Home Loan

Home Equity Scams: Borrowers Beware! Home Equity Loans : Borrowers Beware! D o you own your home? If so, it's likely to be your greatest single asset. Unfortunately, if you agree to a loan that's based on the equity you have in your home, you may be putting your most valuable asset at risk. Homeowners-particularly elderly, minority and those with low incomes or poor credit-should be careful when borrowing money based on their home equity. Why? Certain abusive or exploitative lenders target these borrowers, who unwittingly may be putting their home on the line. Abusive lending practices range from equity stripping and loan flipping to hiding loan terms and packing a loan with extra charges. The Federal Trade Commission urges you to be aware of these loan practices to avoid losing your home. The Practices Equity Stripping You need money. You don't have much income coming in each month. You have built up equity in your home. A lender tells you that you could get a loan, even though you know your income is just not enough to keep up with the monthly payments. The lender encourages you to "pad" your income on your application form to help get the loan approved. This lender may be out to steal the equity you have built up in your home. The lender doesn't care if you can't keep up with the monthly payments. As soon as you don't, the lender will foreclose-taking your home and stripping you of the equity you have spent years building. If you take out a loan but don't have enough income to make the monthly payments, you are being set up. You probably will lose your home. Hidden Loan Terms: The Balloon Payment You've fallen behind in your mortgage payments and may face foreclosure. Another lender offers to save you from foreclosure by refinancing your mortgage and lowering your monthly payments. Look carefully at the loan terms. The payments may be lower because the lender is offering a loan on which you repay only the interest each month. At the end of the loan term, the principal-that is, the entire amount that you borrowed-is due in one lump sum called a balloon payment. If you can't make the balloon payment or refinance, you face foreclosure and the loss of your home. Loan Flipping Suppose you've had your mortgage for years. The interest rate is low and the monthly payments fit nicely into your budget, but you could use some extra money. A lender calls to talk about refinancing, and using the availability of extra cash as bait, claims it's time the equity in your home started "working" for you. You agree to refinance your loan. After you've made a few payments on the loan, the lender calls to offer you a bigger loan for, say, a vacation. If you accept the offer, the lender refinances your original loan and then lends you additional money. In this practice-often called "flipping"-the lender charges you high points and fees each time you refinance, and may increase your interest rate as well. If the loan has a prepayment penalty, you will have to pay that penalty each time you take out a new loan. You now have some extra money and a lot more debt, stretched out over a longer time. The extra cash you receive may be less than the additional costs and fees you were charged for the refinancing. And what's worse, you are now paying interest on those extra fees charged in each refinancing. Long story short? With each refinancing, you've increased your debt and probably are paying a very high price for some extra cash. After a while, if you get in over your head and can't pay, you could lose your home. The "Home Improvement" Loan A contractor calls or knocks on your door and offers to install a new roof or remodel your kitchen at a price that sounds reasonable. You tell him you're interested, but can't afford it. He tells you it's no problem-he can arrange financing through a lender he knows. You agree to the project, and the contractor begins work. At some point after the contractor begins, you are asked to sign a lot of papers. The papers may be blank or the lender may rush you to sign before you have time to read what you've been given. The contractor threatens to leave the work on your house unfinished if you don't sign. You sign the papers. Only later, you realize that the papers you signed are a home equity loan. The interest rate, points and fees seem very high. To make matters worse, the work on your home isn't done right or hasn't been completed, and the contractor, who may have been paid by the lender, has little interest in completing the work to your satisfaction. Credit Insurance Packing You've just agreed to a mortgage on terms you think you can afford. At closing, the lender gives you papers to sign that include charges for credit insurance or other "benefits" that you did not ask for and do not want. The lender hopes you don't notice this, and that you just sign the loan papers where you are asked to sign. The lender doesn't explain exactly how much extra money this will cost you each month on your loan. If you do notice, you're