real estate loan fraud

Inman Real Estate News - Loss from real estate loan fraud soars to $1 billion FBI launches mortgage fraud-fighting initiative Loss+from+real+estate+loan+fraud+soars+to+%241+billion FBI+launches+mortgage+fraud-fighting+initiative %3ca+href%3d'http%3a%2f%2fwww.inman.com'+target%3d'_blank'%3eInman+News%3c%2fa%3e 2005-12-16T00%3a00%3a00.0000000-08%3a00 49246 HOME | NEWS | JOIN | PRODUCTS | CONFERENCES | ADVERTISE | ADVICE | ABOUT US | CONTACT US | SUBMIT A TIP Member Resources Members Home Search Inman News Content Warehouse Cartoon Database Weekly Newsletter Special Reports Audio Files Inman Blog Feedback Connect Registration Audio Conference LETTERS TO THE EDITOR There's no denying real estate bubble Re: ' Worst-case scenario for housing next year ' (Dec. 28) Dear Editor: I have been a real estate investor since I was 19. I am now 54. To deny a real estate bubble is to ignore the obvious market fundamentals. Obviously, there are different factors in different markets, but as a longtime investor/Realtor/broker there is no logical argument against real estate prices declining 10 percent to 30 percent in the "hot markets." The South Florida condo market will be a blood bath. The median income cannot buy the median house in most markets; interest rates will continue creeping up; speculators have driven prices to insane levels and when the going gets rough they will walk from a lot of residential properties. Most "hot" areas are becoming alarmingly overbuilt with residential inventories rising; lenders have ticking time bombs in their ARMs, negative equity and interest-only mortgages. Do your homework. Be wary of those whose opinions are tainted by the fact that they or their company have a stake in this insane market continuing. Michael H. Mosieur Mosieur Business Brokers Re: ' America closes doors to architectural expression ' (Dec. 26) Dear Editor: This is one of the most insightful articles I've read in a long time. We might add, "And what are we doing to our children as we worship at the altar of the mundane?" Years ago I read that about 1,000 children were tested for creativity just prior to entering kindergarten. Eighty-five percent of the children tested "creative." Twelve years later the same group was tested, and only 35 percent of the students tested "creative." What happened to the children along the scholastic way, and does the country even care? Where's the outcry? Isn't the creativity of our generations one of our most precious resources? It's been said that we're only one generation away from losing our freedom. Could it be that with escalating offshore competition in view, and stultifying U.S. scholastic models utilized, that the above advisory could also apply to our economic freedom? A. Bruce Belfield III Associate real estate broker Hurricane, W.V. FREE website content! Make Inman.com your homepage Get the Inman News Toolbar Link to Inman News Consumer News Commercial News Real Estate Articles from Inman News Already a Member? Log in below to view full story: User ID: Password: Lost Password? Loss from real estate loan fraud soars to $1 billion FBI launches mortgage fraud-fighting initiative Friday, December 16, 2005 Inman News To read this article, become a Member of Inman News now! JOIN NOW TO BECOME AN INMAN MEMBER 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed Group discounts available First Name: Last Name: E-mail: User Name: Call 1.800.775.4662 x128 8am - 5pm Pacific Time to order by phone or to get a discount group membership for your company or colleagues. View News Article Sample Hear Sample View Newsletter Sample Connect Info View Audio Conference Schedule Back Top © 2005 Inman News Home | Privacy | Editorial | Legal | Site Map

Home Loan Bank of

FHLBank Atlanta Login | News | Careers | Events | Site Map | Contact Us * Learn More * Member Login * FAQs * Learn More * Approved PFIs * View Pricing * 2006 AHP Announcement * 2006 AHP Updates * CIS Sponsor Login * Sponsor Registration Highlights from the Bank Bank Declares 4.60 Dividend The board of directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta has approved an annualized dividend rate of 4.60 percent. Readmore Historical Interest Rates Now on FHLBAccess All FHLBank interest rates are available on FHLBAccess, the Banks online, members-onlysystem. In early 2006, current and historical interest rates will no longer beavailable on the Bank's public website. Readmore Learn More About Funding In Key West FHLBank representatives will be presenting at the Southeastern Conference of Community Bankers on Jan. 27, 2005. They will be describing innovative ways to fund your loan growth. Read more New Forms for EDP\CIP Advances Available The Bank has revised the application and supporting documentation for the Community Investment and Economic Development advance programs. New forms are in effect immediately and can be downloaded from our website. View EDP forms View CIP forms First-time Homebuyer Funds Still Available The Bank has nearly $200,000 of matching funds available for member financialinstitutions that are working with first-time homebuyers who need down paymentor closing cost assistance. Read more November BankTalk and HillTalk Available Get the details behind structured repos, streamline securities safekeeping and wire transfers with FHLBAccess, and learn how the Banks Community Investment Program can help you save money. Read more Structured Repo Discussion The Expander Advance Member Products and Services Guide Capital Plan Reference Contact List COLLATERAL CVR Fee Schedule Webinar Recording Eligibility Qualifying Collateral Reports (QCRs) Verifications Government & Industry Relations Legislative Action Center HillNet: Grassroots Advocacy Program Terms and Conditions | Member Privacy Statement | General Privacy Policy © 2005, Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta. All Rights Reserved. Atlanta, GA, 30309; 1.800.536.9650.

