Monthly Archives: August 2011

Are Your Neighbors Affecting Your Home’s Value?

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Are Your Neighbors Affecting Your Home’s Value?

You have put your home up for sale and done everything your agent has advised you to do to prepare your property for sale, but still no offers have come in. If you suspect your neighbor’s property is preventing your home from appealing to potential buyers, there are a few things you can do to remedy this situation. Here are some tips for dealing with problem neighbors while selling your home.

Are Your Neighbors The Problem?

Before banging down the neighbor’s door and blaming them for your home’s lack of appeal, you’ll first want to make sure that is really the problem. Ask your agent what they think the problem is, and whether they agree that the neighbors may be preventing the sale. Also ask other homeowners in the area what they think of any problem neighbors to get perspective before making that visit.

Use Tact When Approaching Neighbors

If you have determined that a particular neighbor is creating a problem that is affecting your home’s value and marketability, your best bet in getting them to agree to make the required changes is to be nice about it. Offer to help them with the cleanup and explain that it is not only for your benefit, but will also increase their home’s value as well. Planning a neighborhood cleanup and renting a junk removal service for the community may encourage them to clean up without even being asked.

Last Resort

If you have asked nicely and your neighbor still refuses to clean their property, there are steps you can take to force the situation. Many municipalities have bylaws concerning the upkeep of property, and getting your local officials involved may be necessary. Also getting other homeowners in the area on your side can make this easier. Remember though, you should always approach the individuals first and ask nicely before reporting them to the authorities.

Messy neighbors can be an obstacle to selling your home, but in most cases a little diplomacy and an offer to help will get the task accomplished.

Re/Max Connection Realtors disclaimer:
Re/Max Connection Realtors are not licensed financial advisors, and are not providing any financial advice, you should consult with a licensed financial advisor prior to making any financial decisions. Re/Max Connection Realtors are only providing this economic statement from Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc. for informational purposes.
Our company accepts no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.
Re/Max Connection Realtors, 1000 East Lincoln Drive, Suite 2, Marlton, NJ 08053 www.goconnectionnj.com

Building A Home Theater

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Building A Home Theater

These days, a home theater is one of the most popular trends in the nation. Homeowners are opting to save a bundle on the cost of theater tickets by bringing the fascinating world of cinema into their own homes in a big way.

Quality Counts

When it comes to creating a home theater, the choice is yours when it comes to the level of quality that you want to deliver. A home theater can include something as basic as a television and DVD system or it can include a projection screen with surround sound and, for the family who really wants the authentic experience, actual theater-style seating.

Money Matters

Building a home theater isn’t cheap, which is why it’s important to set a realistic budget before getting started. Unless you are an expert at installation, hiring a professional to install your home theater may be a wise idea. This means that you will not only be considering the cost of the theater itself, but also the labor necessary to get the job done.

Comparison Shopping

If you decide to hire a professional installation crew, make sure that you shop around and compare rates. In many cases, you will save a bundle of money by purchasing the materials yourself. This includes the television or projection screen, seating and sound systems. This way, all that’s needed is someone to install the items and make sure that the wiring is correct.

You may be wondering why it’s important to consider purchasing the essentials yourself. Unless you have full control over the accessories for your home theater, you will not know whether or not your contractor is charging you the actual cost for materials. By purchasing everything yourself, you can also shop sales and take advantage of some great deals offered by retailers.

Sign Here, Please…

Once you have chosen the company to install your home theater, make sure that you get everything in writing. This includes the cost of labor, the completion time, payment schedules, deposits, etc. If you have an oral agreement, transfer it onto paper and get it signed before proceeding with the project.

Don’t Forget The Popcorn

No theater experience would be complete without the popcorn, so don’t forget to include a popcorn machine in your theater room. These portable units are sold as tabletop appliances that can create your favorite style of buttery popcorn in minutes. Most home theaters feature a small snack counter packed full of goodies, which makes the design even more authentic.

Re/Max Connection Realtors disclaimer:
Re/Max Connection Realtors are not licensed financial advisors, and are not providing any financial advice, you should consult with a licensed financial advisor prior to making any financial decisions. Re/Max Connection Realtors are only providing this economic statement from Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc. for informational purposes.
Our company accepts no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.
Re/Max Connection Realtors, 1000 East Lincoln Drive, Suite 2, Marlton, NJ 08053 www.goconnectionnj.com

July New Home Sales

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NAROFF ECONOMIC ADVISORS, Inc.
Joel L. Naroff
President and Chief Economist

INDICATOR: July New Home Sales
KEY DATA: Sales: 298,000 units annualized (down 0.7%); Median Prices (Year-over-Year): +4.7%

IN A NUTSHELL: “With all the uncertainty about the debt ceiling and the economy, it is not surprising that buyers shied away from signing on the bottom line to buy new homes.”

