Colorado Real Estate

Breckenridge Lodging-colorado Real Estate Skiing Snowboarding information Summit County colorado. Today Snow High: 28 to 32 Tonight Snow Low: 10 to 15 -- If you would like to be kept informed on things going on in Breckenridge such as weather , lodging specials , cool stuff and more, then sign up for our email club now. BreckNet is the Breckenridge Colorado local information source for Breckenridge, Colorado and all of Summit County, Colorado. Step inside to learn more about this gorgeous alpine town and its surrounding areas, located high in the Central Rockies of Summit County, Colorado. BreckNet lists lodging companies and lodging specials as well as Real Estate companies in case you're looking to buy. Locals say the best things about Breckenridge Colorado are the endless opportunities for R&R. Talk about recreation ! Come in the summer to hear a concert, play golf, hike, camp, bike, fish, kayak, ride horses, or just go shopping ! There's something to do every minute of the day. Ski Breckenridge Lodging Call Toll Free: 1-800-754-9378 In the winter , enjoy some of the best skiing in the world. Our snow is light, soft, and plentiful! Check the list of Breckenridge Colorado ski and snowboard shops to save time with rentals. Winter in Breckenridge Colorado offers excitement and romance with skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, helicopter skiing, apres-ski entertainment , and candlelight dining . Looking for a deal? SkiCoupons.Com is the answer. Find tons of printable coupons for steals & deals on a wide range of products and services in the area like; lodging, dining, tours, shopping, skiing, rafting, golf, fishing, sportsgear, and much, much more! Check out their website today! Click here for air fare. Click here for Car Rentals. P.O. Box 1318 - 101 North Main Street, Suite 6 Breckenridge, Colorado 80424 For advertising information, Call 970-547-9690 - email chip@colorado.net - or visit www.inw.biz Email, dial-up or DSL Questions? Contact our sister company, VailNet/ColoradoNet 949-3318 * http://isp.vail.net

Home Equity Loans Home

Home Equity Loans, HELOC, Home Improvement Loan - HomeLoanCenter.com Home Home Equity Mortgage Refinance Home Equity Loans Home Purchase Credit Concerns Debt Consolidation Check Loan Status Loan Calculators Rate Quote Rate Watch FAQs Find the Right Loan 5 Reasons To Refinance Home Buying Tips Mortgage Terms Glossary Besides the tax benefits you’ll receive, there are many reasons to get a home equity loan and even more reasons to get one with HomeLoanCenter.com. Less paperwork No appraisal required Cash in 10 days No closing fee options Perfect credit not required No application fee Learn More: What is a home equity loan? What is a home equity line of credit? What is the process of getting a home equity loan? Schedule a FREE loan consultation today Start here! Finish in 3 minutes. Get a decision on your loan in as little as 30 seconds. Required Field Borrower Information: First Name: Last Name: M. Initial Suffix -Choose One- Jr Sr II III IV Home Phone: Work Phone: Will there be a co-borrower? Yes No *$208.33 payment is based on $40,000 loan amount for a 25-year Home Equity Line of Credit with a 3 month introductory rate of 6.25% and 7.00% Annual Percentage Rate. Rate is variable and subject to change. Offer is for new applicants only. To qualify for this payment borrower credit score must be 720 or greater and loan-to-value must not exceed 70%. The interest rate and payment for your line will vary based on your credit qualifications and loan to value ratios and will range from Prime -0.25% (currently 6.75% APR) to Prime +2.75% (currently 9.75% APR). Prime is the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate and is currently 7.00%. Changes to Prime may change your payment amount and APR. Maximum APR will not exceed 18%. An annual fee of $75 will be charged after the first year. Rate and terms offered may vary depending on your credit history and other qualifications, amount of equity in the property, location, and type of property, and other factors. Not available in all states. Rates are subject to change without notice. Site Map | About Us | Contact Us | Business Hours | Careers | Privacy Policy | Our Guarantees | Licensing | Legal Information Loan Payment Calculator | Mortgage Refinance | Home Equity Loan | Home Purchase | Adjustable Rate Mortgages | Second Mortgage Tools & Resources | Mortgage Interest Rates | Home Loan | Equity Loan | Debt Consolidation © 2005 Home Loan Center, Inc. All rights reserved. Loan programs are offered by Home Loan Center, Inc.

