Protect Your Home From Fraud

Tips on protecting you and your home from fraud include:

• All commitments, promises, agreements, etc., should be in writing. 
• Be truthful in your loan applications. Provide accurate information. Do not sign documents you do not understand. 
• Be wary if being approached by a stranger with an unsolicited “rescue” offer. No one can guarantee to save your home from foreclosure. Do not sign over your deed without consulting a lawyer first. 
• Be wary of any person who claims to be affiliated with or approved by the federal government who may ask you to pay high up-front fees to qualify for government modification programs. Government-supported mortgage modification and refinancing initiatives are free. Contact your lender or mortgage servicer. 
• Do not fall victim to ads from companies that claim they can you eliminate or modify your debt, that they will do all the paperwork, all for a modest fee or no fee at all. 
• Do not let anyone convince you to borrow more than you can afford to pay. 
• Do not let anyone talk you into making a false statement on your loan application. 
• Do not sign any blank documents or a document containing blank lines. 
• Get referrals and interview several real estate and mortgage professionals. 
• If you find yourself in some financial difficulty, don’t ignore the problem. Contact your local lender before the situation gets too bad. Lenders don’t want your home. Most lenders will work with you. Seek professional help. 
• Make all payments directly to your lender or to the mortgage servicer. Do not trust anyone to make mortgage payments for you. 
• Remember, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Study the market. Do your own research.