Home Equity Fraud How

Don’t Lose Your Home. Home Equity Fraud Home Equity Fraud Consumers Union West Coast Regional Office Don’t Lose Your Home. Home Equity Fraud How To Protect Yourself From Home Equity Lending Fraud DO Get free pre-loan counseling before you sign on the dotted line. Shop around for the best home equity loan for your financial situation. Read every word on any loan document before you sign. Avoid loans with one large "balloon payment" at the end. Protect your friends and neighbors by reporting home equity fraud immediately. DON’T Don’t fall for a loan from a door-to-door salesman or home improvement contractor who comes to your home. Don’t decide whether you can afford a loan by the monthly payments alone. Don’t sign anything that has blank spaces. Don’t take out a loan on your property for anyone else unless you can afford to lose that money forever. What Is Home Equity Fraud? Sometimes, taking out a loan against your home’s equity can be a good idea. Home equity borrowing should not be a problem as long as the loan is a fair one and you have the ability to repay the loan. Home equity lending fraud is different: Lenders seek you out and trick you into taking out a loan against your home which you cannot afford to repay. Most times, these loans have very high interest rates and steep fees. When you fall behind on your payments, the lender can take your home and all your equity through a legal process called foreclosure. The lender then owns your home. Once the damage is done, it is very hard to undo. Most people never get their homes back again. Why Should I Care? Nationally, home repair and home equity fraud have stripped the value from the homes of an estimated 100,000 people in 29 states. In the entire country, the San Francisco Bay Area is one of the areas hardest hit by home equity fraud. Real people, many of them senior citizens, have lost ownership of their homes and all their equity, with no hope of ever getting any of it back. Anyone with equity in a home is a potential target. You could be next. Your home equity is just like money. Protect it! If you are a homeowner or know someone who is, you should learn about home equity lending fraud. Knowing what to look for and how to protect yourself can keep you or a loved one from losing a home. Here’s How To Protect Yourself From The Most Common Types Of Home Equity Fraud: Don’t take out a loan from an uninvited door-to-door contractor who appears at your home. Instead: Many local government agencies have special programs to make it easy to repair housing. See if you qualify for one of these programs available in your area. See the Home Improvement Resource List, a separate Consumers Union publication. Find your own contractor; don’t wait for one to come to you. Shop for your own financing. You’ll probably get a better deal. Steer clear of door-to-door salespersons who want to fix your home after a disaster such as an earthquake or flood. Instead: Call the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at 1(800)462-9029 for information about repairing and financing repairs to your home after a disaster. If you are in foreclosure because you couldn’t pay your mortgage, someone you never heard of will offer you a new loan. Watch out. Instead: Think about selling your home and keeping your equity rather than taking out another loan. See a credit counselor to talk about all of your alternatives. Don’t put your other debts "on the house" through a bill consolidation plan. When you consolidate credit card debt or your car loan, for example, into a home equity loan, you put your home on the line for that debt. Once you put that debt "on your house," you can lose your home if you don’t make those payments. Instead: Talk to a credit counselor. You can get help to work with your creditors to make payments more manageable, possibly without putting debt "on your house." Look Out For These Danger Signs "No Credit? No Job? No Problem!" "Don’t worry, you have plenty of equity in your home to qualify for a loan." Walk away from anyone who says any of these things to you. You may be dealing with someone who will treat you unfairly. They don’t care if you can pay the loan. They know they can legally take your house through foreclosure if you don’t pay. In their eyes, the one thing that "qualifies" you for a loan is your inability to pay it. Before you borrow against your home, ask yourself these two questions: Can I afford this loan? Just because a lender says you "qualify" doesn’t mean you are getting an affordable or fair loan. If you cannot afford the loan, you will lose your home. What will I do if I lose my home? Most people have nowhere to go after they lose their homes. Remember that it is easier to learn how to protect your home now than it is to pick up the pieces after it’s gone. Take advantage of free, local loan counseling. See the Resources section at the end of this pamphlet. Don’t Let Anyone Steal Your Home! Here’s How: DO Get the "big picture" on a loan. Look at more than the monthly payments. Make sure that a loan’s interest rate and fees are competitive and fair. Shop around with different lenders to compare. Hang-up on unsolicited telephone callers. Toss-out mailers you receive from companies offering to arrange a home loan for you. Steer clear of high-pressure sales tactics, such as claims that an offer is good only for a limited time. Seek help from a trusted family member or friend who understands financial matters and can help you get free loan counseling. Avoid loans that are set up as "interest only, non-amortizing or partially amortizing loans." With