home loan? How much

Mortgage Loan Calculators -Interest.com Compare Today's Rates | Mortgage Calculators | Mortgage Trends Mortgage Home Calculators Advertisement Mortgage Calculators What will be my Monthly Payment? Want to know how much your monthly payment is for your mortgage? Additional Payment Calculator How much do you save by paying more or making additional payments than your initial mortgage terms? How much do I have to make to afford the loan on a particular home? Not sure how much money you'll have to earn to afford your house payment and accompanying expenses? How much can I afford to borrow? Want to know how big of a loan you can take on? How much can I afford to borrow? (Alternate Version) Want to know how big of a loan you can take on if you already know how much of a monthly payment you can afford according to the 28/36 rule. Should I pay discount points when I get mortgage loan? Not sure if you should pay discount points on your mortgage loan? 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Interest-Only Monthly Payment and Savings Calculator This basic calculator finds your monthly savings if you use an interest-only payment plan. Want to know your Amortization Schedule. This automated amortization sheet covers 5 years (60 months). Change any number, and the entire spreadsheet will update itself! No need to recalculate and fill all the numbers, just edit the numbers and go. Additional Payment Calculator How much do you save by paying more or making additional payments than your initial mortgage terms? Another "What's my Monthly Payment" Calculator? A mortgage payment calculator that incorporates detailed data to calculate your monthly amount. Rent vs. Buy Calculator Is it less expensive to buy than to rent, and how much can you really save? Budget Calculator Want to know how much of your paycheck is left after you pay for your monthly expenses and financial obligations? 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Credit Cards Calculators What's Missing Loan Calculator Having a hard time getting the full story on your loan? This automated calculator finds the missing variable for any loan. If you know the payment, term and the loan amount, it will calculate the interest rate. If you know the payment amount, loan amount and the interest rate, it will calculate the term. Get the idea on the loan that you are considering. Auto Loans Calculators Lease Calculator Car leasing payment calculator Simple Loan Calculator Only three inputs, loan amount, interest and length of loan, calculates the monthly payment for any type of fixed payment, fixed period amortized loan (mortgage, car loan, etc). There are many factors that affect calculations. 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Selling Home

Used Cars, Sell Your Car, Auto Financing & Insurance - AutoTrader.com Home Read reviews, get pricing and compare cars. New Cars Certified Cars Used Cars Over 2.7 million listings! Make Acura Alfa Romeo AMC Aston Martin Audi Avanti Bentley BMW Buick Cadillac Chevrolet Chrysler Daewoo Daihatsu Datsun DeLorean Dodge Eagle Ferrari Fiat Ford Geo GMC Honda Hummer Hyundai Infiniti Isuzu Jaguar Jeep Kia Lamborghini Lancia Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lotus Maserati Maybach Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercury Merkur Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Oldsmobile Peugeot Plymouth Pontiac Porsche Renault Rolls-Royce Saab Saturn Scion Sterling Subaru Suzuki Toyota Triumph Volkswagen Volvo Yugo ZIP Learn more Close Power Search lets you: Shop by body style. Choose color preference Search for up to three makes and models. Select your mileage. And much more... More flexible search options. ZIP Buscar en Español Sell it yourself... Edit Your Ad Search for Certified Cars Make null Acura Buick Cadillac Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ford GMC Honda Jeep Lexus Lincoln Mazda Mercury Oldsmobile Plymouth Pontiac Saab Toyota Volkswagen Volvo ZIP There's an option somewhere between new and used. Discover the benefits. Learn About Buying Certified Price a New Car • Find the best deal. • Get a free quote. Compare Cars Narrow down your options. Browse by Body Style Find all available models of a specific body type. Find New Cars Search our dealer inventory. Free CARFAX Record Check Check for costly hidden problems and buy with confidence. Get Pre-Approved in 2 Clicks. Check Today's Rates. Refinance Your Auto and Save. Fraud Awareness Tips Learn how to spot a scam . Used Cars in the UK 60,000+ Quality Used Cars SearchCars.net Find Cars in Australia Find A Dealer | Become an AutoTrader.com Dealer | About | Help | Site Map | Employment Opportunities | Email Us | Press Room By using this service, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement . Privacy Statement ©2005 AutoTrader.com L.L.C.  