Selling Home

MSN Money - 6 reasons your home isn't selling MSN Home Hotmail My MSN Sign In Money S earch MSN Money: Help Home News Banking Investing Planning Taxes My Money Portfolio Loans Insurance Banking Home My Accounts Bill Pay Mortgages/Loans Services Credit Reports Financial Tools Track your bills Resources Decision Centers Home Buying Guide Home Financing Your Credit Rating Financial Privacy Better Banking Credit Card Smarts Bankruptcy Guide Commentary Index Related Links Manage Debt More on Budgeting Print-friendly version Send this to a friend Tap your home for extra cash Mortgage rates in your area Your credit score in seconds Home mortgage FAQs Find It! Article Index Finance Q&A Tools Index Site Map Recent articles by Bankrate.com: • Will I lose my frequent-flier miles? , 10/6/2005 • Should you insure your airline tickets? , 9/26/2005 • 10 after-the-disaster do's and don'ts , 9/21/2005 More... Related Articles Speed your home sale with these fast fix-ups The hidden financial truth about remodeling Smart -- and stupid -- ways to pay for your remodel The Basics 6 reasons your home isn't selling advertisement So, you're in agony because your home has languished on the market week after week. Here are some culprits that may be keeping buyers away in droves. By Bankrate.com Has your lawn grown up around that "For Sale" sign? Have the wasps moved into the lock box on your front door? Did you just receive an invitation to your real estate agent's retirement party? If so, chances are your home sale fizzled. Here are the six most-common reasons why homes don't sell and what you can do about it. Your home is overpriced Optimistic home sellers love to parrot the old adage, "There's a buyer for every home." But they often leave off the qualifier: "at the buyer's price." Find a loan that's right for you at the Loan Center The fact is that buyers, not sellers, ultimately determine the market value of a home. You can ask for the moon and set your listing price well above comparable properties in your neighborhood, but at some point it will be up to you, the seller, to accept what the buyer thinks your home is worth. Overpricing is the most common reason homes don't sell. When you ask an unrealistic price, it sets in motion a process that often works against you. Here's why: Most real estate agents, and hence most qualified buyers, will see your new listing within 30 days. If it is overpriced by as little as 5%, it will be duly noted and interest in your property will wane, especially if you show no intention of coming off your asking price. You likely already priced out buyers who might have qualified for financing at a more reasonable price. Even if you manage to find a buyer at your inflated asking price, the property may not appraise at that figure and the financing will fall apart. Your real estate agent may have approved or even suggested the inflated asking price to secure your listing. Conversely, other agents often use overpriced properties like yours to help sell their own listings. ("Here's what they are asking. Now would you like to take a second look at that first house I showed you?") "If you have a house that really should be priced at $200,000 and you've got it listed at $260,000, you are trying to compete against homes that really are worth close to $300,000 and all of a sudden your home really is not competing well," says Jeri Fisher of Jeri Fisher Real Estate in Missoula, Mont. "You want to compete with what is available out there among homes similar to yours." If your home remains on the market for too long, agents and buyers may begin to wonder if there are other, perhaps more serious reasons why it isn't selling. "It becomes shopworn, the same as a jacket hanging in the store week after week," says Fisher. "People are aware that it has been on the market a long time and agents stop showing it." Your home doesn't 'show' well Your home is competing against shiny new houses in those pristine subdivisions out in the suburbs with their attractive prices, incentives and community amenities. Face it: Even the best old house needs a little makeover if it hopes to attract a qualified buyer. The good news is most of the work will be cosmetic and relatively inexpensive: a new coat of paint, a few attractive window boxes, a thorough cleaning of floors and carpets. Voila! The place may look good enough to reconsider. A good real estate agent can advise you on where your time and money are best spent. "Price and condition are two things that the seller can do something about," says Fisher. "I always give people my 'honey-do' list. I think paint is probably a seller's best friend because it makes things smell fresh and look fresh. If it's time to paint, it's time to paint. It's the best return on investment." You're in a bad location Nothing has a greater effect on your home's value than its location. Your humble abode might be worth a king's ransom were it located in Palm Beach, Aspen or San Francisco. It might even jump thousands in value just two streets over in the next (and