INVESTMENT PROPERTY IN ROMANIA

Romania Real Estate - Investment Property - Economic Statistics for Romania Home | Statistics | Registration | Contact us | Company Profile | Newsletter | Print this page //-- Sponsored by Addison Read Romania Geography Climate Topography Natural Resources Energy Land use & Agriculture Population Demographics Government Cabinet Members Economy Exchange Rates Communications Transport ADDISON READ ROMANIA REQUEST PROJECT PROSPECTUS Romania Property Market Land Price Guide - 2005 Bucharest residential market supply & demand Investment - Commercial property Residential property - New build Foreign ownership of land in Romania Martha Bibescu - Villas - New build project Representative projects South-East Europe drives growth in the New Europe REPORTS Addison Read Brochure pdf Romania Property report 2005 pdf REAL ESTATE MARKET Industrial Parks in Romania Bucharest office market Business Park -Bucharest Business Park - Iride GENERAL REPORTS GDP comparison - ro - hu - bg - cz Relocation services Cost of living Indices by country / Descending order Detailed report - Bu Land for Sale in Transylvania The following plots will not be available to speculators. Addison Read will interview applicants......... ROMANIA'S REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS - ADDISON READ - FOR ALL INVESTMENT PROPERTY IN ROMANIA Addison Read have packaged Investment Land Location of Land The Investment Opportunity Reasons to Invest for Foreign Investors by incorporating a company for each land parcel - Land is located close to the planned Bucharest multi-lane ring highway, a 30 minute drive from the city centre in rush hour - Apply for prospectus Addison Read offer retail, commercial & logistics sites on a the location of a 400 acre business city 5 miles from the western edge of Bucharest. - Apply for prospectus ROMANIA'S REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS - ADDISON READ - LAND INVESTMENT OF THE CENTURY Land for sale at Poiana Mica - 17ha first offer above €35 secures Regional Location details & map Announcements in November 2005 - that will instantly cause price rises estimated to reach €250-€370 per sqm by mid 2006 New Gondola Ski Transport ropeway to be opened at Poiana Brasov by Christmas Contract to construct 18 hole Golf Course at Poiana Mica (adjacent to Poiana Brasov) Canadian company to build international airport at Ghimbav (8.3 kms from Poiana Brasov) More details... New Doppelmayr Gondola - Ski Transport system - Capacity 3,000 pers. per hour to be opened Chistmas 2005 Golf course construction contract signed with Brasov planning authorities Canadian construction company signs contract to construct International airport at Ghimbav - less than 20 minutes from Romania's premier ski resort at Poiana Brasov ADDISON READ ROMANIA RAISES PROFILE OF ROMANIA'S PROPERTY INVESTMENT MARKET Addison Read International is a UK Property Investment Group that has recognised the high investment potential of Real Estate investment in the SE European countries - initially Bulgaria and now Romania. The company has the widest range of Land & Property acquisitions, and provides a full services package to foreign investors, including company formation, due diligence and legal services. Call us before your arrival in Romania on +40 21 312 4828. There was a strong logic to the strategic reasoning to first enter the Bulgarian market with its associated infrastructure investments in Tourism. In 2005, Romania's Real Estate market is entering a boom period for all types of property - residential, commercial & land. This boom is fuelled by a growing national economy that has a solid basis to it - having attracted higher levels of FDI in 2004 than any CEE country other than the Czech Republic. Romania's GDP growth in 2004 was second only to Latvia at 8.3%. Addison Read represent investors large and small and combine the highest professional standards available on the market with an unmatched knowledge of all real estate investment sectors. The company's mission is to optimise investor's profits and minimise market risks. Click for Why Invest in Romanian Property Click for Addison Read's Romanian Brochure Contact: Richard Prior - +40 722 304 773 or Phil Stapley +40 743 145 443 for more information ROMANIA PROPERTY MARKET - A GOOD INVESTMENT OR A BUBBLE... A recent commentary by the UKs Telegraph property correspondent suggests that there is little understanding of the economic engine that is driving the Real Estate market in Romania & Bulgaria. Ms. Rosie Murray-West should take note, and reconsider advice to UKs enthusiastic stream of investors that have cottoned on to economic growth taking place in SE Europe..... LAND FOR SALE IN TRANSYLVANIA... In response to requests, Addison Read provide details of some land parcels that we have available in Transylvania - in some of Europes finest mountain scenery. Land prices are escalating rapidly, and provide sound investment opportunities yielding in excess of 25-30% capital growth. CLICK ON THE MAP - FOR LAND DETAILS LAND FOR SALE IN BUCHAREST... Addison Read have land opportnities for Investment & Development in all areas indicated on the map below. We aquire land and develop projects for Investors across the globe. Addison Read control risks and optimise investor return possibilities that yield in excess of 25-30% annual capital growth. INDUSTRIAL PARKS IN ROMANIA Industrial Real Estate in Romania produces highest yields in Europe... You will find details here of all Industrial Parks in Romania. Investor Services has been associated with the initial planning phases of many of Bucharest's business parks - and is well placed to assist companies with the selection of office or industrial space requirements please do not hesitate to contact Richard Prior at richard.prior@addisonread.ro Or Give us a call on +40 722 304 773 or +40 722 304 772 and we will be glad to talk to you. ROMANIA - TOURISM - THE HIDDEN JEWEL OF EUROPE Over the last 10 years, The Editor has observed the steadily widening gap between the improving tourism infrastructure and the 'black hole' - an almost total lack of organised marketing effort. A few years ago, much of Romania's tourist industry was "in the wrong hands" - owned by those who imagined that quick profits would be obtained - for both little investment & even less effort..... The tourism and hospitality business does not grant quick profits to cheap operators.......! Now, in 2004, there are strong signs that the right people are getting into the industry & the infrastructure is developing rapidly - certainly in the premier mountain resorts - if not the Black Sea resorts. At Poiana Brasov for example, there are many new hotels & villas in the market, together with a well developed infrastructure for ski lifts and cable cars & restaurants - BUT the tourist board is ineffective and disorganised at getting out the message - that Romania has the most dramatic tourist assets of '"New Europe'. The final & essential element of apres-ski environment is dependent upon an effective Tourist board. Private operators, such as Andrei of Villa Andrei lead the way in terms of quality & value BUT need an influx of international tourists to generate the next steps of development. Romania is Europe's hidden jewel....... INVESTOR SERVICES - MARKET ALERTS Investor Services provides monthly Market Alert reports - detailing the market research activities of multi-national companies that are actively investigating the Romanian market. Gain and edge on your competition by responding to your target clients needs - before they approach the market. The reports are intended for senior management, and include Company profiles, Contact details and a charted analysis of research activities on the Romanian market. Contact: Richard Prior For executives relocating to Bucharest, Factbook has collaborated with Investor Services srl to provide a full relocation support service - A first stage is our offer of an interactive settling-in support sytem that is compatible with PDAs, Notepads & PCs. Apply for details FDI / LABOUR COSTS & COST OF LIVING For Transnational companies researching the Romanian market, Investor Services has provided a series of decision support reports covering FDI , Labour Cost s & Cost of Living comparisons. If you are seeking specific market research for the Romanian market, we shall be pleased to provide a compatitive quotation. In the first instance contact richard@ines.ro QUALITY CHAUFFEUR-DRIVE CAR HIRE - A BETTER OPTION THAN TAXIS IN BUCHAREST "Chauffeur Mercedes" provides E-Class saloons for the discerning Businessman or Diplomat. Immaculately dressed drivers - trained to the highest standards. Airport Transfers & for all your transport needs in Bucharest & throughout Romania Rates are surprising value - Drivers are a refreshing change from the near lethal tactics of the average Romanian Taxi driver. .... If you value your health - try Chauffeur Drive TRAVELLING TO ....... OR INVESTING IN ROMANIA. - 2005 The Editor has spent several years working in Hungary and other Central European countries. Each country has its strong points - Romania has now taken over as the fastest growing economy in the developing countries of Europe. GDP Growth is at the top of the European League. Foreign Direct Investment is 50% higher than Hungary for 2004 at EUR 3.5bn. Multi-National companies are increasingly migrating operations to Romania & the property market is booming. PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR INWARD INVESTORS Check out Investor Services before taking a decision about selection of your primary professional service provider. Our business partner iNES Advertising has extended the its range of services - for details see:- site UK LAND BANK OPPORTUNITY - 19 MILES LONDON 8.3 acre site - Located in attractive commuter village 19 miles North of London. Strong Residential development opportunities. WORLD STATISTICS OF MUSLIM POPULATION -COUNTRY BY COUNTRY Business leaders are aware of the waves of Anti-american, Anti British - and generally anti western feelings that are erupting throughout the Muslim world Just what is the extent of the Muslim world. Factbook has produced World Statistics for Muslim Population on a country by country basis - including world map of Muslim distribution. REPORT - EUROPEAN FILM INDUSTRY Factbook has published a detailed statistical report on the European Film Industry. Similar in style to the Global Traffic Accident report, with statistics ranging from admissions per film by country to Cinemas, revenues, GDP etc. Whether you are an industry professional or an amateur cinema buff this is worth a look... POWER GENERATION PROJECTS The modernisation and development of Romania's energy infrastructure represents one of the most significant opportunities for Power Generation and Construction companies during the period leading up to EU accession. more Current projects call for investments totalling over EUR 4 billion. Nuclear - €1.018bn Conventional - €2.465bn Hydro projects - - €651.2bn Our team have key experience with World Bank infrastructure financing in China, Malaysia, Turkey & Hungary. INVESTMENT IN ALLOY WHEEL PRODUCTION UNIT Investor Services are in discussions with leaders in the Automotive industry - with a view to locating a Wheel Production unit at a Romanian 'Free trade' Zone. East European Vehicle Production 2001 Projects The project includes proposals to locate a Wheel/Tyre assembly plant at the same location with a view to providing added value services to European car manufacturers. Project outline - English or Italian - for Cast alloy production unit. Sponsored by Addison Read Romania - Investment Property in Romania - Contact:- sales@addisonread.ro service provided by Investor Services , 33 Maguricea, Bucharest 1, - t. +40 722 304 773/2 fx. +40 21 232 6737 & iNES , © Factbook 2000; Site search Search Factbook Search WWW

Las Vegas Real Estate

Tiny Vegas home sits at center of housing craze - Real Estate - MSNBC.com Skip navigation Business Stocks & Economy Personal Finance Real Estate U.S. Business Intl Business Oil & Energy Automotive Aviation Food Inc. CNBC TV Forbes.com BusinessWeek Financial Times Motley Fool Small Business Local Business U.S. News World News Business Sports Entertainment Tech / Science Weather Health Travel Blogs Etc. Local News Newsweek Multimedia News Video Most Popular NBC NEWS MSNBC TV Today Show Nightly News Meet the Press Dateline NBC MSNBC Home Business Real Estate Tiny Vegas home sits at center of housing craze His property in demand, former waiter raises asking price to $1.2 million Jae C. Hong / AP Manuel Corchuelo's 700-square-foot housein the Las Vegas neighborhood ofNaked City,purchased for $30,000 in 1978,is currently on the market for $1.2 million. The tract home is rapidly being surrounded by high-rise condominium projects. LAS VEGAS - Its front windows wish you "Feliz Navidad" in paint that won't wash off. The landscaping consists of four shriveling cacti and a patio piled with empty cat food boxes. Inside, it's 700 square feet of confirmed bachelor's clutter. And it can all be yours for $1.2 million - cash. There's perhaps no better evidence of the condo fever raging through Las Vegas' real estate market than the asking price on Manuel Corchuelo's home. Once considered deadlocked in the wasteland where the Las Vegas Strip fizzled into a decaying downtown, the World War II-era home is now happily nestled in the shadows of billions of dollars of new and proposed high-rise condominium projects. Corchuelo is sitting on much-coveted land. From his front lawn, Corchuelo likes to smile up at the cranes and listen to the clang of construction. "It's a good sound," he said. The former catering waiter and Colombian immigrant bought the home in 1978 for $30,000. He worked more than 20 years serving high rollers and conventioneers. He never married, saved some money and lost $15,000 of it on the stock market. Ten years ago, he started reading about investors' plans to build condominiums outside his door. He cut the clipping from the