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 RENTAL SLEEPS UP

Azillanet delightful house rental, Languedoc, South France. VILLAGE HOUSE FOR RENT IN AZILLANET MINERVOIS, LANGUEDOC HOME FRANCE HOUSE VILLA RENTALS VILLAGE HOUSE RENTAL SLEEPS UP TO 7 5 MINS TO RIVER OR LAKE SWIMMING TERRACE WITH MAGNIFICENT VIEWS RENOVATED TO HIGH STANDARD CLOSE TO MINERVE, CARCASSONNE, NARBONNE, AND MEDITERRANEAN BEACHES A house in the quaint village of Azillanet, near Olonzac and Minerve, with magnificient views from the terrace. Situated in the heart of the Minervois region, close to the Mediterranean. Nearest swimming: River, 4 km. Lake, 7km. Sea, 37 km ACCESS: Airports - Carcassonne (40 mins), Toulouse (1h30m), Montpellier (1h30m), Barcelona (3hrs) Larger photo - Azillanet rental DETAILS OF ACCOMMODATION This delightful village house has been fully renovated , and special efforts have been invested in trying to bring out its traditional features. It is situated in the quiet village of Azillanet, close to Minerve, at the top of a narrow street, the rue du Couvent, very peaceful and safe for children, next to the large Church square with plenty of room for parking. Entering through double half-glazed doors, one sees a large kitchen/ dining/ living room. The kitchen is equipped with a stove, fridge and freezer, and an open fireplace with a woodburner stands on the side. To the left of the kitchen is a bathroom with a washbasin, shower, W.C. and a washing machine. To the back of the kitchen/dining area, equipped with a large dining-room table, is a lounge/ living area. Stairs lead to the upper floor with two double bedrooms, and one large single bedroom as well as an area with a cupboard. Access to the single bedroom is through one of the double bedrooms. The stairs lead up to the another floor, with a landing, off which is a twin bedroom and a private roof terrace with magnificent views over the village rooves, to the Aude valley plain, the Pyréneés, and the Black Mountains. The terrace is furnished with garden furniture and a barbecue. It is totally private with no windows overlooking it. Special features: Electric heating in each room. View from terrace Dining / kitchen area Lounge area View from 2nd floor bedroom 2nd floor landing 1st floor double bedroom 2nd floor twin bedroom AZILLANET AND SURROUNDING AREA Azillanet is a small village of 230 inhabitants including a small grocery shop, butcher, post office, excellent cave cooperative and restaurant. The bread van selling baguettes and croissants stops outside the house at 8.55 every morning. Olonzac, only 4 kms away offers a wider variety of shops and has a market every Tuesday morning and another one on Fridays in the summer. The village is situated at the heart of the Minervois, renowned for its red wines and is located where the river plain changes to a picturesque landscape of limestone gorges, hills, and vineyards. In the plain, a short distance away is the Canal du Midi (where boats can be rented) and the Lac de Jouarres, a small lake offering beaches, a cafe restaurant and swimming Ten minutes up into the hills is the magical village of Minerve, straddling deep river gorges, with natural bridges, where swimming is possible. A village known for the Cathar martyrs that died after a long seige by Simon de Montfort. A village with great restaurants, art gallery, streets and mountain paths to discover. The old washhouse, Azillanet Map showing location of Azillanet, Languedoc DESCRIPTION OF SURROUNDING AREA Thirty minutes away in one direction are the cities of Carcassonne with its magnificent medieval walled city, and in the other direction the cities of Béziers - well known for its fêtes in the Summer months (with bull fighting) and its flower market, and Narbonne, with its Roman museum and sites, shops and restaurants, and its close neighbour the endless miles of beaches at Narbonne Plage, Gruissan, and beyond. To the south east are the hills of the Corbières with the beautiful abbeys at Lagrasse and Fontfroide, the mountainous castles of Quéribus and Peyrepertuse, as well as the idyllic seaside resort of Collioure. ACCESS Airports - Carcassonne (40 mins), Toulouse (1h30m), Montpellier (1h30m), Barcelona (3hrs). Railway (TGV) - Narbonne (40 mins) . HOUSE FOR RENT IN AZILLANET, MINERVOIS - SLEEPS UP TO 7, TERRACE Bookings are Saturday to Saturday. Prices include bed linen, but do not include towels. Payment is in euros - though Pounds sterling is also accepted. Rentalcosts below are based on the Euro value (£GPB and $US are approximate) LONG TERM RENTALS AVAILABLE WEEKLY RATES 2006 £ GBP $ US EUROS OTHER MONTHS £215 $400 €320 APRIL, MAY £270 $500 €400 JUNE, SEPTEMBER £305 $565 €450 JULY, AUGUST £375 $690 €550 Contact Joelle Saunders at Tel (33) 4 68 91 30 61 E-mail: azillanet@southfrance.com Rue du Couvent Azillanet 34210 Olonzac France South France Guide | Languedoc Sights | Art Workshops | Vacation Properties | Properties for sale Advertise your house

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License Search Approved Schools Course Requirements Real Estate Course Search Real Estate Exams Instructor Resources Forms and Applications Education Menu Broker Salesperson Company Reciprocal Fees Certification of Licensure Licensing Menu Loading. . . Formal Complaints Enforcement Jurisdiction Gifts, Rebates & Kickbacks Unlicensed Assistants Risk Management 101: Office Audit Checklist Legal Menu License Search Type of License: All Types Company Licensee Company Or Last Name: License Number (nine digits) : Records to show at a time: 10 25 50 100 About License Status Search Renewed 2005-2006 Online license renewal information is updated every 24 to 48 hours depending on the time of renewal transaction. License Paid Date License information is updated every 24 hours. Please allow 3-10 days for licensing changes to appear on a record. License paid date will reflect the date of the most recent license record change(s); i.e., date of renewal, date of transfer, etc. If any record information is no longer current, please contact the Alabama Real Estate Commission immediately. CE Hours To comply with Continuing Education all active licensees subject to CE will complete three (3) hours in Risk Management and twelve (12) hours in approved electives. The CE credit earned by a licensee will be sent electronically to the Commission. Paper certificates obtained from courses during the 2003-04 license period should be maintained for audit. But after October 2006 it is no longer necessary to maintain paper certificates for proving CE credit. D. Philip Lasater Email Us Privacy Policy Alabama Real Estate Commission Montgomery, AL 36106-3674 Executive Director Email Webmaster © 2002 AREC Telephone (334) 242-5544, TTY (334) 396-0064, Fax (334)270-9118

Sell House

SELL THIS HOUSE ~ HOME -- Tulsa, OK--Nicki Unertl Nicki, Laurie, and Laurie's two kids have lived in their three-bedroom Tulsa home for six years. It's time for a move to the country, so they ve got to get their place ready to sell. Homes in this neighborhood usually sell within eight days, but not theirs! So what's the problem? Nicki's preference for dark colors is reflected in the living room, dining room, and kids' rooms. The whole house needs to be brightened up. Ashley's room is a magenta nightmare, and with its baseball theme, John's room could pass for Yankee Stadium. more » See what they did » Want to see your home on Sell This House? Click here to find out how. REMIND ME TO WATCH Would you like to receive special updates, reminders, and related info? Then sign up! Watch the preview -- This Old House meets Candid Camera in SELL THIS HOUSE™ SELL THIS HOUSE™ gets inside the mind of the buyer and the heart of the seller with real life experiences and great advice on how to prepare your house for the market. Each week features homeowners desperate to sell and prospective buyers secretly videotaped as they express their observations upon first seeing the house. Enter a real estate and home decoration expert who recommends changes. In the end, the house is transformed (on a budget) and the buyers are brought back. Will the house sell? For how much? To whom? You'll learn the answers as participants experience the ups and downs of SELL THIS HOUSE™.

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Mortgages, Mortgage Rates and Home Loans by Quicken Loans America's Home Loan Experts SM GO My Quicken Loans Login Great Rates. Expert Advice. Fast Process. Call 800-251-9080 To Get Your Rate   Refinance Refinance Center Learn About Refinancing Refinance Calculators Refinance Loan Options Contact a Refinance Expert Home Purchase Home Purchase Center Learn About Buying a Home Home Purchase Calculators Home Purchase Loan Options Contact a Purchase Expert Home Equity Home Equity Center Learn About Home Equity Home Equity Calculators Home Equity Loan Options Calculators Calculators Refinance Calculators Home Purchase Calculators Home Equity Calculators Contact a Loan Expert Loan Options Loan Options Refinance Loan Options Purchase Loan Options Home Equity Loan Options Contact a Loan Expert Bad Credit Rates Get your loan approved in just minutes over the phone We bring the paperwork to you for signing it's quick and easy! Calculate YOUR potential mortgage payment below. Select Loan Purpose Refinance Purchase Desired Loan Amount: Expected Purchase Price: Choose A State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Delaware 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 Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Current Monthly Payment: Expected Down Payment: Calculate YOUR potential mortgage payment below. Select Loan Purpose     Refinance Purchase Choose A State           Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Delaware 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 Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Desired Loan Amount Current Monthly Payment Expected Purchase Price Expected Down Payment -- Dis-ARM Yourself Now! Lock into a fixed rate today! Quicken Loans' Chairman Dan Gilbert hosts CNBC's "Squawk Box". Read More Start Taking Control of Your Credit! Introducing FreshStart Get approved for your mortgage - even with less-than-perfect credit Get on the path to paying off debt and repairing your credit Consolidate high-interest bills into one low-interest mortgage payment FIND OUT MORE Rates Keep Rising. Get a Fixed Rate Now! The Fed will keep raising interest rates - Get out of your adjustable rate mortgage or home equity line of credit! Lock your rate for 30 years with payment flexibility. Introducing FIND OUT MORE Flexible guidelines to fit your needs! Introducing Advantage1st No doc and full doc options available Cash out and interest-only options Get a low rate on a mortgage that fits your needs FIND OUT MORE Want a low mortgage rate? Call a Quicken Loans Mortgage Banker now to find out how you can get a low mortgage rate and payment flexibility with our SmartArm ® loan. A Quicken Loans Exclusive FIND OUT MORE What's the Difference between Interest Rate and APR? When you get a mortgage, you are charged two different rates--the annual percentage rate (APR) and the interest rate. Understanding the difference between the two rates is important and will help you make an informed decision when shopping for the right lender and the right loan... Read More Archived News Homeowners Can Still Refinance at Low Rates Dec 29, 2005 Despite Decline, Housing Still Strong Dec 28, 2005 More Mortgage News Quicken Loans - We Are Here to Help You! No one makes it easier than the home loan experts at Quicken Loans! We are ready to help you with your new mortgage , refinance , or home equity loan needs — all at great low interest rates. Explore our web site for exclusive home loan options, easy-to-use mortgage calculators , home loan articles, and instant rate quotes on several mortgages. Quicken Loans is America's #1 online mortgage lender. Apply for your mortgage online or talk to a Quicken Loans home loan expert today. Call us now at 800-251-9080. 3,400 home loan experts ready to help you Refinancing | Home Loans | Home Equity Loans | My Quicken Loans Login Mortgage News | Mortgage Rates | Mortgage Calculators | Apply Online About Us | Careers | Contact Us | Feedback | Site Map | Help | Search Security and Privacy | Disclosures and Licenses | Terms of Use © 2000 - 2005 Quicken Loans Inc., All rights reserved. Lending services provided by Quicken Loans Inc., a subsidiary of Rock Holdings Inc. “Quicken Loans” is a registered service mark of Intuit Inc., used under license. Build 2741 2005-10-25 09:50:43