this type of loan, you still owe the money you borrowed after you make all the payments. You must make one large, final payment, known as a balloon payment. If you can’t make this payment, you may lose your home through foreclosure. You should avoid these loans at all cost. Beware of lenders or contractors who try to trick you into signing away your home. Make sure that a "Contract for Home Improvement Services" is only that. Don’t give your house away by signing a "Deed of Trust" or a "Quitclaim Deed." Think twice about taking out a loan against your home to give money to anyone,even a friend or family member. Consider such a request only if you can afford lose that money forever. Otherwise, you may lose your house if the other person doesn’t repay you in time. Act fast if you were pressured into signing for a loan you didn’t really want or cannot afford. Federal law gives you three days to get out of a loan contract whenever your home is used as security for a home equity loan. You may cancel the loan for any reason, but only if you do it in writing within 3 days. This is known as the right of rescission. Contact an attorney immediately if you have any questions about whether your lender violated the law. DON’T Don’t sign anything related to a home loan without first obtaining independent, free advice from a nonprofit counseling agency. Check the Resources list below. Don’t take the first loan offer that lands in your lap. Shop around! Some lenders charge more than others do. Don’t trust door-to-door loan sellers. If you really need or want a home loan, you should make the first contact and carefully investigate all the possibilities before considering a loan. Don’t take out a loan that is made solely on the value of your home, not on your ability to repay it. Your home equity alone does not give you the income you need to make the monthly payments. Don’t borrow more money than you need. The bigger the loan, the more stake your lender will have in your home equity. Don’t sign a form with incorrect information about yourself on it. Don’t sign anything to do with your home that contains blank spaces. Once your signature is on a form, anyone can fill in those blank spaces with obligations that may be very different than the ones you have agreed to. Don’t sign any forms written in a language you do not understand. You may be signing away your home without even realizing it! It’s okay to say "I don’t understand and I will not sign this." Remember: if the offer is good today, it should be good tomorrow If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Resources Before you take out a home equity loan, get pre-loan counseling for free: San Francisco Bar Association of San Francisco Equity Fraud Hotline and lawyer referral (415) 782-8903 Consumer Credit Counseling Service (415) 788-0288 or (800) 777-7526 Consumer Action (415) 777-9635 Alameda County ECHO Housing (510) 271-7931 Contra Costa County ECHO Housing (925) 679-8023 San Mateo County Consumer Credit Counseling Service (800) 200-6444 Legal Aid Society of San Mateo (650) 377-0158 East Palo Alto Law Collective (650) 853-1600 Santa Clara County Consumer Credit Counseling Service (800) 969-7526 If you feel you are the victim of home equity lending fraud, call one of the local agencies above. Then call the National Fraud Information Center. File a written complaint against the lender with the appropriate local law enforcement and state regulatory agencies. National Fraud Information Center (800) 876-7060 Fraud reports from consumers are sent within minutes to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Law Enforcement: San Francisco Office of the District Attorney: (415) 553-1814 Alameda County Office of the District Attorney: (510) 569-9281 Contra Costa County Office of the District Attorney: (925) 646-4500 San Mateo County Office of the District Attorney: (650) 363-4677 Santa Clara County Office of the District Attorney, Real Estate Fraud Division (408) 792-2880 State Regulatory Agencies: Call each agency to see if the lender you are complaining about is licensed by that agency. Sometimes lenders are licensed by both agencies. California Department of Real Estate 185 Berry Street, Room 3400 San Francisco, CA 94107 (415) 904-5925 California Department of Corporations 3700 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 600 Los Angeles, CA 90010 (800) 347-6995 (toll free) [ Health ] [ Finance ] [ Food ] [ Product ] [ Other ] [ About CU ] [ News ] [ Tips ] [ Home ] Please contact us at: http://www.consunion.org/contact.htm All information ©1998 Consumers Union

Real Estate Course Search

Alabama Real Estate Commission Home 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 CMap Forms and Applications FAQs License Law License Search Newsletters Contact Us Jump To: Consumer Information Booklet Real Estate Course Search ARELLO Staff Directory Directory of Commissioners Consumer Guide Commission Meeting Minutes Alabama License Law Book Order Form Other Links Related Links Commission Meeting Date: January 19, 2006 Time: 1:00 p.m. Location: Alabama Real Estate Commission 1201 Carmichael Way Montgomery, Alabama CMap Click here to search for Real Estate Course Schedules and Licensee Course Credit. Change Home Address Online Go to Online Services to change home address online, home telephone and home email. Customer Service: How Are We Doing? We would like to hear from you. The Commission is interested in receivingfeedback from the real estate licensee population and others who have contact with the Commission office. Click here to complete our Licensee/Consumer Service Satisfaction Survey. All comments are welcome. 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