Real Estate Broker License

Real Estate Licensing Real Estate Licensing Home / Licensing /Real Estate Licensing HOW TO OBTAIN A UTAH REAL ESTATE LICENSE A real estate license is required of any person who, for another and forvaluable consideration, negotiates or consummates the sale, lease, exchangeor purchase of real estate. The Utah Real Estate Commission determines the qualifications and therequirements of all applicants for a Utah real estate license. Each applicantis required to provide evidence of honesty, integrity, truthfulness, reputationand competency. Each applicant must pass an examination covering the fundamentalsof the English language, arithmetic, bookkeeping, real estate principalsand practices, the Rules established by the Real Estate Commission and anyother aspect of Utah Real Estate License Law considered appropriate. Please take time to go over the screening questionnaire. Your responses tothese questions could have an impact upon whether or not you are able toobtain a Utah Real Estate license. Additional information and requirements are outlined throughout the followingpages. Screening Questionnaire Sales Agent License Associate Broker License Principal Broker License Opening Own Business Property Management License Branch Offices Non-Resident License ApplicantsLicensed in Other States Reciprocity (between Utah and: Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Alberta, Canada) Examination Procedure ChangeCard SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRE 1. Do you now hold or have you ever held a real estate license in a state otherthan the state of Utah or in another country? 2. Have you ever had a license to practice in the real estate profession,or any other profession or occupation, denied, restricted, suspended, orrevoked? 3. Have you ever been permitted to resign or surrender your real estate licenseor any other professional license,or have you ever allowed a license to expire while you wereunder investigation, or while action was pending against you by any realestate licensing or other agency? 4. Is any disciplinary action now pending against you by any real estatelicensing or other agency? 5. Are you CURRENTLY under investigation for, or charged with, or have you everbeen convicted of, or pled guilty or no contest to, a felonyor misdemeanor? (If you have had only one misdemeanor conviction or plea and thecase was closed over five years ago, you do not have to answer yes. Caution: DUI's and other alcohol-related traffic offenses may bemisdemeanors. Non-alcohol-related traffic offenses do not need to bedisclosed.) 6. Have you been placed on probation or ordered to pay a fine in connection withany criminal offenseor a licensing action? If you answer YES to this question you will beasked at the time of application for licensure to provide proof of completion ofyour probation and payment of all fines. 7. Have you been ordered to pay restitution in connection with any criminaloffense or licensing action? If you answer YES to this question you willbe asked at the time of application for licensure to provide proof that you havefully complied with the restitution order. 8. Have you had a civil judgment entered against you based on fraud,misrepresentation, or deceit? If you answer YES to this question you will be asked at the time of application for licensure to provide proof that the judgment has been fully satisfied. 9. Are you under 18 years of age? WARNING: IF YOU PASS THE EXAMINATION, YOUR FINGERPRINTS WILL BE TAKEN ANDSUBMITTED FOR A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK. FAILURE TO ACCURATELY DISCLOSEYOUR CRIMINAL HISTORY WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE AND AUTOMATIC REVOCATION OF YOURLICENSE. SALES AGENT LICENSE License Requirements - The applicant for a sales agent license must be at least 18 years ofage. Education Requirements - An applicant for a sales agent license must complete an approved educationalprogram of 90 classroom hours. The subject matter of the course will consistof Real Estate Principals and Practices and Utah Real Estate License Law. All courses must be completed at a Division approved real estateschool . Membership in the Utah State Bar will satisfy this education requirement. Experience will not satisfy the education requirement. Licensing Procedure - Within 90 days after the successful completion of the examination, theapplicant must return the following to the Division: Score Report/License Application - The applicant will provide a score report/license application receivedfrom Promissor ( the professional testing service) which indicates that both the nationaland state portions of the examination have been passed. The passing score report/license application must besigned by the principal broker with whom the applicant will be affiliating.No such signature is required of the applicant who desires inactive status. Education Documentation - The applicant will provide documentation of the successfulcompletion of 90 hours of classroom education taken within the previous year.Documentation will consist of the signed and stamped education certificatelocated in the examination Candidate Handbook, and/or an education waiverissued by the Division. Fees - The fee will include the license fee, the fee for the Recovery Fund, and the fingerprint processing fee. Currently, this totals $151.00. ASSOCIATE BROKER and/or PRINCIPAL BROKER LICENSE License Requirements - The applicant for an associate broker/principal broker license must beat least 18 years of age. The applicant must have a minimum of three years real estate experience and a total of at least 60 points accumulated within the five years prior to licensing. A minimum of two years (24 months) and at least 45 points will be accumulated from Tables I and/or II. The remaining 15 points may be accumulated from tables I, II, or III. The Principal Broker may accumulate additional experience points by having participated in real estate related activities as outlined in Experience Points Table III. Education Requirements - An applicant for an associate broker or principal broker license mustcomplete an approved educational program of 120 hours. The subject matterof the course will consist of 12 classroom hours in Brokerage Management, 24 classroom hours in Advanced Appraisal,24 classroom hours in AdvancedFinance, 24 classroom hours in Property Management, 24 classroom hours in Advanced Real Estate Law, and 12 hours in Utah License Law. All courses mustbe completed at a Division approved real estateschool . The Division may waive all or part of the education requirement by virtueof equivalent education. Education waivers may be granted only by the Division.To obtain an education waiver, the applicant must provide to the Divisionvalid documentation of his/her equivalent education. Experience will not satisfy the education requirement. Licensing Procedure - Please refer to the following information and forms (Broker Application Packet) Application for a Broker License Procedures Checklist Requirements for Obtaining a Real Estate Broker License Experience Points Tables (Rule 162-2.2.5) Documentation of Full Time Experience Real Estate Sales/Leasing Transaction Log Real Estate Property Management Transaction Log Brokerage Verification Form OPENING OWN BUSINESS If the applicant wishes to open his/her own business, the following isalso required: Business Name Approval - The principal broker applicant must submit evidence that the name underwhich he/she will be doing business has been registered and is approved bythe Division of Corporations, Utah Department of Commerce. The Division ofReal Estate will not accept a proposed company name that may mislead thepublic into thinking they are not dealing with a real estate brokerage orproperty management company. Company Registration - The principal broker applicant must submit a Company Application on theform required by the Division. Evidence of Trust Account - The principal broker applicant shall submit documentation from a financialinstitution that is less than 30 days old verifying the applicant's trustaccount. Change Cards - A Change Card must be submitted for each agent who will be affiliatingwith the principal broker. Fees - Appropriate fees for company registration mustbe submitted. Currently this fee is $25.00. PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LICENSE License Requirement - All persons who, for another and for valuable consideration, engage inproperty management must hold a current Utah real estate license to functionas a property manager. Property management is defined as providing the followingservices which may include, but are not limited to: Advertising real estate for lease or rent. Procuring prospective tenants or lessees. Negotiating lease or rental terms. Executing lease or rental agreements. This requirement does not apply to: An owner who manages his/her own property. A regular salaried employee of the owner of real estate who manages property owned by the employer. Apartment managers who manage the apartments at which they reside in exchange for free or reduced rent on their apartments. A full time salaried employee of a homeowners association who manages units subject to the declaration of condominium, which established the homeowners association. Individuals who, as employees of a licensed property management company, provide prospective tenants with access to vacant apartments, provide secretarial, bookkeeping, maintenance or rent-collecting services, quote predetermined rent and lease terms, and fill out preprinted lease or rental agreements, the terms of which are not negotiable by the person completing the form. Broker Supervision - All property management conducted by a sales agent or associate brokermust be supervised by the principal broker with whom the licensee isaffiliated. S EPARATE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY A principal broker may be granted a license to operate a property managementcompany separate from an existing real estate brokerage upon compliance withthe following conditions: Application - The principal broker, as a single proprietor or a company, must obtainan additional broker's license by submitting an application on the form requiredby the Division together with the license fee plus the fee for the RecoveryFund. Business Name Approval - The applicant must submit evidence that the name of the new company hasbeen registered and is approved by the Division of Corporations, Utah Departmentof Commerce. The Division of Real Estate will not accept a proposed companyname that may mislead the public into thinking they are not dealing witha real estate brokerage or property management company. Company Registration - The principal broker applicant must submit a Company Application on theform required by the Division. Evidence of Trust Account - The principal broker applicant shall submit documentation from a financialinstitution that is less than 30 days old verifying the applicant's trustaccount. Affiliated Licensees - The principal broker must designate with which company each of the licenseesaffiliated with him/her will be located - either the real estate brokerageor the property management company. Property Management Company Only - No Brokerage - If a principal broker (an individual or company) wants to operate a propertymanagement company only AND does not operate a real estate brokerage, theprincipal broker may do so by the same procedure as for opening a real estatebrokerage. Fees - Appropriate fees for company registration mustbe submitted. Currently this fee is $25.00. BRANCH OFFICES A branch office is a real estate office affiliated with and operating underthe same name as a principal brokerage but located at a different address.A branch office must be registered with the Division of Real Estate priorto operation. Application - To register a branch office, the principal broker must submit to the Division,on the forms required by the Division, the location of the branch, the nameof the branch manager and the names of all associate brokers and sales agentsassigned to the branch. He/she must also submit trust account documentationthat is less than thirty days old of a valid trust account. This accountcan be the same trust account used by the main office. Branch Manager - Each branch office must have an associate broker as a branch manager whowill actively manage the office. Fees - Appropriate fees for company registration mustbe submitted. Currently this fee is $25.00. NON-RESIDENT LICENSE A person who is actively licensed and in good standing in anotherstate as a real estate principal broker, associate broker or sales agentmay be issued an equivalent license in Utah by successfully completing specificeducation hours required by the Division with the concurrence of the Commission,and by passing the state and, in some cases, the general portion of the Utahreal estate licensing examination. The general portion of the exam may notbe waived for licensees from California due to the way California administerstheir exam. If the license in another state is expired, the applicant will be required to comply with all of Utah'sprelicensing requirements. Education and examination waivers will not beprovided if the license has expired. The applicant must also comply with each of the following requirements: Application - The applicant must submit an application for examination and license inaccordance with the requirements of the state of Utah. License History - Proof of licensure and disciplinary action, if any, (a "history letter")from each state in which the applicant has been licensed. Education Documentation - A waiver toward the Utah education requirement may be granted for educationtaken in another state. The applicant must provide to the Division validdocumentation of any certified real estate education taken in another statethat correlates with the education requirement of the state of Utah. Validdocumentation shall show proof of completion of the subject matter, the dateof completion and the number of classroom hours of each course taken. The application will be required to take a minimum of 12 classroom hoursin Utah License Law and may be required to take additional real estate educationhours. The applicant will be notified by the Division of his/her specificeducation requirements in the form of a "waiver letter." WAIVER LETTER - Upon receipt of the "license history" and the documentation of previouslycompleted real estate education, the Division will determine how many hours,if any, of Utah's education requirement may be waived and how many hoursthe applicant will still be required to complete before he/she will be allowedto sit for the examination. The licensee will be notified of his/her educationrequirements in the form of a "waiver letter." If applicable, the "waiverletter" will also indicate whether the general (national) portion of thelicensing examination will be waived. The "waiver letter" must be presented: to the school to show the number of education hours required of the candidate, at the time of the examination, and at the time of application for licensure. EXAMINATION - If the applicant has been actively licensed in another state for the precedingtwo years, he/she will be required to take only the Utah state portion ofthe examination. If the applicant has been on an inactive status in anotherstate for any portion of the past two years, he/she will be required to takeboth the national and Utah state portions of the examination. The general portion of the exam may not be waived for licensees from California due to the way California administers their exam. TRUST ACCOUNT - If the applicant is a principal broker, he/she must establish a real estatetrust account in this state. CONSENT TO SERVICE - Upon applying for licensure, the applicant must submit to the Divisionan irrevocable written consent allowing service of process on the