afraid that if you ask questions or object, you might not get the loan. The lender may tell you that this insurance comes with the loan, making you think that it comes at no additional cost. Or, if you object, the lender may even tell you that if you want the loan without the insurance, the loan papers will have to be rewritten, that it could take several days, and that the manager may reconsider the loan altogether. If you agree to buy the insurance, you really are paying extra for the loan by buying a product you may not want or need. Mortgage Servicing Abuses After you get a mortgage, you receive a letter from your lender saying that your monthly payments will be higher than you expected. The lender says that your payments include escrow for taxes and insurance even though you arranged to pay those items yourself with the lender's okay. Later, a message from the lender says you are being charged late fees. But you know your payments were on time. Or, you may receive a message saying that you failed to maintain required property insurance and the lender is buying more costly insurance at your expense. Other charges that you don't understand-like legal fees-are added to the amount you owe, increasing your monthly payments or the amount you owe at the end of the loan term. The lender doesn't provide you with an accurate or complete account of these charges. You ask for a payoff statement to refinance with another lender and receive a statement that's inaccurate or incomplete. The lender's actions make it almost impossible to determine how much you've paid or how much you owe. You may pay more than you owe. Signing Over Your Deed If you are having trouble paying your mortgage and the lender has threatened to foreclose and take your home, you may feel desperate. Another "lender" may contact you with an offer to help you find new financing. Before he can help you, he asks you to deed your property to him, claiming that it's a temporary measure to prevent foreclosure. The promised refinancing that would let you save your home never comes through. Once the lender has the deed to your property, he starts to treat it as his own. He may borrow against it (for his benefit, not yours) or even sell it to someone else. Because you don't own the home any more, you won't get any money when the property is sold. The lender will treat you as a tenant and your mortgage payments as rent. If your "rent" payments are late, you can be evicted from your home. Protecting Yourself You can protect yourself against losing your home to inappropriate lending practices. Here's how: Don't: Agree to a home equity loan if you don't have enough income to make the monthly payments. Sign any document you haven't read or any document that has blank spaces to be filled in after you sign. Let anyone pressure you into signing any document. Agree to a loan that includes credit insurance or extra products you don't want. Let the promise of extra cash or lower monthly payments get in the way of your good judgment about whether the cost you will pay for the loan is really worth it. Deed your property to anyone. First consult an attorney, a knowledgeable family member, or someone else you trust. Do: Ask specifically if credit insurance is required as a condition of the loan. If it isn't, and a charge is included in your loan and you don't want the insurance, ask that the charge be removed from the loan documents. If you want the added security of credit insurance, shop around for the best rates. Keep careful records of what you've paid, including billing statements and canceled checks. Challenge any charge you think is inaccurate. Check contractors' references when it is time to have work done in your home. Get more than one estimate. Read all items carefully. If you need an explanation of any terms or conditions, talk to someone you can trust, such as a knowledgeable family member or an attorney. Consider all the costs of financing before you agree to a loan. For More Information The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues , visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel , a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION FOR THE CONSUMER 1-877-FTC-HELP www.ftc.gov April 1998

Real Estate Agent By

BuyMyself - Canale, IRED Attitude & News Home Directories Int'l Realty US Realty BuyMyself Choosing A Real Estate Agent By Stephen M. Canale, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA There's a common saying in the real estate industry regarding the vast number of agents in the business: "If you don't have any friends who are agents, then you probably don't have any friends at all." With so many agent out there, how can you make an intelligent decision? Do you choose a friend, neighbor or coworker? Should you work with an agent at a large firm, a small firm, a franchise or an independent? While there's an exception to every rule, and every marketplace has its own nuances, here are some solid rules to apply when you want the best