home equity. Why? Certain

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

House RentalFees Rental fees

Renting Historic Samuel Cupples House | Saint Louis University text only | | about slu | | apply now | | contact slu | | give online | | slu home | | quicklinks Admissions Academics Academic Calendar Admin Offices Banner Billiken Athletics Campus Life Career Services Colleges and Schools Events on Campus Financial Aid Gateway: Intranet Giving to SLU Libraries Ministry and Outreach Museums and Art People Finder Research Resources for Reporters Safety Student Health SLUCare Technology Web Email WebCT Working at SLU | | | | a-to-z search Eleanor Turshin Glass Collection Now Open Preview the Collection General Information Directions and Map Cupples Museum Shop Art Collections Family and House History 1890 Virtual House Tour R. M. S. Republic Links Cupples Family Survives Disaster! Types of Tours Rent Cupples House Become A Member Fr. Maurice McNamee Fr. McNamee: The Visionary Who Saved Samuel Cupples House Home Guidelinesfor Event Rentalsat Saint Louis University's Historic Samuel Cupples House University Events Services: 977-3728, or 977-7162or 977-3729 (The Cupples House staff does not reserve or bookevents.) These guidelines are in place to prevent accidentsand damage to the historic Cupples House and art collections. We ask that yourespect the historic nature of Samuel Cupples House. Your signature on theconfirmation letter and contract is your acknowledgement that the SamuelCupples House is rented only in compliance with the following: General Only the first and second floors of Cupples House are opened for events scheduled at Cupples House. Sit-down dinners limited to 60 in attendance. Stand-up receptions limited to 150 guests. No smoking in Cupples House on any floors; in galleries, bathrooms or kitchen. No taper candles allowed. Votive candles may be used only if part of a floral table arrangements. Floral arrangements are limited to table centerpieces only. Personal property left at Cupples House will be held for two days only unless other arrangements are made. Cupples House assumes no responsibility for personal property during or after an event. Telephone may be used only in an emergency. Physicians should identify themselves to Cupples House staff if medical calls are expected. Music No dancing is permitted. No brass, band or amplified instruments. String instruments and piano music only. Prohibited Access Backstairs may not be used except in case of emergency. No windows on any floors can be opened. No access to the third floor. No access to exterior balconies on any floor. No access to staff offices, kitchen, storerooms, rooms under installation or otherwise marked as private. Guests Children under the age of 12 are not permitted in the house. No animals allowed except seeing eye dogs with advance permission. Handicapped access is limited to the first floor. Disabled guests should notify event services in advance. Refreshments No alcoholic beverage may be served to anyone under the age of 21. No liquor, beer, or wine may be brought in from outside. Alcoholic beverages must be ordered through our designated caterer only. No outside food may be brought in. University caterer is recommended but not required. Outside caterer must meet with Cupples House director prior to signing reservation contract. No food or drink is permitted on the upper floors of Cupples House. Parties are limited to the first floor only. No food or drink allowed on antique furniture or textiles. Red wine is not permitted in the Conservatory. If accidental spills occur, we request you notify an event services staff member so that the spill may be cleaned up immediately. Table, Bar Set-Up and SpecialEquipment Your event services contact will supply client with examples of table set-up. In order to comply with safety codes, table arrangements may have to be changed in order to keep exit clear and to protect antique furniture. Special needs for podium, reception or presentation tables must be requested no later than one week prior to event. Piano and/or electronic equipment needs must be made at time of booking. Cupples House does not supply electronic equipment. (Screens, slide projectors, carts, VCRs, extension cords, etc.) Event Services can assist the client in arranging this equipment. Deliveries Cupples House has limited storage space for outside deliveries. Deliveries accepted only on the day of the event. All deliveries for evening events must be picked up by 10:30 a.m. on the next business day. Please advise your Event Services contact two days in advance to arrange access. A list of deliveries and the company names must be provided in advance in order to arrange parking gate access. This includes, florists, musicians, party rentals and musical instruments. Parking Visitors are directed to park in the Saint Louis University garage at Grand and Laclede. Photography Photography strictly for personal use is allowed. Photography for reproduction or commercial use is not allowed without prior permission from the Saint Louis University Marketing and Communications Department. To prevent damage, photography, video cameras and photography lighting cannot be directed onto any painting, print or photograph. Cupples House reserves theright to restrict the use of any electronic equipment. Consideration of the Fine andDecorative Art Collection and Historical House No sitting on antique furniture; especially furniture tied off by ribbons. No decorations may be hung, taped, stapled or otherwise attached to the interior architecture or furniture. No furniture or objects may be moved unless approved and supervised by Cupples House staff. If front porch or porte-cochere is used for a reception area, all signs, tables and debris must be removed at the end of the event. Samuel Cupples House RentalFees Rental fees are based on afour-hour rental. Additional hours over four are charged at $100 per each hour. Our closing time is 10:30 p.m. All guests must vacate no later than 11p.m. Cupples House is available for two hour wedding photography sessions.Additional time past the two hour session will be assessed at $100 per each hour. Hours Daytime events: Mondays only. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Evening events: Mondaysthrough Sundays. 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Fees/Charges Booking fee four hour reservation of the 1 st and 2 nd floor of Cupples House $250, university departments. $300, university faculty, staff, partners. $750, external group. Weekend surcharge (Fri., Sat., Sunday) $50, university departments $50, university faculty, staff, partners $250, external group Attendant fee $100, university departments $100, university faculty, staff, partners $200, external group Housekeeping fee $50 per 50 guests Piano fee $100 Wedding Photography (up to two hours) $175 Damage Deposit for allexternal rentals $250 How to Make Reservations andPayment: Call University EventsServices: 977-3728, or 977-7162 or 977-3729 Rental of Samuel Cupples Houseis determined on the appropriate nature of the event and on a first-come,first-served basis. Cupples House is unavailableduring the following periods: The month of January, the month of August, allmajor holidays and the weekends surrounding major holidays. These are: NewYear's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Dayand Christmas Day. In addition, Cupples House isnot available the week preceding Commencement on the third Saturday of May, andvarious other dates when the University is closed. In some circumstances, the Universityadministration and/or some departments have necessary priority in bookingcertain annual functions. These periods are in conjunction with the opening andclosing months of the academic year and the Thanksgiving to Christmas season. The following types of eventsare not appropriate for Cupples House rental: Wedding ceremonies or photography events Events which serve as a promotion for alcohol or tobacco products Events which have band instruments or dancing Fundraising events for non-University clients Photography or film location shoots without prior permission of the Saint Louis University Marketing and Communications Department Reservations: Reservations will be held for10 days after the mailing of the Event Booking/Reservation form.After returning your space reservation sheet with the required fee, you will besent a special events guidelines packet. Please read the guidelines carefullyto make sure that your planning and interests comply with the list ofregulations. Your deposit or IDO confirmsyour reservation. If not received within 10 days, the date is released to otherpossible clients. Payment Balance for external clientsis due two weeks prior to date of event. Certificate of Insurance forexternal clients due 10 days prior to date of event. Damage Deposit External Clients: A damage deposit of $250 isnecessary for every event. This deposit will be held andthen returned to the client within 10 days after the event assuming thatCupples House was not damaged during your event.. University Departments: The University insurancecarries a deductible of $1,000 so that Cupples House cannot submit claims belowthat amount. Damage that occurs to the interior woodwork, or furniture or artcollection below $1,000 will be billed to the University department along witha statement of loss or repair estimate. Refunds To hold a space, 100 percentof the room cost and administration fee are required. The remaining fees mustbe paid two weeks before the event. If you cancel, all fees except theadministrative fee will be returned one month prior to the event. Half of thedown payment will be returned if the event is canceled two weeks to one monthprior. If the event is canceled less than two weeks prior to the event, no feewill be returned. History Links | Samuel Cupples | Women's Page Chronology | Architecture | Gilded Age about slu | apply now | contact slu | give online | slu home ©1818 - 2005 SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY Where Knowledge Touches Lives ®

