorks America and other nonprofit groups will help you decide if the company is taking your money and property. If you have already been scammed out of your home, describe any fraudulent behavior to the Federal Trade Commission, your district attorney’s office and your local police department.

Always be careful of any suspicious documents or claims from a company to pay the lender directly. The prospect of losing your home is enormously stressful, but retaining a calm and collected mind-set will discourage successful con artists.

Foreclosure Relief - Lenders Want to Help!

Posted on December 21, 2008
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Foreclosure Relief - Lenders Want to Help!

The challenges being experienced by many home owners who are experiencing the foreclosure process should never be ignored, and home owners need to understand that lenders also understand this and want to help. There is foreclosure relief available and it is likely that your bank or lender has helped others in the same situation. One of the chief reasons for foreclosure is the fact that the lender or bank has actually been unable to contact the homeowner with regard to the foreclosure process.

This is not a new challenge for lenders and banks they have already helped many other home owners get through and even fully recover by offering them foreclosure relief. Talking to your lender and coming up with a solution is the best possible approach to have. They are used to speaking with people who are experiencing unexpected hardships and they want them to get their finances back on track. There is very little benefit for lender and banks when it comes to foreclosing on a home.

Foreclosure is not an easy task but when it comes to the shove a bank has to continue with this process. It is a complicated process and lenders have to follow the law in this procedure, many states only allow judicial foreclosures and this means following a complex legal procedure that is also very expensive. Lenders have to follow foreclosure laws to the strictest measures and keeping foreclosure property in their inventory is expensive as they have to pay property taxes and other costs which are related to keeping property in the lenders inventory. There are extensive costs involved in all of these activities so it is in the best interest of the bank to keep the property in the hands of the owner.

It is also very important to consult with your tax advisor before making any decisions in regards to selling your home or otherwise. The tax implications could make a difference to the decision you make. Prioritizing you debt is a must for foreclosure relief. You home is after all probably you most valuable asset and protecting this should be of top priority. Our parents and grandparents never carried the mount of debt that we do today and they were actually much wiser. When we carry high levels of debt, we are at risk of a crisis when even something small happens to put us off kilter and overextend us. It is very important to only carry a debt level that you can afford.

Be very wary of foreclosure relief scams, it is unfortunate, but in today’s times many foreclosure scam artists are on the warpath. These people take advantage of other peoples’ misfortunes and they prey on vulnerable people. People who are in fear of foreclosure on their homes may be willing to consider any option; however you must check if the foreclosure counselors are working for an organization that is HUD approved, and beware of anyone offering to buy your home and help you to purchase it back at a later date.

Search foreclosures by state or get more information on foreclosures at ForeclosureRepos.com

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Kevin Simpson, GM Sales & Marketing

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Simpson

Wanting A Quick Closing-Another “Wave” Of Foreclosures!

Posted on December 16, 2008
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Wanting A Quick Closing-Another “Wave” Of Foreclosures!

Beyond the financial benefit of a foreclosure purchase, another benefit is the ability to have a quick closing.  Unlike waiting for a thirty, sixty or even ninety day closing date, foreclosures can allow you to move in quickly.

If the home is not in move-in condition, this can be especially helpful. The sooner you can get it in great condition, the sooner you can either move in and make it your own, renovate it to rent it out as an investment or renovate in order to flip that house and make a profit.

Beyond foreclosure sales, there are short sales. Unfortunately short sales have become difficult to complete with lenders as of late. A short sale involves a home that’s in the stages before foreclosure with a seller that wants to sell quickly to meet financial obligations such as an impending foreclosure.
This  used to mean that you can move in or take possession quickly. Not any more. Lenders are now sitting on offers that would quickly go through otherwise.
Many realtors are finding it almost imposable to complete a short sale within the month. With the lender needing to approve any sale first, realtors are finding it can be a full time job just to seek approval.
The banks are often wanting more money for the property or just not wanting to make a decision. In the mean time a real estate agent may loose dozens of offers before the home finally goes into foreclosure.
Currently banks are reluctant to approve a short sale and many realtors do not have the time it takes to nail down the lender to make a decision on the property.

Because of the sub prime mortgage crisis and the foreclosures that are happening because of job loss, many homeowners are finding themselves in a situation where they will no longer be able to afford their mortgage. Sub prime, Option Arm and Alt A mortgages are loans that are given to borrowers that do not qualify for a prime rate mortgage.

Another “wave” of foreclosures will be over the Option Arm and Alt A loans that will begin resetting next year.  Many of these mortgages come with a very low “teaser” rates that are only available for the first few years of the loan. When the teaser period is over, which will be next year for many, the interest rate will usually double, or sometimes triple.
When this happens, families will be  faced with a mortgage payment that is not possible to make. For 2009 and beyond foreclosures will be a very real problem.

AUCTION HOMES OR FORECLOSURES-HOW TO SAVE MONEY!

Posted on November 24, 2008
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AUCTION HOMES OR FORECLOSURES-HOW TO SAVE MONEY!

Saving as much money as possible is an important factor when buying a new home. It doesn’t just cost you the down payment and mortgage payment but there are a lot of other costs to factor in as well including your inspection fees,appraisal fees, closing costs and many other things including moving expenses and land transfer taxes. When you begin to budget for buying your new home, you can see a mounting list of fees included.

Buying an auction or foreclosure home can drastically reduce the cost of the home and save you thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. The cost of the home is reduced, therefore reducing your down payment and some of your other home buying expenses as well.

When considering all your options with homes, have a look at homes selling as a result of auctions and foreclosures. The cost savings will surprise you!

BUYING A FOR SALE BY OWNER HOME!