far superior) school district. "If you're in one of the higher-ranked schools around here, you're going to add $50,000 to $100,000 to the price of the same house," says Lenn Harley, a broker with Homefinders.com Inc. in Maryland and Virginia. The point is, location rules in real estate. If your home's location is less than desirable, your options are somewhat limited. A good real estate agent will do his best to help you accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative of your circumstances, say by using foliage to screen off offensive adjoining properties or dampen traffic noise. The best way to compensate for a poor location is to reduce your asking price or offer attractive incentives such as seller financing or a lease option with rent credit. You have a lousy listing agent Yep, they exist: Real estate agents who mislead, misfire and misbehave. Their bad advice can cost you plenty in time, money and the sheer hassle of keeping the place show-ready 24/7. The agent from hell will allow you to overprice your home ("Here's what I can get for you if you list with me!"), not market it properly, fail to screen for qualified buyers, be unresponsive to interest from other agents (if they sell their own listing, they don't have to split the commission) and keep you totally in the dark throughout the process. What's more, if your agent is abrasive, arrogant or otherwise difficult to work with, other agents may not want the hassle of showing any of their listings to prospective buyers. You are battling competition or market conditions We've all heard the terms "buyer's market" and "seller's market." In real estate, market conditions are affected by any number of external forces, some of them predictable (the weather, sort of), some of them unpredictable (the local economy, interest rates, public optimism or pessimism). In a "hot" or seller's market, homes go fast. Inventory (homes on the market) may be low, meaning less competition for you. Chances are better that you will get your asking price in a hot market; in fact, it is not uncommon to even be offered more than your listing price. But in a "flat," "cold" or buyer's market, sales slow to a trickle, inventories grow and buyers can find bargains, especially when they know the seller is motivated (i.e., paying on two mortgages). If you're trying to sell in a flat market, you're not only competing against all that vacant new construction, but against rentals as well. In this case, be prepared to settle for less than top dollar, or wait to sell until the pendulum swings once again in your favor. You have ineffective marketing Gone are the days when an agent could simply place your listing with the local multiple listing service, hold a halfhearted open house and wait for another agent to bring forth a buyer. Today's top performers launch a multilevel marketing plan that includes listing tours for area agents, newspaper and even TV ads, weekend open houses, listing fliers and placements in local real estate publications. Computers and the Internet also have changed the face of real estate. According to the National Association of Realtors, today more than one-third of all home buyers use the Internet for house hunting. The best real estate agents are computer-savvy. They have your listing in color on their laptops to show clients and communicate frequently via e-mail, a particular boon when working with out-of-town buyers. Suffice it to say that if your real estate agent isn't listing your home online through the company Web site as well as with the local MLS, you may not be getting the exposure necessary to find a buyer. "There are those who just put the listing in the multiple and pray it will sell and those that put a lot of effort into marketing their listings," says Fisher. "Unfortunately, with this weird system of compensation we have, they all get paid the same, whether they know nothing or have many years of experience." Editors' choice Don't get scammed by your mover Safeguard your Social Security number 5 ways to tap into the onshore drilling boom Your checkbook just became obsolete Turn $1 a day into $67,815 Readers' choice Ratings Top 5 Articles 9.30 Zombie debt collectors dig up your old mistakes 9.24 Keep thieves out of your bank account 9.22 Credit reports now free for entire U.S. 9.19 10 ways to avoid outrageous hospital overcharges 9.17 Tax breaks for Katrina victims -- and all of us View all top rated articles More Resources · E-mail us your comments on this article · Post on the Your Money message board · Get a daily dose of market news S earch MSN Money tips advertisement MSN Money's editorial goal is to provide a forum for personal finance and investment ideas. Our articles, columns, message board posts and other features should not be construed as investment advice, nor does their appearance imply an endorsement by Microsoft of any specific security or trading strategy. An investor's best course of action must be based on individual circumstances. © 2005 Microsoft MSN Privacy Legal Advertise Feedback Help