WHAT IT MEANS: New home sales edged down once again as buyers just don’t want to commit to anything right now. The level of sales is pitiful, being only slightly above the all-time low set last summer. Thus, while the year-over-year increase of nearly 7% might look good, it is simply coming off the lowest of lows. Regionally, the sales numbers are totally bizarre and reflect the limited size of the market. In the Northeast, purchases doubled. Of course there were almost no homes sold in June so the increase only brought demand back to more “normal” levels. There was a small increase in the Midwest but moderate declines in the South and West. Builders recognize their plight and they are basically doing no speculative building. The number of homes for sale fell. You probably have to go back to Colonial times to see the number of houses on the market this low (okay, that’s a small exaggeration but you get the picture). As for prices, they were up fairly solidly over July 2010 levels. A somewhat larger percentage of the homes selling for over $500,000 pulled up prices.

MARKETS AND FED POLICY IMPLICATIONS: This report reminds us that the recovery cannot count on the housing sector adding much to growth. That is hardly a surprise. The pressures facing home builders do not end with the economy as they also have to face the reality of price cutting in the distressed home segment of the market. Worse, the level is so low that even strong increases in sales and housing starts will not add that much to growth. But as long as residential activity does add a little to growth, which it is likely to do, we are okay. With the Fed going on its “camping trip” to Jackson Hole this week, everyone is waiting to see what, if anything, Mr. Bernanke has up his sleeve this year. I suspect he will simply lay out the tool box and make it clear that the FOMC is “locked and loaded” and ready to pull the trigger on any and all the policy tools it has available. Whether those policies constitute treason, I leave up to the reader, but with the Fed the only game in town, the pressure is on to make sure the slow recovery does not fail. Mr. Bernanke is an expert on the Great Depression and he knows policy missteps cut short the attempts at recovery. While moving to restrictive fiscal policy may be the same mistake made in the 1930s, the Fed will reiterate that it will pump as much into the economy as it can. Whether lower rates can do anything is another story.
Re/Max Connection Realtors disclaimer:
Re/Max Connection Realtors are not licensed financial advisors, and are not providing any financial advice, you should consult with a licensed financial advisor prior to making any financial decisions. Re/Max Connection Realtors are only providing this economic statement from Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc. for informational purposes.
Our company accepts no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.
Re/Max Connection Realtors, 1000 East Lincoln Drive, Suite 2, Marlton, NJ 08053 www.goconnectionnj.com

July Existing Home Sales

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NAROFF ECONOMIC ADVISORS, Inc.
Joel L. Naroff
President and Chief Economist

INDICATOR: July Existing Home Sales
KEY DATA: Sales: -3.5%; July ’10-July ’11: +21%

IN A NUTSHELL: “”Housing continues to wander aimlessly along despite historically low mortgage rates.”

WHAT IT MEANS: The housing market is still not showing any signs that it is gaining traction. The National Association of Realtors reported that existing home sales fell in July as a large decline in the West offset modest increases in demand in the Northeast and Midwest. There was a small drop in the South. Condo sales are holding up but the stressed out, foreclosure dominated single-family segment continues to drop. Prices are easing as well but some of that may be the continued impact of distressed homes rather than the give and take of buyers and sellers for non-distressed homes. Sellers are recognizing the problems in moving homes by holding houses off the market and the inventory is falling.

MARKETS AND FED POLICY IMPLICATIONS: The Realtors commented, as have most observers of the market, that the appraisal process is causing negotiated deals to fail. If the contract price is not supported by appraisals, which may be affected by distressed homes and limited realistic comparisons, the mortgage will not be written. Only the best borrowers are getting mortgages and that is not enough to drive the market forward. Anyone who has tried to refinance lately, and I am one of those people, know how ridiculous the appraisal process can be. During the bubble, every home seemed to meet the appraisal standard and that ebullience help inflate the bubble. Now we have the opposite where it is frequently impossible for sellers to get a reasonable price even when buyers are willing to pay that price. And with banks so worried about loans failing, the conservative nature of the lending process is and will continue to limit the ability of the housing market to recover. This report, coupled with a rise in inflation, a jump in unemployment claims and a sharp drop in the Philadelphia Fed’s regional survey is only adding to the worries about Europe. European growth is faltering as the cure for their debt and deficits issues is killing growth. But that is no surprise. In the short term, budget cuts reduce economic growth and that is happening with a vengeance in a number of European nations. So why are so many people surprised when European growth numbers are weak? Got me. But that slowdown has implications for the rest of the world, especially if some European banks run into trouble. U.S. banks are linked to European banks and that creates worries that the financial sector will be hit again. That hurts confidence about future U.S. growth. Still, a double-dip recession is hardly baked in the cake and I will remind people that Wall Street and Main Street are not one and the same anymore.
Re/Max Connection Realtors disclaimer:
Re/Max Connection Realtors are not licensed financial advisors, and are not providing any financial advice, you should consult with a licensed financial advisor prior to making any financial decisions. Re/Max Connection Realtors are only providing this economic statement from Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc. for informational purposes.
Our company accepts no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.
Re/Max Connection Realtors, 1000 East Lincoln Drive, Suite 2, Marlton, NJ 08053 www.goconnectionnj.com