A for sale by owner home bypasses Realtors and sometimes banks and makes it possible to deal in a direct way with the owners. For sale by owner pre-foreclosure deals are another way to save money when looking for a deal on a house or property. Sometimes people are lining up to buy foreclosure deals, which can create a bidding war among other interested parties.  One solution to this problem is to get in there before the deal becomes a foreclosure deal. A pre-foreclosure happens at the eleventh hour but can be, for the buyer very worthwhile.

Short sales by owners who are facing potential foreclosure can be very motivated sellers who want to get out with their dignity  and some money intact. Many of them will sell privately to try to get a deal before they lose their house and all their equity. You can make a great deal and get in before others are interested in bidding against you by looking for a “for sale by owner’ pre-foreclosure deal.

Foreclosure properties can make great rental properties!

Posted on October 31, 2008
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Foreclosure properties can make great rental properties!

Banks do not like starting foreclosure procedures unless they have to because there is a lot of paperwork, time and money involved in foreclosures. However, many homes are still foreclosed every day. This is evident in the large foreclosure listings that you find throught the country.
Looking through the foreclosure listings may help many interested homeowners find the home of their dreams at an affordable cost. The internet as well as  real estate agencies will have a full foreclosure listing. In many cities  there are 1,000’s foreclosures in addition to many bankruptcies, pre-foreclosures and homes for sale by the owner.

Whether you look into government foreclosures or other foreclosures as an investment property you could save substantial money.  Sadly the number of foreclosures and personal bankruptcies happening are through the roof but the availability of properties for cheap could work to your financial benefit.

Foreclosure properties can make great rental properties

When you pick up a property for a low fee and then turn around and rent it out, you can have the mortgage payment covered and turn a profit. In a few years, you can flip that house and make a killing on the deal.

It’s a great idea to check out foreclosure listings and subscribe to news about the industry in order to keep your options open for future investments. So many of the wealthy in the US have made the lion’s share of their money on real estate.

If you think you deserve a piece of the pie, take a look at all the options and resources available to help you maximize earning potential on investment property.

What’s A Vehicle Repossession Department? Are You On A Foreclosure List?

Posted on September 17, 2008
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What’s A Vehicle Repossession Department? Are You On A Foreclosure List?

With most reputable dealerships, the repossession department is there to assist you the consumer in returning a vehicle when you can no longer afford to make the payments.

It’s important to communicate with the dealerships repossession department before any delinquency in your payments as often times a modification in your contract or loan agreement can be completed which will prevent the need to move forward with either a voluntary or involuntary repossession of the vehicle.

Remember the dealership does not want the vehicle back. This is especially true if your financial problem has been resolved and that you can’t foresee any future problems in making payments. Working with the voluntary repossession department pro actively is far better that waiting until you have no options left and then surrendering your vehicle.

Are you on a bank foreclosure list? Well, there is no list, at least not yet.

In order for a Bank foreclosure, or another type of foreclosure to go through, the lender must prove in a court of law that you or the property owners have failed to make repayment or to otherwise get caught up on their loan (many times refinancing the loan can help, for example.)

The process includes public notice in the local court of law as well as notification in a local newspaper of the failure to pay. From here, the bank must work through your local laws regarding taking possession of the home.And eventually, the court will then transfer the title into the bank’s name.

Some of the recent news reports predict that the foreclosure market is going to double, if not more in the coming months.

Currently there has been an over 65 percent rise in the number of foreclosures that have hit the books so far in 2008 over 2007.It is getting worse every day with the banks being taken over by the feds and the by outs of the insurance companies.

For the investor, this means opportunities. If you have good credit, and the budget to make it happen, now is the best time to buy property because interest rates are low and getting lower and the housing market is full of   opportunities.

NEED FORECLOSURE HELP: HUD COUNSELING SERVICES

Posted on August 14, 2008
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NEED FORECLOSURE HELP: HUD COUNSELING SERVICES

The Department of Urban Housing and Development (aka HUD) is there to help those in a financial crisis. If you are worried about your finances and about possibly  losing your home, you should utilize this service to get some information and get assistance.

HUD has a website with great information dedicated to helping you avoid foreclosure on your home. We suggest that you utilize their services to save you and your family financial loss and suggest working closely with your lender and most importantly being an open communicator with them to find a mutually beneficial resolution. They also recommend being very wary of all of those mortgage rescue services out there and they tell you to read all the fine print before signing away the rights away to your home.

Be sure that you know your rights in terms of your mortgage and based on your local credit laws so that you will be treated fairly. A foreclosure might feel inevitable right now but by learning about your rights and  your responsibilities you could definitely have a positive impact on the future chances of saving your home.

Can You Borrow Your Way Out of Foreclosure?

Posted on July 14, 2008
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Can You Borrow Your Way Out of Foreclosure?

Borrowing your way out of a foreclosure can seem necessary but be careful. There are many predatory lenders who could charge interest rates that feel like they are taking an arm and a leg.  They could also strip your home of equity and take such a huge cut that you’re in no better of a situation than you were before.

It might take big sacrifices to save your home from foreclosure but there are options out there. If you don’t have the option of going to a bank or to a close friend or relative to help you get out of financial trouble, there are credit counseling services and resources available through HUD that could advise you on your options.

Watching the collapse of IndyMac Bank(and more banks to come), with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac still not out of the woods most homeowners will find getting a loan difficult.The Fed has proposed new rules that most of the industry endorse.These new rules will forever change how the average person borrows in the future.

Before choosing to borrow more money to only temporarily help you, consider all the options and weigh the pros and cons of additional debt before signing on the dotted line.