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

Land For Sale

LandAndFarm.com - Land for sale, Farms for sale, Rural Property for sale Advertise here Search Properties Wanted Auctions Newsletter Quick Start Register About My Properties Number of visitors online now: 216 Thursday, December 29, 2005 Ad Prices Help Contact Login Subscribe to Rural Property Bulletin Last Few Listings Most Viewed Least Viewed Recently Updated Search by USA Map Rural Property Sites Tool Box Get new properties in your email box! Newsletter Sign-up: yourname@xyz.com HTML TEXT For fun: old listings Contact Us Community Stats Seller emails: 102,892 Property emails: 110,227 Property Views: 13,028,620 Newsletter Subscribers: 14,850 Site Statistics Property 1761 Brokerage 15 Finance & Mortgages 3 Wanted 1 Businesses For Sale 7 Livestock 1 Rural Living 16 Miscellaneous 3 By Land Use: commercial land : 117 dairy farm : 22 fish - aquaculture : 15 forest - natural : 283 forest - planted : 116 historic : 41 horse farm : 380 hospitality : 61 hunting property : 610 livestock operation : 129 mobile home park : 4 oil or minerals : 7 orchard : 17 organic uses : 20 pasture : 319 permanent crops : 43 poultry farm : 33 recreational property : 677 residential land : 844 row crops : 107 undeveloped land : 377 vegetable farm : 15 vineyard : 15 waterfront : 152 By Country: United States : 1709 Canada : 39 South Africa : 34 Zambia : 5 Botswana : 5 Chile : 4 Argentina : 2 Belize : 2 Brazil : 2 Mozambique : 2 Australia : 1 Namibia : 1 Kenya : 1 By Price Per Acre: <$100: 8 $100 to $500 : 34 $500 to $2,000 : 280 $2,000 to $5,000 : 402 >$5,000 : 734 By Acres: <50 : 991 <200 : 1460 200 to 500 : 182 500 to 1,000 : 78 >1,000 : 108 By State/Province: Alabama : 24 Arizona : 11 Arkansas : 14 California : 20 Colorado : 29 Connecticut : 4 Florida : 88 Georgia : 283 Idaho : 12 Illinois : 29 Indiana : 7 Iowa : 9 Kansas : 17 Kentucky : 58 Louisiana : 13 Maine : 32 Maryland : 6 Massachusetts : 7 Michigan : 7 Minnesota : 16 Mississippi : 14 Missouri : 76 Montana : 6 Nebraska : 4 Nevada : 6 New Hampshire : 5 New Jersey : 16 New Mexico : 7 New York : 75 North Carolina : 59 North Dakota : 38 Ohio : 61 Oklahoma : 9 Oregon : 6 Pennsylvania : 6 South Carolina : 64 South Dakota : 22 Tennessee : 293 Texas : 27 Utah : 11 Vermont : 11 Virginia : 123 Washington : 11 West Virginia : 49 Wisconsin : 18 Wyoming : 6 Alberta : 1 British Columbia : 3 Buenos Aires Capital Federal : 1 IV Coquimbo : 1 Manitoba : 1 Mendoza : 1 New Brunswick : 11 Nova Scotia : 12 Ontario : 3 Para : 1 Quebec : 3 Queensland : 1 Saskatchewan : 5 VII Maule : 1 XI Aysen : 2 Not In USA or Canada : 1 Properties by: Land Use Country State/Province Acres Price Per Acre Tennessee RESULTS Sort by: price size Total records: 293 Showing records: 1 to 20 Go to page : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 New Search Tennessee 116 Wooded Acres ( forest - natural, hunting property, recreational property) A 116 acre property with an asking price of $197,500. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Tennessee. County: Henderson. Acreage In Gibson County ( hunting property, pasture, residential land) A 137 acre property with an asking price of $299,500. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Tennessee Dandridge Lake Front ( waterfront, residential land, recreational property) A 2.08 acre property with an asking price of $589,900. This property is for sale. Country: Other. State/Province: Tennessee. County: Jefferson. Auction, Michie,Tn. ( horse farm, recreational property, residential land) A 13.22 acre property. This property is to be AUCTIONED . Country: United States. State/Province: Tennessee. County: McNairy. Breathtaking Mountain View On 1.75ac ( residential land, recreational property) A 1.75 acre property with an asking price of $139,900. This property is for sale. Country: Other. State/Province: Tennessee. County: White. Beautiful House5 Ac For Sale ( residential land, pasture) A 5.00 acre property with an asking price of $185,000. This property is for sale. Country: Other. State/Province: Tennessee. County: Grundy. Home 25 Acres ( livestock operation, pasture, horse farm) A 25 acre property with an asking price of $350,000. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Tennessee. County: Union. Mtn Farm No Restriction ( residential land, pasture, commercial land) A 12.25 acre property with an asking price of $189,000. This property is for sale. Country: Other. State/Province: Tennessee. County: Grundy. Log Home With 60 Plus Acres ( hunting property, horse farm, undeveloped land) A 60 acre property with an asking price of $455,000. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Tennessee. County: Scott. Rural Farm ( hunting property, undeveloped land, residential land) A 248 acre property with an asking price of $545,600. This property is for sale. Country: Other. State/Province: Tennessee. County: Humphreys. Shilohtn Investment Acreage ( hunting property, forest - planted, recreational property) A 571 acre property with an asking price of $571,000. This property is for sale. Country: Other. State/Province: Tennessee. County: Hardin. 70 Acres Center Hill Lake ( waterfront, recreational property, residential land) A 70 acre property with an asking price of $750,000. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Tennessee. County: De Kalb. 31 Acres In Powell ( undeveloped land, forest - natural) A 31 acre property with an asking price of $765,000. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Tennessee. County: Knox. Best Of Country Living ( residential land, hunting property, pasture) A 54 acre property with an asking price of $239,900. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Tennessee. County: Lewis. Three Falls Farm ( residential land, hunting property, waterfront) A 211 acre property with an asking price of $1,500,000. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Tennessee. County: Lewis. 8.7 Acres Log Home ( residential land, vineyard, horse farm) A 8.70 acre property with an asking price of $375,000. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Tennessee Mill Creek ( undeveloped land, residential land, hunting property) A 71 acre property with an asking price of $399,000. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Tennessee. County: Anderson. Bluff View Home on4AC in Monterey, TN ( residential land) A 4.00 acre property with an asking price of $579,900. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Tennessee. County: Putnam. 15 Acres W2 Story Home ( horse farm, residential land, pasture) A 15.00 acre property with an asking price of $259,000. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Tennessee. County: Campbell. Turn key Hunting Paradise ( forest - natural, hunting property) A 389 acre property with an asking price of $899,000. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Tennessee. County: Hardin. Total records: 293 Showing records: 1 to 20 Go to page : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 LandAndFarm.com SPONSORED RESULTS 1. Looking For TENNESSEE? Find Tennessee and more at Lycos Search. No clutter, just answers. Lycos ? Go Get It! http://www.lycos.com 2. Find TENNESSEE at eBay Looking for Tennessee? eBay has great deals on new and used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods and more. If you can?t find it on eBay, it probably doesn?t exist. http://www.ebay.com 3. Shop for TENNESSEE Looking for Tennessee? MonsterMarketplace shopping directory has Tennessee and everything else you?re looking for at one secure online location. Click to view top selling Tennessee. http://www.monstermarketplace.com 4. Research TENNESSEE at HighBeam. View free full-text articles and free premium archive previews at HighBeam Research. Find, organize and share information from 1,000s of trusted business, consumer and reference publications. http://www.highbeam.com ©1998-2005 - LandAndFarm.com - Contact Us - Privacy Notice - Disclaimer - UserAgreement - Advertise With Us