Real Estate Prices

Real Estate Online - Properties for sale or rent in Perth Western Australia   Login | REIWA Online Home REIWA Online Home Properties for Sale Properties for Rent My Home News & Articles Property Research Find a REIWA Member Helpful Info Resources Training Other Institutes About REIWA Jobs Available Contact Us Real Estate Links Residential Home Open Virtual Tour Properties Showcase Properties Land About My Property List About Property Alerts Commercial Business Rural Residential Commercial Create Public Account About My Property List About Property Alerts News Feature Articles Press Releases What's My Home Worth Suburb Profile Price Growth by Suburb Long Term Growth Rates Rental Survey Market Indicators Perth House Price Chart Suburb Price Increases REIWA Member Search Accredited Specialist Top Achievers(Reps) Top Achievers(Branches) Tips & Information Public Forum Local Information Heritage Register Foreign Investment Code of Conduct Councillors & Senior Staff Loan Calc/Interest Rates Financing Glossary FAQs Stamp Duty REIWA Hosted Websites REIWA Learning Website Careers in Real Estate Course Details Licensing Course Details REIA (Australia) REIACT (ACT, Australia) REINSW (NSW, Australia) REINT (Northern Territory) REISA (South Australia) REIQLD (Queensland) REITAS (Tasmania) REIVIC (Victoria) Mission Statement What does REIWA do? Benefits of Dealing with a REIWA member EAC Real Estate View Realnet QLD World Properties View Homebuyer Online For sale For rent Residential Commercial Business Rural Enter a property's listing number to view its details Register your details and we'll send you regular emails listing all matching properties. Give Homebuyers a Christmas Present ... More View All Did you know that the average 2004sale price for a 3 bedroomhome in Dampier was $309,786? How much was your home worth? Find out The following suburbs recorded the largest growth in Median House Prices in the last 12 months: Rank Suburb Growth View 1 Coolbinia 58.30% 2 Ascot 53.20% 3 Bunbury 41.60% 4 Geraldton 37.30% 5 Mundijong 33.00% Select a letter to browse for your suburb: | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | username: password: NEW! Search through & purchase sales history data for Western Australian properties sold over the last five years. Help for First Home Buyers Value - it's all in the Land How Does The Median Price Apply To Your... Tips on Buying Units and Apartments Network City Requires Sensible Re-Zoning Finding the Right Home in a Limited Mar... View All REIWA Learning is Australia's leading provider of innovative and quality real estate training and development programmes. As a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), the REIWA PDC offers nationally recognised training and ongoing professional development opportunities to current and prospective real estate professionals. The REIWA job board lists current real estate employment opportunities within REIWA member agencies. Who are REIWA's current 'Top Achievers'? Top 30 Representatives for November Top 30 Branches for November About REIWA | Contact REIWA | Comments & Questions Disclaimer Privacy Statement REIWA disclaims liability for the accuracy of information on this site, details of matters such as property listings should be checked, full details can be found by clicking "Disclaimer" above. REIWA collects information via this website and other sources, full details of REIWA's Privacy Act Collection Statement can be found by clicking "Privacy Statement" above.

Home Equity Loans -

Home Equity Loans - Agony or Ecstasy  You are here: About > Money > Credit / Debt Management > Getting Money and Credit > Mortgage & Equity Loans > Home Equity Loans - Agony or Ecstasy Money Credit / Debt Essentials Credit And Credit File Fundamentals Basics Of Reducing Debt Credit and Debt Workshop Fast Financial Independence Debt Counseling Primer Articles & Resources Bankruptcy & Settlement Budgeting & Frugality Credit Law Credit Reports and Scoring Debt Counseling Debt Reduction Financial Planning Fraud and Protection Getting Money and Credit Learning About Money Smart Shopping Students and Education Tips, Essentials, Archives Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Guide Picks - Top Books On Credit & Debt Compare Insurance Carriers Compare Utility and Loan Providers Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Credit / Debt Management newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Credit / Debt Management Stay up to date! Email to a friend Print this page Suggested Reading Biweekly Mortgage Payments The 'How-To' of Home Financing Mortgage Closiong Costs Suggested Reading Predatory Lenders Most Popular WARNING! Rising Minimum Payme Free Annual Credit Report Cleaner Credit Raises Scores Changes to the Bankruptcy Law Debt To Income Ratio What's Hot How To Consolidate Debt Credit / Debt Management - Articles Establishing Credit - Credit/Debt Management PayDay Loans Credit Problems.... Now What? Related Topics Frugal Living Financial Planning Online Shopping Banking / Loans Family Internet Home Equity Loans... Agony or Ecstasy From Apply Now , Your Guide to Credit / Debt Management . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Home Equity Loans - a dream come true or a living nightmare. A Home Equity Loan can be a dream come true or a living nightmare. It all depends on how you approach a home equity loan and for what reason you actually want the home equity in your hand instead of your home. If your intent is to reduce debt so that you have breathing room to pay more on other debts, a home equity loan MAY BE on the right track. However, if your objective is to have more breathing room so that you can add more debt, you are heading for a natural disaster. Basics of a Home Equity Loan - Good and Bad What is a home equity loan? A home equity loan is a second mortgage. It uses the collateral of your home to secure a loan. Good news - Because this is a secured loan, its interest is less than on many loans such as on a credit card. This is very attractive. Equally attractive is the fact that because it is a second mortgage, interest can offer a tax deduction. That's the good news. Bad news - But if a home equity loan is used to pay off unsecured debt such as a credit card, what you have done in essence is convert an unsecured debt into a secured debt with your home as the security. This is not a very sound plan. Not only that but just as when you default on your primary mortgage you could lose your home, so too you can lose your home by defaulting on your home equity loan. More bad news- Another draw back that has developed over the last few years is that often you can borrow more than your house is worth... up to 125% of the value of your home. This is called negative equity and means that if you sell the house because of a job transfer or any other reason, you must either get enough to pay off both loans or you will be paying off the home equity loan when you are trying to buy another home. Still more bad news - There is one other negative side to a home equity loan. You will have points and closing costs to get the loan just as you had when you got your first mortgage. Home Equity Warnings! Okay, so I did not scare you off with the above and you are still determined to get a home equity loan. What are the danger signs and issues to be watchful for? FTC warns: "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." Watch out for lowered payments because there is a balloon payment at the end. Balloon payments are large lump payments due as the last payment. Don't do it! Avoid home improvement cam which begin construction before any financing is settled. See Scams To Help You Lose Your Home . Avoid pre-payment penalties. If you want to pay off your loan ahead of time, you should not pay a fee to do so. A 10% prepayment fee is not uncommon... but is a lot of money. Avoid rate increases by avoiding missed or late payments. FTC Offers These Do's And Don t's: Don't agree to a home equity loan if you don't have enough income to make the monthly payments. Don's sign any document you haven't read or any document that has blank spaces to be filled in after you sign or let anyone pressure you into signing any document. Don't agree to a loan that includes credit insurance or extra products you don't want. Don's 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. Don't 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. DO keep careful records of what you've paid, including billing statements and canceled checks. Challenge any charge you think is inaccurate. Do check contractors' references when it is time to have work done in your home. Get more than one estimate. Important disclaimer information about this About site.        Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About New Video iPod - Review POLL: Must-Have Gadgets VIDEO: Portable Gaming VIDEO: Choosing a TV Hugh Hefner's Life What's Hot How To Consolidate Debt Credit / Debt Management - Articles Establishing Credit - Credit/Debt Management PayDay Loans Credit Problems.... Now What?

Buy House

Amazon.com: House of Wax (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Elisha Cuthbert,Chad Michael Murray,Brian Van Holt,Paris Hilton,Jared Padalecki,Jon Abrahams,Robert Ri'chard,Dragicia Debert,Thomas Adamson,Murray Smith (VII),Sam Harkess,Damon Herriman,Andy Anderson (II),Emma Lung,Jaume Collet-Serra Your Store DVD See All 32 Product Categories Your Account | Cart | Wish List | Help | Advanced Search | Browse Genres | Top Sellers | New & Future Releases | Television Central | Life & Learning | DVD Essentials | Blowout DVDs | Movie Showtimes | Used DVDs Search Amazon.com DVD Web Search Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in . DVD Information Explore this item buying info editorial reviews customer reviews cast and crew fun facts Listmania! Best of Slasher Films Part 4 : A list by Jason Voorhees "Jason V" Add your List Ready to buy? Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering. A9.com users save 1.57% on Amazon. Learn how . MORE BUYING CHOICES 108 used & new from $6.75 Available for in-store pickup now from: $20.99 Price may vary based on availability Enter your ZIP Code Have one to sell? House of Wax (Widescreen Edition) (2005) Starring: Elisha Cuthbert , Chad Michael Murray Director: Jaume Collet-Serra Rating: See larger image Share your own customer images List Price: $20.98 Price: $15.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. See details You Save: $4.99 (24%) Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Want it delivered Friday, December 30? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. See details 108 used & new available from $6.75 Edition: Other Versions and Languages Other Versions (DVD) List Price Price Other Offers: DVD House of Wax / Gothika $35.98 $31.99 57 used & new from $27.78 DVD House of Wax (1953) / House of Wax $35.98 $31.99 47 used & new from $27.37 DVD House of Wax (Full Screen Edition) $20.98 $15.99 119 used & new from $6.95 Better Together Buy this DVD with The Amityville Horror (Widescreen Special Edition) DVD ~ Ryan Reynolds today! Total List Price: $49.93 Buy Together Today: $37.98 Customers who bought this DVD also bought The Amityville Horror (Widescreen Special Edition) DVD ~ Ryan Reynolds The Skeleton Key (Widescreen Edition) DVD ~ Kate Hudson War of the Worlds (Widescreen Edition) DVD ~ Tom Cruise Land of the Dead (Unrated Edition) DVD ~ Simon Baker Explore Similar Items : in DVD , in Music Storyline Genres: Horror Tagline: Prey. Slay. Display. Plot Outline: Six friends are stranded in a ghost town where a towering wax museum looms ahead. And inside are two brothers who have a special way of making the wax figures look real... Plot Synopsis: A group of friends on their way to a college football game falls prey to a pair of murderous brothers in an abandoned small town. They discover that the brothers have expanded upon the area's main attraction.. the House of Wax. And created an entire town filled with the wax-coated corpses of unlucky visitors. Now the group must find a way out before they too become permanent exhibits in the House of Wax... Plot Keywords: Title Spoken By Character | Car Trouble | Remake | Museum | Wax Museum | Interracial Relationship | Child Abuse | Doctor | Sheriff | Twins | American Football | (Show all 61 plot keywords recommended by customers) Product Details Actors: Elisha Cuthbert , Chad Michael Murray , Brian Van Holt , Paris Hilton , Jared Padalecki , See more Directors: Jaume Collet-Serra Format: Ac- , Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc, Widescreen Anamorphic Region: Region 1 ( U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats. ) Rated: (Not for sale to persons under age 18.) Studio: Warner Home Video DVD Release Date: October 25, 2005 Run Time: 113 min (original theatrical or airing runtime) Average Customer Review: Based on 176 Reviews DVD Features: Available Subtitles: English, Spanish, French Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1) B-roll and bloopers video cast commentary From Location: Joel Silver Reveals House of Wax Wax On: The Design of House of Wax The House Built on Wax: visual effects Alternate open: Jennifer killed Gag reel Theatrical trailer From IMDb: Quotes & Trivia ASIN: B000AM4P9K Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,264 in DVD Theatrical Release Information US Theatrical Release Date: May 6, 2005 MPAA: for horror violence, some sexual content and language. Production Company: Warner Bros., Dark Castle Entertainment, Village Roadshow Pictures, ImageMovers, Silver Pictures USA Box Office: $32 Million Budget Estimate: $30 Million Filming Locations: Australia| Movieworld, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia| Queensland, Australia Editorial Reviews Amazon.com You know the one about the group of horny kids who get offed one by one? Yeah, so do director Jaume Collet-Serra and his screenwriters, who have updated an old Vincent Price flick and sandwiched it between hearty slices of The Blair Witch Project and various Friday the 13th films. Lots of WB and Fox network hotties--including 24 's Elisha Cuthbert, One Tree Hill 's Chad Michael Murray, and, well, Paris Hilton--have car trouble and stumble onto a town populated by real killer personalities. The R-rated result is fairly gruesome and, though no one ever quite looks frightened enough, Collet-Serra knows his way around a jolting suspense sequence or two. Cuthbert and an unintentionally funny Murray (striking ludicrous poses as some kind of real toughie) act more like angry ex-lovers than the fraternal twins they're supposed to be; Hilton acts bored while her real-life video scandal is exploited for ironic kicks; and the film heads shamelessly over-the-top with each new twist. As an exercise in bloody mayhem, it has a few novel touches, but you can easily find better scares. --Steve Wiecking Product Description: House of Wax tells the story of a group of friends who fall prey to a sinister plot while passing through a small town on their way to a college football game. Customers who viewed this DVD also viewed Sin City DVD ~ Robert Rodriguez Saw (Widescreen Edition) DVD ~ Leigh Whannell Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Widescreen Edition) DVD ~ Brad Pitt Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition with Comic Book) DVD ~ Christian Bale Explore Similar Items : in DVD , in Music , and in Books Spotlight Reviews Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers. 44 of 61 people found the following review helpful: Above Average Slasher , May 10, 2005 Reviewer: Mr. Censored - See all my reviews This new version of "House Of Wax" bears very little resemblance to the original, released over fifty years ago. That right there means certain people are gonna be angry about it. And I'm sure it must pain fans of the original to see this updated version with Paris Hilton as one of the stars. Nevertheless, if you are just looking for a good, fun slasher, with a hard R-rating (believe me, this puppy earned it), you could do much worse. Forget that this is a remake, and you will probably find yourself being pleasantly surprised. And if you still aren't sold, look at it this way: You get to watch Paris Hilton die! "House Of Wax," which stars Chad Michael Murray (from WB's...well, just the WB I guess) and Elisha Cuthbert (who is way sexier than Hilton, without even trying) tells the familiar story of a group of twenty somethings, on their way to a football game, who pull over for the night to set up camp and get a little R & R. However, an automobile problem, a broken headlight, and some damn stinky squirrels and deer, cause this group to wander into