Rental Property

Luxury Vail Vacation Home Rentals :: Vail Vacation Condo Rentals Vail Activities Make Sure To Ask About The Peak Properties Vail Cookbook! Exclusive Vacation Rentals Vail Colorado Rental Properties Planning a vacation? Colorado has a wide variety of both indoor and outdoor activities and Vail tops the list of vacation hot spots! With amazing skiing, hiking, biking, dining, shopping and sight-seeing Vail, Colorado offers real world charm in a relaxing atmosphere. Peak Properties proudly offers an impressive portfolio of Vail Valley vacation rentals. From well appointed condominiums , to luxurious private residences with prestigious addresses, Peak Properties is your home away from home. Our dedicated staff will work with you to ensure a memorable vacation experience. Whether you are planning a winter/spring ski trip or a visit during the beautiful summer months, Peak Properties is able to fulfill your lodging needs year round. Let us make your dream vacation a reality. Come experience all that Vail has to offer, from the legendary Back Bowls to award winning cuisine, boutiques, spas and art galleries, Vail has it all. We are delighted to have the opportunity to welcome you to Vail, Colorado as our guest, and we look forward to assisting you in planning the perfect Rocky Mountain vacation. Featuring a full concierge service, we are happy to accommodate your every request. Enjoy the very best that a Vail, Colorado vacation has to offer in one of our unique condo or home rentals . We have added property ratings to all of our properties. Each of our rental properties was inspected by the Vail Valley Chamber & Tourism Bureau and rated based on the Lodging Quality Assurance Program guidelines. Properties are given ratings based on the interior room quality. View an explanation of property ratings . Let Our Vail Condo or Vail Vacation Home complete your Colorado Vacation VAIL COLORADO PROPERTY MAP - LOW QUALITY VAIL MAP .PDF / HIGH QUALITY VAIL MAP .PDF Vail Homes | Vail Condos | Rental Rates Book Online | Concierge | | Contact Us Contact Us | Partners | Careers | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy © 2004 Peak Properties. All Rights Reserved. .

Home Loans Debt Consolidation

VA Loans (Veteran's Affair Loan) contact us home Useful VA Loan Information More than 29 million veterans and service personnel are eligible to receive VA loans. The federal government recently improved the VA loan program, which makes the program even more attractive to our nation's veterans. The changes enacted in Dec. 2004 have increased the loan limit to $359,650, tied the future loan limit to a fluctuating index, and reinstated VA adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs). The VA ARMs will feature interest rate adjustments on an annual basis, which will be limited to a maximum increase or decrease of 1 percentage point. In addition, the interest rate increases are limited to a maximum of 5 percentage points over the life of the loan. The increase in the VA loan guaranty amount comes at an appropriate time for the nation's veterans. While national home prices have appreciated nearly 75 percent since 1995, the VA guaranty amount has only experienced one increase of approximately 18 percent since that time. The U.S. national average purchase price for a single-family home reached $264,540 in October 2004, according to figures released by the Federal Housing Finance Board. This figure is more than 10% over the maximum that lenders were previously willing to provide for a VA loan. With the new VA loan guaranty increase, most lenders will be willing to loan a maximum of $359,650, which indicates that more veterans will now be able to afford a home at the national average purchase price. Veteran's Affair Loan Advice If you are looking to get additional advice regarding a VA Loan, or if you want to speak with someone about prequalifying or even refinancing your home with a VA Loan, you can visit the VA Mortgage Center . They specialize in Veteran's Loans and can assist you through the entire process. They can even prequalify you online. The VA mortgage Center is not associated with the Government's Veteran's program, but they do specialize in VA Loans and can help you get the best rates and advice on your loan. You can also visit the Veteran's Affair Home Page which is the official site for Veteran's Affair Programs. This site will give you additional information regarding the loan, but will not be able to actually help you obtain or get pre-approved for a loan. However, you can find some financial forms at the Veterans Affairs Administration site. Other VA sites: Veterans can more advice on VA Loans and VA Refinances from bankrate . The site can help answer any questions you may have including interest rate questions as well as advice you on whether or not a refinance is your best option. Other sites such as Military Connections.com have some information regarding various benefits and you can find a VA Benefit List that gives Veteran's a list of benefits including information about VA Loans. The VA site also has information about the GI Bill or you can get information about Canada's Veterans Programs . Mortgages VA Loans Home Loans Debt Consolidation Refinancing Apply Now!