newspaper and put it in a three-ring binder. A few years later, he put his house on the market. He is still holding out for an acceptable offer. At last count, there were 93 luxury condominium projects, totaling 175 towers, proposed, planned or under construction in the Las Vegas valley in the second quarter of this year, according to a report released in September by Applied Analysis, a Las Vegas-based consulting firm. Though Brian Gordon, an analyst for the group, estimates that little more than one in three of the 93 will ever open its doors, 15 projects representing 10,000 units are expected to be completed by the end of next year. Developers tout the boom as the Manhattanization of Las Vegas, the move to "verticality" instead of sprawl. They promise an urban lifestyle, skyline views and celebrity neighbors. They court the young, rich and out of town. About 85 percent of condo buyers are non-Nevada residents or investors, Gordon said. Most of the projects are huddled on or around the Strip. "It's sort of like beach-front property. They're not making any more of it. Everybody that's within a stone's throw thinks their property is worth $20 million an acre," he said. The hype is fueling increases throughout the city. The cost of a vacant acre in the Las Vegas area has hit $601,600 - an 88 percent increase over last year. Corchuelo's home is one block off Las Vegas Boulevard and across the street from the future home of the Allure, a 41-story luxury complex under construction. Five years ago, his initial asking price of $350,000 attracted few offers. His agent dropped the listing. Corchuelo continued to collect articles about the market, filling three binders full of stories and notes handwritten in Spanish. He studied the moves of the city's real estate tycoons. "Even Trump makes mistakes," he said, citing a sale he says cost real estate mogul Donald Trump millions. "You have to know the area. Steve Wynn, he knew what he was doing. He had experience - 20 years building hotels. He knows everything moves in cycles." Corchuelo found an agent who, like him, is convinced they're riding an upturn that hasn't peaked. The pair has upped the asking price several times and are looking for a buyer who doesn't need financing. CONTINUED: Why they call it Naked City 1 | 2 | Next > Print this Email this MORE FROM REAL ESTATE Real Estate Section Front . Sales of previously owned homes fall . Mortgage rates continue December descent . U.S. mortgage applications fell last week . New-home sales tumble in November . Q3 mortgage delinquencies jump . Report: Millions face critical housing needs . Bubble, bubble -- then trouble . Calif. home affordability near record low . Slowdown could claim 800,000 jobs . ARCHIVE: More on real estate . Real Estate Section Front 'Nasty fires' feared in Texas, Okla. Rains raise flood fears in California NBC: 'Weighty' Mideast challenges Man turned in by sons gets 40 years Grieving Dungy rejoins Colts MSNBC-TV Question of the Day Man ending 1,000-bar journey NOPD Chief addresses shooting Scarborough vlog: Advice for Dems Red flags within Red Cross? SPECIAL REPORT Related coverage Hot or not? Affordability index Mortgage calculator Full coverage City-by-city data Midwest Northeast South West Related Stories | What's this? Turnberry keeps rolling in Las Vegas Was that Elvis? Las Vegas Marathon set to roll Californians gamble on career in real estate Las Vegas buries a slice of history to end centennial events Station plans another neighborhood casino in North Las Vegas Most Popular Most Viewed Call it the year of lame excuses Insurgents slay 11 Shiite family members in Iraq Man turned in by sons gets 40 years in prison Body of missing N.J. police officer recovered Top 10 films of 2005 Most viewed on MSNBC.com Top Rated Dungy rejoins Colts, expected to coach Sunday Abramoff probe spells trouble for Congress Mother of 5 locked in battle with music industry The lowest scam Study: Vitamin D lowers risk of major cancers Most viewed on MSNBC.com Most E-mailed Call it the year of lame excuses 2-year-old gets drunk; baby-sitter charged Abramoff probe spells trouble for Congress FSU star linebacker accused of sexual assault Survey: One in 10 teens face major depression Most viewed on MSNBC.com Cover | U.S. News | World News | Business | Sports | Tech/Science | Entertainment | Travel | Health | Blogs Etc. | Weather | Local News Newsweek | Today Show | Nightly News | Dateline NBC | Meet the Press | MSNBC TV About MSNBC.com | Newsletters | RSS | Podcasts | Help | News Tools | Jobs at MSNBC.com | Contact Us | Terms & Conditions | Privacy © 2005 MSNBC.com MSN Privacy | Legal Feedback | Help

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