a town that time seems to have forgotten. The town, however, has one interesting feature, and that is the infamous House Of Wax. Not only is everything inside made out of wax (or is it?), the House itself is Of Wax. Of course, things go horribly wrong. Why does it feel like the wax figures can see us? Who was that outside the window? Why does that guy keep flirting and leering at my girlfriend? The movie plays out much like classic slashers such as "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," and even more like the 2003 "T.C.M." remake. Not only are both remakes extremely pumped up from the original, but you will notice many parellels between the two, from the bizarre torture scenes, to the creepy towns people, all the bases are covered with this movie. If you are a genre fan, you can't help but enjoy this movie. It does try a few different things and will take you by surprise a few times. Heck, one major surprise is Paris Hilton playing someone with moderate intellect. When someone says "What's that smell?" she doesn't want to find out. When she is being chased by the antagonist, she finds a weapon, and uses it. Not just your average teen slasher/splatter flick. As far as the gore goes, this movie has an abundance of it, but I found the wax much more effective. On a list of worst ways to die, I'd put that at the top! And when will people realize, if you keep picking at it, it won't heal (watch it and find out)? If it's possible to have a fear of wax, this movie may put it in you. So try not to let the seemingly shallow nature of this movie turn you away. Afterall, it's actually quite good, and it's refreshing, in a world of nuetered "PG-13" "horror" flicks, that a nice, solid "R" comes along and gives us the flanking we so badly needed. It's got it's flaws, and it does take a while for the film to build momentum, but if you want thrills, this one's got it. Just try not to cheer or laugh too much when Paris has her big moment... Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) 20 of 30 people found the following review helpful: A TERRIFIC GOOD RIDE WITH ALL THE THINGS A SLASHER FAN WANTS!! , October 11, 2005 Reviewer: Paulo Leite (Lisbon, Portugal) - See all my reviews At first, I wasn't expecting anything from this movie... I thought "well, here we go again for another stupid slasher with nothing new to offer". But I was wrong. In fact I found this film to be a terrific new entry into the slasher genre. The screenplay is very nice. I does not start to kill people right away.. it develops the story... lets you know ter characters... and THEN... just when you are dying to see some killings... it starts. ...And never lets go. The plot is better than you'd expect. Not the usual "six kids get to a wax museum". Instead they get separated in three groups (which opens the space for three almost-independent storylines). This may not look much... but in fact it allows the screenplay to build some plausability and complications. The characters come and go separate ways and the script creates great shock moments exactly at the moment different storylines meet. And the killings... they are brutal, sadistic... and go beyond the usual "slash-and-you're-dead"... In fact (laughs) nobody dies at first. The screenplay takes the detail up to the limit. All the killings are beautifully constructed. Without wanting to spoil the fun, I just should say this film goes further on the sadistic things the killers do. Much further than what was acceptable years ago. I think this film brought new breath to the genre. Casting is good, makeup is fine. Directing is solid, art direction is discreet enough... I really liked it. Of course there are better films made 20 or 30 years ago. But this one sits along the best slashers in the last 10 years (if it is not THE best one in 10 years). But beware! This film is very cruel! Maybe you would like to pass on it if you play the piano, if you love your fingers... or if you like to walk barefooted. By the way... It has nothing to do with the 1953 Vincent Price version... just the title and what it suggests. Obviously, this DVD is a great buy. Watch it alone... or with friends... with 2 tons of popcorn. Great! Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) Customer Reviews Average Customer Review: Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers. The cast of hotties , December 29, 2005 A Kid's Review Almost the whole cast is hot like my cousin thinks paris hilton and elisha cuthbert are both hot&sexy.but i think jon arahams,jered&chad are hot espesialy jon abrahams his hot i lllllllllllooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeee him .oh yeah the movie its the best movie ever made .the only ugly people are bo&vincent .the movie its about 6friends on their way to a collage foot ball game but dalton and page get teird so they camp out near a abanded town. CAST:Elisha-Carly Brian van holt-Bo/Vincent Chad-Nick Jered-Wade Paris-Page Jon Abrahams-Dalton Robert-Blake Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) The cast of hotties , December 29, 2005 A Kid's Review Almost the whole cast is hot like my cousin thinks paris hilton and elisha cuthbert are both hot&sexy.but i think jon arahams,jered&chad are hot espesialy jon abrahams his hot i lllllllllllooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeee him .oh yeah the movie its the best movie ever made .the only ugly people are bo&vincent .the movie its about 6friends on their way to a collage foot ball game but dalton and page get teird so they camp out near a abanded town. CAST:Elisha-Carly Brian van holt-Bo/Vincent