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

Buy property via the

UK Property & Housing Market News & Websites, Estate Agents; House Buying and Car Buying Websites UK Property Search Websites Mortgages & Building Societies Property News & Media Home RightMove.co.uk UK Housing Market Find A Property.com UK property search Fish4Homes AssertaHome.com www.Property Finder.com Net House Prices.com Search for sales prices of UK property Up My Street.co.uk Find out what your property is worth, and what's going on in your area, including schools UK.Real Estate.Yahoo.com Buy it Privately.com private property sales directory New-Homes-Direct.com off plan property, buy to let property IRED.com International Real Estate Digest Prime Location.com Home buying, selling, renting and investing Moves.co.uk Office and household removals Abbey Self Storage Business and private storage services Good Migrations.co.uk Moving planner; advice; estate agents; local information HBF.co.uk The House Builders Federation - the trade federation for private house builders in England and Wales UK Property & Housing Market News Find a Property/news | NewsNow.co.uk | BBC Nationwide | Hometrack | Land Registry Google News | MSN Newsbot | Yahoo News Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Net House Prices.com Property Entrepeneur.co.uk Details of worldwide properties in high growth areas Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) UK Property Shop.co.uk National directory of estate agents Property Live.co.uk UK House Market Your Mortgage.co.uk Includes advice on mortgage types, buying to let, moving checklist, property price calculator BBC Homes/.../ UK property price guide PrimeLocation.com Houseweb.com Rent, buy, or sell property within the UK Home Check.co.uk Advice for home owners and buyers about potential hazards such as flooding and subsidence Homeclick.co.uk Buy property via the internet without the need for an estate agent Pickfords.co.uk Domestic and international removals The National Federation of Builders National House Building Council (NHBC) Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RISC) Inside Housing.co.uk From Inside Housing magazine BBC.co.uk/homes DIY SOS | House Invaders | Big Strong Boys | To Buy or Not to Buy | Trading Up | Life Laundry | Sunday Home and Garden | Changing Rooms Channel4.com/4 homes Property Ladder | House In The Sun | The Property Chain | Relocation Relocation | Room For Improvement | Grand Designs International Real Estate Directory.com Worldwide directory of estate agents, builders, relocation consultants and more The Move Channel.com UK property information / UK property proces UK Property Guide Homes-Exchange.com Private central London homes and apartments for rent and sale Buying Property in Spain I am Moving.com Free change of address service The Big Yellow.co.uk Storage services Estate Agency News.co.uk latest developments affecting the residential market Mortgages & Building Societies menu/top Money Supermarket Financial products compared Money.MSN.co.uk More financial websites... Charcol Online.co.uk Mortgages-Online.co.uk Your Morgage.co.uk Find.co.uk/mortgages Complete A-Z of UK websites for mortgages, covering lenders and brokers Mortgage Point.co.uk Mortgages 2 homes.co.uk Apply for a mortgage online, even with adverse or bad credit Money Supermarket Britannia.co.uk Cheshire Building Society Coventry Building Society.co.uk Cumberland Building Society Darlington Building Society Derbyshire Building Society Dudley Building Society Dunfermline Building Society Ecology Building Society Furness Building Society Hinckley and Rugby Building Society Ipswich Building Society Kent Reliance Building Society Lambeth Building Society Leeds & Holbeck Building Society Leek United Building Society Loughborough Building Society Manchester Building Society Mansfield Building Society Market Harborough Building Society Marsden Building Society Melton Mowbray Building Society Mercantile Building Society National Counties Building Society Nationwide Building Society Newbury Building Society Newcastle Building Society Norwich and Peterborough Building Society Nottingham Building Society Portman Building Society Principality Building Society Progressive Building Society Scarborough Building Society Scottish Building Society Skipton Building Society Stafford Railway Building Society Staffordshire Building Society Stroud & Swindon Building Society Swansea Building Society Teachers Building Society Tipton & Coseley Building Society Universal Building Society West Bromwich Building Society Woolwich.co.uk Yorkshire Building Society

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Overseas Property Investment - Property Frontiers Newsletter Signup Free Newsletter - The latest emerging market news from Property Frontiers. Sign-up Property Syndicate Join Our Property Investment Syndicate for Unbeatable Discounts on International Property View Bulk Purchasing Discounted Investment Opportunities for Bulk Buyers! View News International Real Estate Outlook for 2006 HIFX: Property Frontiers' Exclusive Foreign Exchange Partner All abroad as spending on second home triples to £6 billion Far from Home for the Holidays Barclays reckons 2.2 million Brits own property abroad Chinese just a bunch of happy optomists Dubai now rent controlled Low fares dictate destinations More News Welcome to Property Frontiers - The Overseas Property Investment Specialists View some of our investment properties: Property in Shanghai Free Market Report Property in Bulgaria Free Market Report Property in Dubai Free Market Report Property in Turkey Property in Morocco Property in Thailand Overseas property is becoming an increasingly popular investment choice, but buying investment property abroad can be a real challenge. When it comes to buying in emerging markets the challenge can often be compounded due to a lack of available information. Property Frontiers' understand how difficult it can be for you to obtain the latest and correct information and advice that is needed when buying overseas property. What makes Property Frontiers different from our competitors is the research we conduct on the world's international property markets. This enables us to offer you an unrivalled level of service and advice. Whether you are looking for property in Dubai , Turkish Property , Property in Shanghai , a Ski Chalet in Bulgaria or luxurious apartments in Belize or any other emerging property market, the team at Property Frontiers are here to talk you though the different overseas investment opportunities that are available. Unlike most companies serving the foreign property market, Property Frontiers is based in the UK with offices in the majority of countiers we cover, enabling us to provide a comprehensive range of services to meet your investment needs. Property Frontiers' team of expert researchers constantly monitor the world's overseas property markets making us the best source of quality advice and providing you with the widest selection of overseas property in the following emerging markets: Europe: Bulgaria , Croatia , Cyprus , Czech Republic , Estonia , Greece , Hungary , Latvia , Malta , Montenegro , Poland , Romania , Russia , Serbia , Turkey , Ukraine , Asia: China , Hong Kong , India , Malaysia , Singapore , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Vietnam , Americas: Belize , Brazil , Caribbean , Costa Rica , Mexico , Panama , Africa & Middle East: Bahrain , Dubai , Egypt , Ghana , Kenya , Lebanon , Morocco , South Africa , Please contact one of our agents or call 0870 429 2884. 01865 242224 Hot Properties : A selection of some of Property Frontiers' hottest investment properties: Financed Properties : Al Hamra, Dubai Berjaya Central Park, Malaysia More Guaranteed Rental Properties: Plaza Hyundai Apartments, Shanghai Grand Hillside Condos, Thailand More Low Cost Properties: G-Bridge Apartments, Shanghai Eden Gardens, Dubai More Quick Search Country: -= Select A Country =- Property in Bahrain Belize Brazil Bulgaria Caribbean China Costa Rica Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Dubai Egypt Estonia Ghana Greece Hong Kong Hungary India Kenya Latvia Lebanon Malaysia Malta Mexico Montenegro Morocco Panama Poland Romania Russia Serbia Singapore South Africa Sri Lanka Thailand Turkey Ukraine Vietnam Price Range (£): from to Quick Search Development Focus Property Frontiers has exclusive access to some of the world's most exciting developments: Find out more Find out more Investment Resources Become an intelligent investor. More resources on property, investments and personal finance. View Contact Property Frontiers: 0870 4292884 or Email: enquiries@propertyfrontiers.com terms & conditions | site map | © 2004 Property Frontiers |