representation to protect your interests. Demand Experience The real estate profession is plagued by high turnover. This creates a workforce that is made up of many newcomers. While there are brand new agents with good intentions, why trust one of the largest investment you'll ever buy or sell to someone without experience? Always look for an agent with at least two years of experience. Anyone still in the business after two years has probably learned at least the fundamentals of real estate. Look for Commitment Another problem we have in the industry is a large number of part time and recreational salespeople. These folks have either retired from some other career, work in real estate seasonally or are earning a second income for the family and honestly don't need to work full time. No matter how long they have been in real estate, their lack of full-time commitment makes it impossible for them to keep up with the vast changes in law, marketing and business practices that are occurring in the profession today. If an agent isn't working at least thirty hours a week, fifty weeks a year, look for someone else. Consider Education In the majority of states, the requirements for real estate licensing are substantially less than those for cutting hair. In Michigan, for example, all that is required is a forty-hour class and a multiple choice test. You cannot rely on licensing to indicate competence. And, unfortunately, many agent's real estate education ends with their pre-license education. While there are numerous advanced real estate education courses available, the only technical and competence based program available nationwide is the Graduate, REALTORS® Institute (GRI) series, which is administered under the direction of the National Association of REALTORS®. A REALTOR® who completes the fifteen eight-hour modules, and passes examinations, may then use the designation of GRI. While only 15%-20% of agents have earned this accreditation, it should not be too difficult finding a GRI in your marketplace as they will commonly print the designation behind their name in advertising as well as on letterhead and business cards. Conduct Interviews Before you hire an agent to help you buy or sell a home, you should interview at least three agents in person. In order to do this, first get recommendations from friends, family and neighbors. Then look on the web, in homes magazines and the local newspaper to see what kind of marketing the various companies are doing in your area and call a few that impress you. Then make brief fact-finding calls to determine which of the agents on your list are full time, experienced and either hold the GRI designation or are at least working aggressively toward it. You will probably need to call ten to fifteen agents in order to find three that are worth interviewing. The interview itself need not be a formal one. It is simply an opportunity for you to meet the candidate and explain your needs; and to determine whether you would be comfortable working with them. Ask whatever questions you like, or simply explain your goals and listen carefully to what they propose to do for you in meeting your needs. The decision If you follow the suggestions above, you will find that there are excellent agents working for firms both large and small; both franchised and independent. Thus, the real decision must be made based on the competency of the individual agent you will be working with on a day-to-day basis. Stephen M. Canale is President, Broker/Instructor of Acclaim Residential Marketing Ann Arbor, Michigan | IRED Home | Search IRED | © 1995-2005 IRED.Com, Inc All Rights Reserved

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DOL - Real Estate Brokers License Real Estate Brokers License Requirements of Licensure: 18 years of age or older. High school diploma or equivalent. Minimum of two years of full-time experience as asalesperson in Washington or in another jurisdiction having comparablerequirements. 120 clock hours of instruction in real estate including: --30 clock hours real estate law, --30 clock hours brokerage management, --30 clock hours business management, and a --30 clock hour approved elective course. Successful passage of examination. Application for license. Please note: The experience and clock hours must be completed within five years prior to application for examination. Fees: Examination Fee ------ $138.25 Original License Fee - $210.00 Renewal Fee (2 yr.) ----$210.00 Continuing Education Requirement: 30 clock hours for renewal every two years including the core curriculum. A list of approved real estate courses are available in the real estate course catalog Forms: You can download the forms listed below to your own desktop or work-station. Application for Real EstateSalesperson/Associate Broker/Branch Manager Application for Real EstateIndividual Broker License (Sole Proprietorship) Application for Limited LiabilityCompany or Limited Liability Partnership Application for Real EstatePartnership License