Sell House

House prices - setting the value Geta Free Home Valuation Now Setting the Price on Your Home Along with location and condition, the pricing of a house is a major component of the reasonswhy a house will--or will not--sell quickly. Although the pricing should not be dealt with lightly, some sellershave a tendency to put too much emphasis on the price and not enough on the condition, ending up with a house thatis overpriced for its current condition and the overall market. Even if you find an unaware buyer that appearswilling to pay the high price, when the buyer applies for a mortgage, the chances are good that the lender's appraisalwill force the price back down to market value. It's important to get it right the first time Care and time should be taken when establishing the original listingprice for several reasons: 1) If the houseis overpriced, it won't sell. If it doesn't sell and sits on the market the listing quickly becomes stale. 2) If you overpricethe house with the intention of reducing the price later just to "see what the market will bear", whenthe price of the house is lowered, it signals to buyers that it was (and still may be) overpriced. 3) If the houseis underpriced, it most likely will sell quickly--to the detriment of your net proceeds. Some factors that affect the price of a home 1) Location: Youcan't get away from this one. If your house is located in a desirable area that is in demand, you will be ableto get a higher price than you can for the same house in a less desirable area. 2) Condition: A house that has been better maintained and shows better will always sell for more than one that has had deferred(neglected) maintenance and needs work. 3 ) Desirable amenities: If a house has amenities that are currently popular in the marketplace, it will bring a higher price. Methods of setting the price CMA (Comparable Market Analysis) :A comparison of similar properties in the same general area that compares actual sold prices. A Real Estate Agentcan generate a CMA, or in many cases you can do it on your own. HomePrice.net gathers data on properties in the majority of U.S. states. Some of the informationyou'll see includes address, sale date, price and square footage for up to 30 comparable properties. Click herefor more information . HomeGain: If you're thinkingabout selling your home in the next 12 months, this FREE service is designed to help you get an estimate of yourhome's value. Knowing how much your home can be worth is one of the first steps in beginning to market the property. Clickhere for more information Electronic Appraiser Enter your property address and receive a home sales valuation report. Known to the Real Estate Appraisal industryas a Automated Valuation Model (AVM). Traditional Appraisal: A estimated valuation is placed specifically on your house by a professionalappraiser. An appraisal will take into account location, condition and sale prices of comparable properties inthe neighborhood. RELATED TOPICS CMA (Comparable Market Analysis) Appraisals Evaluation and Feedback HOME | Checklist | To-Do Lists | Set a Value | By Owner | With an Agent | Preparation | Showtime | Research | More Links

Colorado Real Estate

? REALS.COM - Real Estate Directory The #1 Real Estate Directory Offers links and information to real estate related sites since 1997 Submit a Site | Contacts Foreclosure Real Estate • Real Estate Classifieds • Realtor ® Supply Store • Real Estate Articles Explore by Categories [ Submit a Site ] Agents & Brokers - Business Broker - Buyers Agent - Interview Agent Apartments & Rentals - Corporate Housing - Find Roommate - Times Shares Career Training - Appraisal - Inspection - Property Management Commercial Real Estate - Developers - Investment - Office Space Construction - Architects - Builders - Contractors Finance & Mortgage - Credit Report - Commercial Lender - Insurance For Sale By Owner - Discount Brokers - FSBO Kits - Search Listing Foreclosure Real Estate - Auctions - Bank Owned - Foreclosure Consultants Golf & Land - Agricultural - Golf Resort - Land Directory Home & Garden - Do It Yourself - Garden - Home Decorating Informations - County Info - Glossary - School Reports International Real Estate - Asia Real Estate - Canada Real Estate - UK Real Estate Moving - Local Business - Relocation Expert - Storage New Homes - Home Builders - Planned Community - Senior Living Property Listing - Comparable Sales - Luxury Homes - Free Property Listing Property Management - Apartment Rental - Career Training - Tenant Screening - Software Real Estate Legal - Escrow and Title - Forms - Notaries - Tenant Rights Real Estate Services - Appraisals - Consultants - Inspections - Pest Controls Real Estate Support - Promotional Items - Real Estate Blog - Supply Store - Web Services Vacation Homes - Bed & Breakfast - International - Time Share Real Estate Foreclosures Start Your Free Trial Get instant access to the most accurate national database of bank and government foreclosed properties. Shop Online Realtor® Superstores The Largest Real Estate Marketing Tools,Supplies, and Services Offered Anywhere In The World Brio Realty Search MLS Real Estate Listings by State View photos of over 30,000 MLS real estate listings in California, Washington, Maryland, and Virginia. Hurricane Relief Submit a Site | Company Info | Site Index | Contact Us | Link to Us Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Information contained herein is deemed accurate and correct, but no warranty is implied or given. Reals.com 1997-2005. All rights reserved.

Rental Property

Vacation Condo Rentals - Vacation Rental Property www.CondoRentHelp.com Important Disclaimer Policy - read beforecontinuing Vacation Rental Properties To see our current rentals, continue down this page: Renters Owners/Advertisers To see what rentals (condo, house, villa, etc.)are listed, continue to scroll down this page then select a state from the following list or click here If you are a property owner with an existing listing, click here If you own a vacation property (condo, house, villa, etc.) and want to advertise with us, click here If you want to know why you should advertise with us, click here If you want to see if you qualify for our FREE introductory listing, click here To contact us, click here To see a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ), Click here To locate a listing by property number, enter the # and press the 'submit' button, Use the map to pick a state to see the vacation condo or other rental properties available Most Popular Rental States California Colorado Florida Hawaii North Carolina South Carolina Virginia Most Popular Rental States California Colorado Florida Hawaii North Carolina South Carolina Virginia Top rental cities Destin, Florida Disney Area, Florida Indian Rocks Beach, Florida Marco Island, Florida New Smyrna Beach, Florida Panama City Beach, Florida Sanibel Island, Florida Hilton Head Island, South Carolina Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Virginia Beach, Virginia CondoRentHelp.com handles condo, house, townhouse, and villa vacation rentals but specializes in condo rental properties.