Colorado Real Estate .

Summit County Colorado Real Estate Experts RE/MAX Breckenridge, Keystone, Frisco, Silverthorne COLORADO MOUNTAIN REAL ESTATE Featuring Real Estate for sale in Breckenridge, Keystone, Frisco, Silverthorne, Dillon and all of Summit County Colorado RE/MAX Home | Real Estate Center | Services | About Us | Contact Us Find Real Estate Search 178 Real Estate Listings in Summit County and nearby Colorado Mountain areas. Select Location ================== All Locations Alma Blue river Breckenridge Copper mountain County Dillon Fairplay Frisco Heeney Jefferson Keystone Kremmling Leadville Out of mls area Placer valley Silverthorne Summit cove Twin lakes Wildernest Select Type ================== All Types AC Condo Duplex Home Land Mobile Home Timeshare Townhome Select Price ================== Any Price Under $150,000 $150,000-$250,000 $250,000-$350,000 $350,000-$500,000 $500,000-$750,000 $750,000-$900,000 $900,000-$1,000,000 $1000,000+ Find Summit County Real Estate Listings in: Breckenridge Frisco Keystone Dillon Silverthorne Copper Mountain All Colorado Locations Properties of Interest: Slopeside Ski Real Estate Golf Real Estate Luxury Homes New Real Estate Best Buy Properties Meet Our REALTORS® Choose from our 69 Summit County Colorado REALTORS®. Please select a Summit County office location below: Breckenridge Office Frisco Office Keystone Office Silverthorne Office Select an Office Breckenridge, CO Frisco, CO Keystone, CO Silverthorne, CO //-- Welcome to Summit County's #1 Real Estate Company. T hank you for visiting our website! We are absolutely thrilled to have you here. You can find a wide selection of Real Estate listed by RE/MAX Properties of the Summit in Summit County and Surrounding Colorado Mountain Areas. If there is anything we can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask - we are here to help you. Contact us via email or call us in Breckenridge at: 1-800-289-7005, Keystone at: 1-866-513-0404, Frisco at: 1-800-289-5305, Silverthorne at: 1-800-289-2005 . W hy RE/MAX? RE/MAX Properties of the Summit is the leading real estate company in Summit County. What we mean by leading, is that we help more buyers buy property in Summit County and we help more sellers sell property in Summit County . We come close to tripling our nearest competitors sales every year! W hy Summit County? Summit County is Colorado's home for 4 World Class Ski Resorts and some of the most breathtaking scenery in Colorado. Get more infomation on the Breckenridge Ski Area and the Town of Breckenridge . Visit Lake Dillon informational pages and learn about the history and activities Summit County's Largest Lake offers. Keystone Resort , a Colorado Destination for individuals and families vacationing in Colorado. Frisco, Colorado : Summit County's Hub, reach all of the Summit's ski resorts in minutes. Best Buys Property price reductions 4 Bedroom Silverthorne Duplex EAGLES GLEN, Silverthorne, Colorado $740,000 now: $725,000 View All 22 Best Buy Properties Real Estate Updates Receive Summit County and Mountain Real Estate updates with RE/MAX's eListing Update . Signup today and receive new listings and price change alerts for your specific Real Estate Needs via Email. If you would like to UNsubscribe from eListing Updates please click here . SUMMIT COUNTY & COLORADO MOUNTAIN REAL ESTATE Home | Summit County Real Estate | Breckenridge Real Estate | Keystone Real Estate | Frisco Real Estate | Dillon Real Estate | Silverthorne Real Estate | About RE/MAX Properties of the Summit | Contact Us | Services The Real Estate information contained herein is based on information updated daily by copying data manually from databases maintained by the Summit County MLS. Accordingly, we make no guarantee of its accuracy and suggest you make an independent inquiry of any Real Estate matter you regard as important. RE/MAX Real Estate News . Colorado Real Estate . Nationwide Real Estate and other resources RE/MAX PROPERTIES OF THE SUMMIT | Powered by: Summit Colorado .com © 2005

Real Estate Agent By

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

Land Loans If you're

VSECU - Land and Construction Loans RATES LOANS SERVICES DEPOSITS HELP ABOUT HOME You are Here: Home >> Loans >> Land and Construction Loans Land and Construction Loans Land Loans If you're planning to someday build your own home and have found the perfect land to do so, acquiring the land may be the first step in that process. A land loan mortgage is available to secure your dream lot, whether you're ready to build now or six years from now. The land you choose to finance must meet certain eligibility requirements such as: The building lot must be suitable for residential construction for a 1-2 unit home as your primary residence in Vermont or New Hampshire You building lot must have passed a perc test The total acreage cannot exceed 25 acres All land loans are adjustable rate mortgages and require a 20% down payment. Construction Loans If you’re ready to start building a new home this is the right loan for you. A construction loan is available for both new construction and the improvement of certain residential property in Vermont and New Hampshire. All construction loans are adjustable rate mortgages and require a 5% down payment. Requirements For construction projects where you'll be improving the energy efficiency of your home, you may want to consider our Energy Improvement Loan . Please contact a mortgage originator for more details on Land or Construction loan options. Apply Today See our online application ! © 2005, VSECU. All Rights Reserved. Additional Resources Current Rates & Terms Meet Our Mortgage Originators Energy Improvement Loan Apply Now! What Will My Loan Payments Be? Use Our Online Calculators Auto Loans Mortgage Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Other Types of Loans Search VSECU.com FREE VSECU CLASSIFIEDS BOOM! OUR TEEN WEBSITE CONTACT US PRIVACY & TERMS OF USE FAQ | FEEDBACK