Commissionor the Division. PRINCIPAL BROKER AFFILIATION - If the applicant is an associate broker or sales agent, the principalbroker with whom he/she is affiliated must hold an active Utah license. APPLICANTS LICENSED IN OTHER STATES A person who is licensed in another state as a real estate principalbroker, associate broker or sales agent may become licensed in Utah by successfully completing specific education hours requiredby the Division with the concurrence of the Commission, and by passing thestate and, in some cases, the general portion of the Utah real estate licensingexamination. The general portion of the exam may not be waived forlicensees from California due to the way California administers their exam. If the license in another state is expired, the applicant will be required to comply with all of Utah'sprelicensing requirements. Education and examination waivers will not beprovided. The applicant must also comply with each of the following requirements: Application - The applicant must submit an application for examination and license inaccordance with the requirements of the state of Utah. License History - The applicant must be or have been licensed as a principal broker, associatebroker or sales agent in another state. Proof of licensure (a "history letter")from the regulatory agency of each state of previous licensure must be providedto the Division of Real Estate. Education Documentation - A waiver toward the Utah education requirement may be granted for educationtaken in another state. The applicant must provide to the Division validdocumentation of any certified real estate education taken in another statethat correlates with the education requirement of the state of Utah. Validdocumentation shall show proof of completion of the subject matter, the dateof completion and the number of classroom hours of each course taken. The applicant will be required to take a minimum of 12 classroom hours inUtah License Law, and may be required to take additional real estate educationhours. The applicant will be notified by the Division of his/her specificeducation requirements in the form of a "waiver letter." WAIVER LETTER - Upon receipt of the "license history" and the documentation of previouslycompleted real estate education, the Division will determine how many hours,if any, of Utah's education requirement may be waived and how many hoursthe applicant will still be required to complete before he/she will be allowedto sit for the examination. The licensee will be notified of his/her educationrequirements in the form of a "waiver letter." If applicable, the "waiverletter" will also indicate whether the general (national) portion of thelicensing examination will be waived. The general portion of the exam may not be waived forlicensees from California due to the way California administers their exam. The "waiver letter" must be presented: to the school to show the number of education hours required of the candidate, at the time of the examination, and at the time of application for licensure. EXAMINATION - If the applicant has been actively licensed in another state for the precedingtwo years, he/she will be required to take only the Utah state portion ofthe examination. If the applicant has been on an inactive status in anotherstate for any portion of the past two years, he/she will be required to takeboth the national and Utah state portions of the examination. The general portion of the exam may not be waived for licensees from California due to the way California administers their exam. RECIPROCITY The State of Utah currently has signed reciprocity agreements with Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Alberta, Canada. To apply for reciprocity, send us a written request for licensing through reciprocity, including what states you currently have and previously have had a license in, as well as your contact information. Have the state(s) send a certified license history to us (see contact information ). The reciprocal state MUST show that your license is on an active status. Once we receive your written request and the certified license history/histories, we will generate an application form for you. We will also send you: a questionnaire, the Consent To Service form and acknowledgement, which must be signed and notarized; 2 fingerprint cards; and the fingerprint waiver form (fingerprints required for sales agent applicants only - not for broker applicants). Fingerprints must be obtained by the applicant. The application and other relevant forms must be completed and submitted with the $100 licensing fee and $12 recovery fund fee for sales agents or $18 recovery fund fee for brokers (plus $39 fingerprint processing fee for sales agent applicants). If a broker applicant wishes to open his or her own company, additional paperwork and fees are required. See " Opening Own Business " information above. EXAMINATION PROCEDURE Education - Before an applicant will be allowed to sit for the examination, he/shemust have completely satisfied the appropriate educational requirement. Application - The candidate should obtain the Candidate Handbook from the pre-licensingschool. This handbook will outline the procedure for registering for andtaking the examination. Date/Location - The examination will be given twice daily (Tuesday thru Saturday) in theSalt Lake City area. The examination is also available at the testing centersin Provo, Ogden, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Grand Junction, Colorado. Waiver Letter - Any candidate who is granted a waiver of the general portion of theexamination must submit proof of such waiver from the Division at the timeof application. Questions - The test consists of 80 questions on the general portion of the examination,40 questions for sales agents and 50 questions for brokers on the state portionof the examination. Both the general and state portions of the examinationmust be passed within a six-month period of time. More Information - Please refer to the Candidate Handbook for complete details on takingthe examination. Special Services - The testing center complies with the provisions of the Americans withDisabilities Act (42 USCS Section 12101 et seq.). If the candidate has adisabling condition, he/she may request special testing services. The disabilitymust be verified by a professional who is qualified to diagnose and documentthe disability. Utah Department of Commerce Home | Utah Division of Real Estate Home | Contact the Division of Real Estate | Site Map | Links

Rental Property

Find a Property - Properties for sale & rent from estate agents Find a Property - Home Property Search Estate Agents Property News Specialist Properties Browse All Areas Find your ideal house, flat or apartment for sale or rent Find a Property - Moving made easy Search 171,640 houses, flats and apartments for sale and rent through 3,617 estate agents. Area Guide Search for properties by area, with price guides, maps and local information Find a Property has 171,640 properties for sale and to rent throughout the UK and overseas. Review our estate agent list or start searching properties by location now... Property Prices How much is your house or flat worth? Review recent property price trends... Search all Editions 6,711 new properties for sale and to rent in the last 7 days Search for properties in... London (North of Thames) London (South of Thames) Surrey & Middlesex Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire & Essex Hampshire, Sussex & Kent Rest of UK Rest of Europe Rest of World Virtual Tours Get a 'real' feel for a property with a 'virtual' tour... Estate Agents Review a full list of letting and estate agents advertising on Find a Property Sector Inspector We talk to estate agents who focus on a particular corner of the property market... Specialist Properties Commercial property, new homes, investment properties and more... Dream Houses Forget the house price review the properties of your dreams... Premier Property The finest properties in some of England's prime residential locations New Homes for Sale New homes for sale and new build property developments Short Lets Properties available for short or holiday let and serviced apartments Commercial Commercial property from office and retail space to industrial sites Waterside Property River views, house boats, canal apartments... Investment Properties Buy to let, property development and investment opportunities Property Auctions A selection of properties for sale by auction Contemporary Properties Loft apartments, warehouse conversions and other contemporary property Property features Animal House (29 Dec 2006) Finding the perfect rented home can be difficult at the best of times; but for pet-owners especially, house-hunting can be an uphill struggle... more Oxford's Eco Home (16 Dec 2005) In 1997, George Marshall bought a rundown 1930s terraced house on an Oxford council estate. Then he did something rather unusual with it... more The Truth About ... Ex-Council Properties (15 Dec 2005) They're still within reach for hard-pressed first-time buyers and a tempting prospect for canny buy-to-let investors. But are ex-local authority properties really a safe bet? ... more Christmas: Far Away But At Home (09 Dec 2005) What could be more Christmassy than a holiday season in an exotic winter location - think hats and scarves and New York in the snow; or a barbecued turkey with all the trimmings, cooked on sizzling Bondi Beach... more Headlines Scotland's Year, Says Halifax 29 Dec 2005 It was a good year for Scottish house prices: nearly half of the top twenty increases were recorded by towns north of the border... more Huge Annual Increase In Mortgage Lending 23 Dec 2005 Gross mortgage lending in November was a whopping 30 per cent higher than the same month last year, says the CML... more NAEA: Christmas Cooldown In November 22 Dec 2005 The seasonal Christmas slowdown was evident in November, according to the latest survey from the National Association of Estate Agents... more Flat Year Ahead For House Prices 21 Dec 2005 A broadly flat market is what we can expect next year, according to a report from HBOS... more More news... Local Links A list of local guides, resources and directories Word on the Street This week's area info posted by local residents Top Top Find a Property - Home Property Search Estate Agents Property News Specialist Properties Browse All Areas Find a Property 2004 Advertise (estate agents only) Contact us (estate agents only) About us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions

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