Application for Real EstateCorporation License Application for Real EstateBranch Office Licensure Application for Broker AddressChange/Branch Office Address Change BrokerClosing Office Affidavit WaiverProcedures for Broker Examination Applicants Using AlternateExperience/Qualifications Real Estate Examination, Licensing and Renewal Section: Business Location: Department of Licensing Real Estate Licensing Section 2000 4th Avenue West Olympia, WA Mailing Address: Department of Licensing Real Estate Licensing Section PO Box 9015 Olympia, WA 98507-9015 Telephone Number: (360) 664-6500 or (360) 664-6488 Fax Number: (360) 586-0998 Office Hours: 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. Pacific time, Monday through Friday. Return to Real Estate front page. Real Estate MainPage Washington Real EstateCommission ProfessionalLicensing Internet Query Fees FAQs Salespersons License Appraisers MainPage Washington Real EstateLicensing Law: RCW18.85 Real Estate Brokerage Relationships: RCW18.86 WAC308-124 General Provisions WAC308-124A Licensing & Exams WAC308-124B Brokers Office WAC308-124C Records WAC308-124D Operational Procedures WAC308-124E Trust Accounts WAC308-124H Education Telephone: Salesperson & Brokers Licensing Section: (360) 664-6488 or (360) 664-6500 Fax: (360) 586-0998 Education Section: (360) 664-6505 Fax: (360) 586-0998 Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Fees Accepted: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time Monday through Friday Write: Department of Licensing Real Estate Program PO Box 9015 Olympia, WA 98507-9015 Business Location: 2000 4th Avenue West, Olympia, WA 98502 E-Mail: RealEstate@dol.wa.gov

foreclosure property. http://www.eforeclosures.com/ Foreclosure

Foreclosure related information and links Real Estate Web Directory | 10 Best | Add URL | Acc Login | Link To Us | Advertise | Surveys | Articles | Branding | Affiliate | Calculator | | Home :: Real Estate :: Foreclosures Search Help Any Term All Terms Search Entire Directory This Category Only Within your results Home Financing Attorneys Banks Books and Videos Credit Unions Escrow FHA Guides and Directories Home Refinancing Mortgage Brokers Mortgage Calculators Mortgage Rates/Quotes Mortgages Property Insurance Software Title Insurance Home Furnishings Appliances Flooring Furniture Home Decor Household Items Kitchens Software Window Coverings Home Improvements Building Supplies Contractors Do-It-Yourself Electrical Floor Coverings Guides and Directories Home Decor Home Restoration Home Safety Insulation and Heating Kitchen and Bath Landscaping Plans/Designs Plumbing Redecorating Repair and Remodeling Roofing Software Tools Real Estate Books and Videos FSBO Foreclosures Guides and Directories Home Inspections Moving and Storage Property Appraisals Realtor/Appraiser Resources Realtors/Listings Relocation Renting/Leasing Time Share Vacation Property Sponsor Matches [an error occurred while processing this directive] End Categories... Results 1 - 10 of at least 31 Shark Bait Foreclosure Buyers Software Shark Bait is the #1 foreclosure buyers software system that seeks out equity. Find the real foreclosure deals! The only thing worse than not using Shark Bait, is bidding against someone who does! http://www.digitaldeal.com Residential foreclosures in Georgia Foreclosure Properties in Georgia. Foreclosures Below Appraisal Value. Georgia Homes. Low Prices! http://www.foreclosuresgeorgia.com/ Atlanta Real Estate Foreclosures Real estate foreclosure and repossessed (REO) properties by Re/Max broker, Marc Oppenheimer. Our bank foreclosures sell, on average, in 90 days or less in metro Atlanta. http://www.reoatlanta.com Cornerstone Property Solutions, LLC. We Buy and Sell Homes! We are NOT Realtors or Brokers. We are an Indianapolis based real estate investment company that specializes in helping Buyers & Sellers. http://www.fast.ezhomebuyer.com Foreclosures of Washington State eForeclosures.com (1-800-530-RENS) provides daily listings of foreclosures, defaults, forfeitures, Lis Pendens, and will help you through the process of buying foreclosure property. http://www.eforeclosures.com/ Foreclosure Property Government Foreclosures Real Estate Foreclosure4Sale.com offers most comprehensive foreclosure listing. Suitable for home buyers and realtors. Save in forclosure properties from banks, mortgage companies. http://www.foreclosure4sale.com ForeclosureClub.com The Foreclosurepreneur online meeting place. Lots of free info on the Foreclosure purchasing process. No cost membership! http://www.ForeclosureClub.com FORECLOSURES USA We list bank and government foreclosures starting as low as $10,000 across the United States for investors worldwide. Single-family homes, condominiums and multi-family foreclosures are our specialty. http://www.foreclosuresusa.net Foreclosure Home Listings Search for foreclosures properties in the United States and surrounding territories. Also find information and articles about purchasing a home or commercial foreclosure property listings. http://www.foreclosure-homes-search.com Buying a Home Foreclosures for Instant Profit Buying a home foreclosures makes you generate quick profit. Step-by-step process for quick cash. http://www.buying-a-home-foreclosures.com Page [1] [2] [3] [4] About Us | Contact Us | Privacy | Terms Of Use | Guidelines | SiteMap | HomeResearcher.com 2004 all rights reserved

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ERA - Destin Florida Real Estate - Pensacola Real Estate - Pensacola Beach Condos for sale Your ERA Florida Real Estate Expert for Pensacola, Destin, Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key Real Estate. Gulf Breeze Florida real estate MLS Pensacola real estate Destin condos for sale Destin Florida Waterfront luxury homes Gulf Breeze, FL emerald coast realty Navarre Florida Gulf coast Beach Condos Pensacola Florida Real Estate Perdido Key Condos Licensed Florida & Alabama Broker Pensacola Florida, Destin, Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Perdido Key, Pensacola Beach and all NW FL Gulf Coast Beach Communities. Direct (850) 439-1811 Toll Free (866) 906-1811 kim.gibbons@era.com Member Gulf Breeze & Perdido Key FL Chambers Owner Broker LOCAL REALTORS ® I'm a local ERA Real Estate Broker, ready to find you the Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Pensacola Beach Waterfront Navarre, Destin Florida real estate or Perdido Key property that meets your specific needs. My Realtors are highly focused on these real estate markets for maximum results. I specialize in: residential homes, commercial and investment property. Types of properties include; luxury Gulf beach front condos, townhouses, waterfront land, luxury homes, Destin beach condos and new oceanfront homes construction. Click luxury homes or Navarre realty information from the Navarre FL realestate eSource. BUYERS I search the Destin and Pensacola Florida MLS Real Estate databases daily for real estate that matches your specific criteria. I then notify you immediately with the latest Destin or Pensacola MLS listing that meet your desired need. Choose Find Homes for Sale and fill in the requested information. I will contact you to confirm the specifics of the property you desire and then follow up with properties you can evaluate, its a breeze! You can also contact me to get automatic updates on homes or condos in the Pensacola and Destin FL areas that meet your specific criterion. MORE EMERALD COAST REAL ESTATE • Destin Condos • Fort Walton Beach Real Estate ˜ ˜ ˜ SELLERS Plan To List Your Property? Go with the Broker with the best internet presence! More internet exposure equates to more potential BUYERS! Our Commitment to You... If you plan to sell your real estate in the next few months, use my CMA evaluation. This free service is designed to help establish the current market value for your property. Simply choose Listing Property and provide the requested information. I will use comparable homes or condos that have sold in your area from the MLS to help you determine the fair market value of your home. When you list your home I make sure the public knows that your home is available for sale by using state of the art advertising and marketing approaches to attract potential buyers. Such as, immediate MLS listing, extensive internet and national directory exposure. Buyer from came to this Web Site in 2004! Marketing Strategy Presentation WHY KIM GIBBONS? 1) Huge Internet presence 2) Florida Licensed Broker, Associate 3) Experience, Multi Million Dollar Producer 4) Extensive Relocation Experience 5) A well defined Listing Sales Strategy , to sell your property! As a respected Emerald Coast professional, I am dedicated to providing the best service possible. Because our industry is becoming more sophisticated and challenging every day, I work hard to staying ahead of the competition to best represent YOU and your priorities! I am a Licensed Florida Broker , with that comes a better understanding and knowledge to better serve you. Most agents are not Brokers because the knowledge and testing requirements are very rigorous. I strive to determine your specific needs and work hard to get the results you deserve! Click here to find out more about listing your home ˜ ˜ ˜ Please use my web site to explore our Gulf Coast schools and NW FL communities to find the special neighborhood that best fits your likes and personal priorities. CAN'T FIND WHAT YOU WANT? I can show, sell and get you any additional listing information on realty and condos located in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Destin, Walton and all Counties of North and Northwest Florida. Contact Us MORE RESOURCES Click here to view our Realty Articles . Ivan has left it's mark on the Gulf Coast see Ivan Damaged Houses TIP OF THE WEEK Before you list your property, look at this weeks tip: FEATURED LISTINGS Please take a moment of your time to look at this weeks Featured Listings. 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