Chad-Nick Jered-Wade Paris-Page Jon Abrahams-Dalton Robert-Blake Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) 2 of 3 people found the following review helpful: The House Isn't The Only Thing That is Wax.... , December 28, 2005 Reviewer: fra7299 "fra7299" (California, United States) - See all my reviews Call me a bit of an overachiever, but I had to wait a day for this movie to sink in before I actually sat down to write a review for House of Wax. The verdict: It still wasn't very good. A film scripted for the MTV Generation of slasher-type films, House of Wax definitely pales in comparison to the Vincent Price version with the same name (I'm still not sure if they actually meant to call it that, or if this was to be an actual remake). There is loud music every so often, horny teens, and a wannabe tough street-type guy, and a generally creepy family (brothers) in a generally creepy town. At any rate, the two movies are a separate as you can get, so you won't have much of a chance to confuse them. If there is one thing to compliment this movie on, it's those momentary points of lurking suspense. We don't see the truly evil characters for awhile, so there is at least an attempt at build up. There is an attempt at trying to introduce us to the background of the two brothers, but it really is an empty explanation. They just show a family trying to get a rambunctious child to eat his food, and an overly aggressive father yelling. Then they flash forward, as if this explains everything. The movie seemingly begins to melt (no pun intended) before your eyes at certain points, despite its efforts to scare and thrill. I think a lot of it had to do with the seriously ridiculous plot and inane motives of the characters. The teens, who decide they want to go on a road trip to make it to the football game (it is a really important game, but we never know who is playing), of course don't make it in time and decide to spend the night in the creepiest place they can possibly find. Then, once there, they decide to hang out and party until some guy in a truck comes by and flashes his lights (he never gets out though, so we don't know who or what he is). Rather than suspecting that this guy might be some sort of serial killer out in the middle of no where, one of them decides to throw something at the truck, breaking one of the headlights and, in turn, making the possible homicidal maniac a little more upset. The truck leaves, and all appears to be fine. Fast forward to the next day....One of the guys really wants to get to the game (Why exactly everyone slept in until 2:30 in the afternoon is a question I can't answer..), but then one of the guy's cars has a broken fan belt (go figure), so they must deal with that. After accidentally slipping into a big pit with dead rotting animal flesh, which, for some reason Elisha Cuthbert's character insisted on seeing, her and her boyfriend decide to into town with some crazy derelict looking guy who makes his living apparently dumping dead animals into this pit....all in the name of a fan belt...sheesh! After the teens separate, you can use your imagination to guess what happens. The couple goes into the town to find the shop with fan belts, and, while in the process, decide to go into the spookiest place in town, the House of Wax. From there they meet another crazy guy who owns the shop, but happens to have that exact fan belt at his house. You know where this is going right? Eventually, Elisha Cuthbert's character realizes that there aren't any "real" people around, and that her boyfriend has been in that house just a little too long, and so chaos ensues. In the process of trying to get back to the town to get to the couple, some of the other teens meet up with the crazy brothers as well. They make the same silly mistakes that many teens make in these movies, and so, many points become a bit predictable and cumbersome to watch. I guess it could have been worse...Paris Hilton could have said something like, "Look! Wax, that's hot." There have been worse movies made, and definitely worse horror movies made. But, this is just another lower than average horror movie to make a few bucks for Hollywood. 1 stars for an effort at suspense. For kicks, I'll even round it up to 2. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) Teen Slasher Movie with an interesting plot. , December 27, 2005 Reviewer: Ernest Hemmingway "Shawn" - See all my reviews When i first rented this movie, i was told that it was a horrible movies with some cheap scares. I was told wrong as a began to watch House of Wax. Six teenagers are on there way to a college football game when they experience car trouble, someone, overnight, had ruined one of the cars fan belts...as two of the characters venture into the seemingly empty town, they uncover a sinister plot involving the famous Trudy's House of Wax. The teenagers must fight for their lives, or they might become permanant displays... Paris Hilton's character could have been cast better, and it was fun to see her die in an ironic sort of way. The movie is interesting with it's plot twists and the final breathtaking conclusion. I enjoyed the ending of this movie because it didn't leave you hanging, you knew who was going to live or not. I doubt there will be a sequel. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) See all 176 customer reviews... Listmania! Best of Slasher Films Part 4 : by Jason Voorhees "Jason V" 2005 Is Full Of Horror! : by S. Medeiros "Gentleman_caller8... The Best B-Rate Horror Films! : by Paul So You'd Like to... Know what movies are coming out to DVD in 2005 : by Aaron Watkins , Movie Browser October is one expensive month! : by sec127 , High School Student Know What's Coming to a DVD Store Near You : by Joe , Movie Lover Fun Facts from IMDb.com: Awards Click here to see more Awards Teen Choice Awards: Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Thriller, Choice Movie Scream Scene, Choice Movie Actor: Action/Adventure/Thriller Nominations Click here to see more Nominations Teen Choice Awards: Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Performance - Female, Choice Movie Rumble, Choice Movie Actress: Action/Adventure/Thriller, Choice Movie Breakout Performance - Male Trivia Click here to see more Trivia On 26 June 2004, a sound stage being used for the film burned to the ground during a test of special effects equipment. The fire was started by a candle destroying a studio where this movie was being filmed at Warner Bros Movie World on Australia's Gold Coast. One crew member was treated for burns to his arm no one else was injured. The smoke from the fire also crossed onto a nearby heavily used Highway which caused health concern's for driving motorists, the Highway was not shut down during this incident. Paris Hilton did not have to audition - she was the director's only choice for her role. The rest of the cast was built around her. Goofs Click here to see more Goofs Carly leaves the voice mail message for Paige and the whole scene with the truck gets on the voice mail. When Blake checks his phone after the music stops, the message isn't the same as earlier. Crazy Credits Click here to see more Crazy Credits Random letters in the end credits of the movie begin to melt down from thescreen as they appear. Also, some pairs of letters are joined, just like Boand Vincent when they were born. Movie Connections Click here to see more Movie Connections Remake of: Mystery of the Wax Museum | House of Wax References: Alternate Versions Click here to see more Alternate Versions The uncut version is rated R21 in Singapore. Two scenes needed to be trimmed to secure an NC16 rating. First is the body dragging scene where the head slowly detaches itself from the torso. Next is the scene where the killer graphically removes a pole that is jammed into a female victim's head. The DVD features an alternate opening: A young woman, Jennifer (Emma Lung), (the woman who is sculpted into Miss Ambrose) is stranded on the road after her car breaks down. As she calls a towing company, Bo's truck drives up. She tries to signal him, but gets no response. Then, the truck speeds up. Jennifer tried to run, but Bo grabs her by the neck and throws her face-first into her windshield, instantly killing her. Two versions are available in Germany: the uncut version with a "Not under 18" rating and an edited version (with a "Not under 16" rating) which misses ca. 3 minutes. Quotes Click here to see more Quotes [Carly hears a noise outside the tent] Carly Jones : Wade, wake up. Wade! I heard something. Wade : Yeah, it's probably the serial killers or something. [to Nick and Dalton] Blake : Hey are you two gonna have sex? Nick Jones : No... Blake : Oh, cause 'um, me and Paige ARE, so you should probably be the one to go pick up your sister. For more information about "House of Wax (Widescreen Edition)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) Look for similar items by category Browse similar items in: DVD > Actors & Actresses > ( R ) > Richard, Robert DVD > Genres > Horror > General DVD > Genres > Horror > Slasher Flicks DVD > Genres > Horror > Teen Terror DVD > Genres > Science Fiction & Fantasy > General Suggestion Box Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. If you've found something incorrect, broken, or frustrating on this page, let us know so that we can improve it. Please note that we are unable to respond directly to suggestions made via this form. If you need help with an order, please contact Customer Service . Please mark as many of the following boxes that apply: Product information is missing important details. Product information is incorrect. Propose corrections using our Online Catalog Update Form . The page contains typographical errors. The page takes too long to load. The page has a software bug in it. Content violates Amazon.com's policy on offensive language . Product offered violates Amazon.com's policy on items that can be listed for sale. Comments or Examples: Examples: Missing information such as dimensions and model number, typos, inaccuracies, etc. Where's My Stuff? • Track your recent orders . • View or change your orders in Your Account . Shipping & Returns • See our shipping rates & policies . • Return an item (here's our Returns Policy ). Need Help? • Forgot your password? Click here . • Redeem or buy a gift certificate. • Visit our Help department . Search Amazon.com Books Popular Music Music Downloads Classical Music DVD VHS Apparel Yellow Pages Movie Showtimes Toys Baby Computers Video Games Electronics Camera & Photo Software Tools & Hardware Office Products Magazines Sports & Outdoors Outdoor Living Kitchen Jewelry & Watches Beauty Gourmet Food Musical Instruments Health/Personal Care Pet Supplies Travel Cell Phones & Service Outlet Auctions zShops Everything Else Automotive for Amazon.com Home | Directory of All Stores Our International Sites: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | Japan | France | China Help | Shopping Cart | Your Account | Sell Items | 1-Click Settings Investor Relations | Press Room | Careers Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice © 1996-2005, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates