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 Broker

Atlanta Real Estate: Metro Brokers/GMAC Atlanta real estate, Georgia, brokers, agent, buckhead, atlanta mortgage, cobb, midtown, homes for sale -- Atlanta Real Estate & Atlanta Homes for Sale Metro Brokers/GMAC Real Estate Community Search Builders/Developers New Home Services for Agents Order relocation kit Who's who in relocation GM Family First Quote Form Claims Dictionary FAQ's Privacy notice Services offered Businesses for sale Commercial division info Property search Agent roster Who wants to be a millionaire? Comprehensive sales training Broker support Coaching Agent Testimonials Contact us A little history Marketing Communications Technology Office locations/directions Market share comps Company News Premier Service Have a question? Ask your online guide. E-mail Metro Mike. Learn how to schedule appointments online to see properties. Order our FREE 250+ page home guide with thousands of area homes for sale. Click here to learn how to get a Georgia real estate license for free! Click here to view your shopping cart or create a new account. Metro Brokers Financial offers competitive rates on a variety of mortgage products. Click here to prequalify! Search the largest database of Atlanta homes for sale 72,310 HOMES more than any other website! Database last updated Dec 29 2005 6:58AM Market Share Comps Metro Brokers/GMAC Real Estate grew its Atlanta real estate market share by one percent in 2004, while every other local residential realty company with at least 2,000 closings lost market share – one company by 15 percent. Over the last four years, Metro Brokers has increased its metro area market share by 3.4 percent – far better than any other local company. In fact, Atlanta’s other top 10 residential real estate companies experienced market share declines over that same period by an average of 23.5 percent. Metro Brokers did even better in specific real estate submarkets of Atlanta. The company saw double-digit market share gains in Butts, Cherokee, Coweta, Dawson, Douglas, East Cobb, Forsyth, Gilmer, Gwinnett, Henry, Intown Atlanta, Newton, North Fulton, Paulding, Rockdale, Walton and West Cobb. The company remains the Atlanta market share leader south of I-20, with nearly 1 out of every 4 homebuyers represented by a Metro Brokers sales associate. According to Metro Brokers President and CEO Kevin Levent, the primary reason for the company's market-leading growth is the increased productivity of its sales associates. "Our associates sold more homes in Atlanta than any other year in the history of our company," Levent said. "Our training programs are invigorating experienced real estate sales associates and helping new real estate licensees hit the ground running." Metro Brokers is also the largest license holder in the state of Georgia. The market share study was completed by Smart Numbers, an independent, Atlanta-based company that provides residential real estate information. Smart Numbers used closing data from MLS and FMLS to compile its report. Company News ATLANTA - Once again, the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association (HBA) has selected metrobrokers.com Best Realtor Website in the Atlanta area for the fourth consecutive year. MetroBrokers.com was chosen by HBA’s judges for its functionality, ease-of-use and overall design. The only organization recognizing Atlanta companies for excellence in website design, the HBA has been promoting, protecting and preserving homeownership in the greater area since its inception in 1945. HBA is an affiliate of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), headquartered in Washington, D.C. During the last year, Metro Brokers became the first local company to successfully launch an appointment setting tool that allows homebuyers to schedule a showing while viewing a listing online. As a result, Metro Brokers has generated more than 2,000 real estate showing requests – a figure that’s 30 percent higher than the national average of other metro realty companies. REALTORS RESPOND TO METRO BROKERS’ NEW BILLBOARDS Joyce Hay of the Gwinnett office: “Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! I love the billboards. My clients think the boards are cool, too. They say it’s better than any other billboard they’ve ever seen and that Metro Brokers is far and above any other company.” Salim Lokhandwalla of the Tucker office: “It’s very eye-catching. The locations are excellent especially the one on I-85 south. If my 11 year old daughter notices it, I’m sure others will too.“ Jamie Hook of the East Cobb office: “It’s really impressive, especially when you have clients in the car and drive by it.” Radley Reiff of the Buckhead office: “I love it. I think it’s great for brand recognition…A perfect ‘10’.” Serrie Fields of the Stone Mountain office: “The billboard can’t be beat. It’s bold, easy to read in traffic and very visible. It makes our name well known in the community and reinforces our large market presence. I envision the billboards helping me on listing presentations when I mention them to customers.” Bo Krejci of the North Fulton office: “I think the billboard is great. It really pops out at you when you drive down GA-400. I can only imagine the impact on morning commuters as the traffic crawls by the billboard.” Real Estate Atlanta, Georgia

Buy House

Buying a house with credit problems Click Here to Take Charge of Your Credit Buying a House with Credit Problems It happens to many of us. Obligations. Debts. Monthly bills. They allcan combine to get the best of you and as a result, credit problems arise. In the not too distant past, this oftenmeant having to wait 5 years, 10 years or more before attempting to purchase a home. Now, however, there are sourcesthat can help those who are doing their best to re-establish a solid credit rating. Overcoming Credit Problems Determine precisely what the problems are. You will need to have a clear picture of your current credit status so that you know whatto concentrate on. The quickest and easiest way to accomplish this is to run a credit check and begin to analyzeit. We have made arrangements with FreeCreditReport to offer a free copy of your credit report as well as a trial offer of their CreditCheckmonitoring service. Click here to get your free report . Or, you can see a number of options for obtaining a copy of your creditreport at ConsumerInfo's Credit Center . If your credit needs repair, begin the process at once. There are "credit repair counselors" who will, for a fee that is usuallyin the range of several hundred dollars, help you with the process. Or, with the right information at your disposal,you can handle the process yourself. Fresh Start: The Authoritative Guide to Consumer Credit Repair is a complete, 250 page manual that is reasonably priced and gives you a step-by-stepprogram for handling the credit repair process quickly and legally. More information . Start by getting the problems under control now. Do not incur any new debt. Do your best to begin to live within your means. This will be an advantagenow, when you are applying for a loan, as well as later, when you will need to meet your monthly mortgage obligation. Make a a commitment to a program of saving. Even if you have had credit problems, there are options available for mortgages if youhave downpayment money available. There is little or no hope if you have both credit problems and no cash. Concentrate on your needs in housing before your wants . Re-establishing your financialfooting is not as difficult as it used to be, but it is impossible if you attempt to buy more house than makessense. Be conservative! Concentrate on those lenders who specialize in working with thosewho have had credit problems. Spending time (and money) applyingto lenders who do not work with credit blemishes will accomplish nothing. If you have a local source that you knowwill consider such loans, take advantage of them. Other sources, available online, such as LendingTree , which has a large networkof lenders nationwide, including those who have experience in dealing with credit problems. HOME | YourChecklist | To-DoLists | Agents | Mortgages | Questions | Finda Home | Inspections | Research | More Links | Bookstore

Home Loan

Homes and Communities - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HUD news Newsroom Priorities About HUD Homes Buying Owning Selling Renting Homeless Home improvements HUD homes Fair housing FHA refunds Foreclosure Consumer info Communities About communities Volunteering Organizing Economic development Working with HUD Grants Programs Contracts Work online HUD jobs Complaints Resources Library Handbooks/ forms Common questions Tools Webcasts Mailing lists Contact us Help Hurricane Information HUD's hurricane resource page How to get help Press releases and photos HUD's response to the hurricanes Progam guidance and waivers Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program Contact information Operating requirements Consolidated contributions contract Disaster rent subsidy contract HUD Highlights Bush Administration announces $1.33 billion in grants to house and serve thousands of homeless individuals and families $20 million aimed at increasing public housing resident self-sufficiency and aiding elderly, disabled HUD seeks nominations for second annual Woodson Awards President Bush announces Homesteading Initiative Jackson signs 'Five-Star' statement of support for National Guard and Reservists HUD announces mortgage assistance for disaster victims Avoid Predatory Lenders Web Clinics for HUD Partners National Calendar of events Daily message At Your Service Learn how to buy a HUD home Learn how to apply for public housing and Section 8 See if HUD owes you a refund on your FHA loan Find a HUD-approved lender in your area Talk to a housing counselor File a housing discrimination complaint Submit Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request Busque información en español Learn about the President's agenda to expand homeownership More services Important Links Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Annual Performance Plan 2005 Performance Accountability Report (PAR) Equal employment opportunity data posted pursuant to the No Fear Act regulations.gov Information by State Find information about homes and communities, organized by state. Select a State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico/ Virgin Islands Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Homes for Sale Find homes for sale from HUD and other federal agencies. Information For... Citizens Homebuyers Senior citizens Veterans/Military Kids Students People with disabilities Researchers Landlords Tenants Colonias/farmworkers Native Americans Victims of Discrimination Housing Industry Lenders Brokers Housing agencies/tribes Multifamily industry Appraisers Other Partners Grantees/ non-profits Congress/ elected officials Small businesses Fair housing Faith Based and Community Organizations Hospitals Investors Auditors/ investigators Now Playing Appraisal Protocol Content updated December 23, 2005 Back to top FOIA Privacy Web Policies and Important Links Home U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 451 7th Street S.W., Washington, DC 20410 Telephone: (202) 708-1112 TTY: (202) 708-1455 Find the address of a HUD office near you

Home Equity Line (introductory

Home Equity Loans at NetBank -- PERSONAL FINANCE > LOANS > HOME EQUITY You've worked hard to build equity in your home - now may be the time to use it. Featured HELOC Rate APR* Home Equity Line (introductory rate fixed for 6 months as low as 7.25% APR thereafter) 6.25% (Intro Rate) Home Equity Loan 6.75% How muchwill my payments be? More home equity calculators and guides Cash in on your home's equity and... Pay off high interest credit card debt Renovate your house, build a pool or buy a boat Pay for education expenses or go back to school Have some fun and go on the vacation of your dreams Plus, save at tax time; the interest you pay may be tax deductible* With potential tax advantages, and interest rates lower thanmost other kinds of consumer credit, equity products are smart,powerful tools that can help manage one of your most important assets- your home. Determine the best solution for you: Home Equity Line of Credit Home Equity Loan Interest-only payments for the first 10 years Open end line of credit with flexible, convenient access to your funds No application fee or lender closing costs Credit lines up to $250,000 Fixed payment and rate 5-, 10- and 15-year fully amortizing loan terms available Minimum loan amount as low as $10,000 Borrow up to 100% of the value of your home Loan amounts up to $200,000 Apply how you want, when you want: Apply online Available anytime, any day of the week Call 866-461-5028 Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM (ET) Already started the loan process? Click here to complete your application Learn More Important Notices *APR varies according to your credit history and other factors. Homeowners insurance is required. Document stamp costs as well as recording fees and taxes for your county/state may apply. Maximum APR for a Home Equity Line of Credit is 18%. Following are examples of the APR and monthly payments for a 5-, 10-, and 15-year home equity loan (assuming a $50,000 loan amount with 10% equity): For a 5-year term, the APR is 6.352%** with 60 monthly payments of $19.50 per $1,000 borrowed; For a 10-year term, the APR is 6.187%** with 120 monthly payments of $11.20 per $1,000 borrowed; For a 15-year term, the APR is 6.132%** with 180 monthly payments of $8.50 per $1,000 borrowed. * Consult your tax advisor. ** As of 2/7/05 View Application Status About Us | Privacy | Security | Careers | Contact Us | Locator | Site Map 2005 NetBank, Inc. All Rights Reserved.