July Consumer Price Index

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NAROFF ECONOMIC ADVISORS, Inc.
Joel L. Naroff
President and Chief Economist

INDICATOR: July Consumer Price Index
KEY DATA: CPI: +0.5%; Excluding Food and Energy: +0.2%

IN A NUTSHELL: “There is no rest for the consumer as prices are rising for a wide variety of goods and services.”

WHAT IT MEANS: Once again, the consumer was pushed to the wall by rising retail costs. The Consumer Price Index jumped in July and the increases were pretty much across the board. Gasoline was a major component of the gain but that is unwinding big-time in August. However, food costs just keep increasing. Over the year, food expenses are up in excess of 4% and that is not making the weekly trip to the supermarket very pleasant. Housing rose moderately but we are beginning to see the impact of rent increases. Educational establishments remain in their own world as tuition continues to skyrocket. I cannot wait until my son finally graduates, even if he winds up moving back home. But the strangest situation is in clothing. There was a third consecutive 1% or more monthly increase and over the past three months prices have surged at a 16.4% annualized rate. Apparel has been a moderating influence on overall inflation for years and if we are entering a period of rising prices inflation will be elevated for quite some time. We did see the usual declines in communications and computers while medical care expenses continue to rise at a surprisingly moderate pace.

MARKETS AND FED POLICY IMPLICATIONS: The rise in consumer costs is distressing. It’s bad enough that workers are not getting any pay increases but the surge in retail prices is cutting into spendable income. Inflation-adjusted weekly earnings fell in July and are down by 1% over the year. That is one big reason that consumption is so sluggish. The choice is to spend less or save less and in these uncertain times we know which direction households are going. As for the Fed, the core index, which removes food and energy, is nearing the upper bound of its desired range and is likely to be breached in the fall. Worse, the situation with food is not transitory. There is little reason to think food costs will ease sharply and in the long run as millions of people move into the middle class in the developing nations, the outlook for food is for higher than average inflation. The Fed should keep food in its core index and only exclude energy. The Fed’s bet on low inflation looks like a loser even if the top line number comes way down over the next few months due to the falling energy costs. Core prices are on the rise. But Mr. Bernanke has wedded himself to a two year process so inflation over the next few months is not likely to have any impact on Fed policy. In the long run, though, we are likely to be in for a bought of higher than desired inflation, something the inflation hawks will be chirping about and rightfully so. As for investors, right now it’s all about Europe though and report cannot ease any fears.

Re/Max Connection Realtors disclaimer:
Re/Max Connection Realtors are not licensed financial advisors, and are not providing any financial advice, you should consult with a licensed financial advisor prior to making any financial decisions. Re/Max Connection Realtors are only providing this economic statement from Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc. for informational purposes.
Our company accepts no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.
Re/Max Connection Realtors, 1000 East Lincoln Drive, Suite 2, Marlton, NJ 08053 www.goconnectionnj.com

Finding A Mortgage Broker

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Finding A Mortgage Broker

If you are in the market for a new home, or looking to refinance your existing mortgage, then you will want to consider the option of hiring a mortgage broker rather than an individual lender or lending institution. With times being as tough as they are for so many people, and the instability of the financial markets, shopping around for the best deal in a mortgage is of vital importance. A mortgage broker is a one-stop mortgage option that can save you time, and most importantly, money. Here are just a few reasons you should consider a mortgage broker.

Who Are Mortgage Brokers?

Mortgage brokers are financial professionals who are paid a commission to match lenders and borrowers. They usually work with dozens of lenders as freelance agents and can match you with a lender than offers the best mortgage for your financial situation and personal needs. They are qualified to evaluate your credit situation, offer you a variety of loans from different lenders, and can submit the home buyer’s application to one or more lenders. A good mortgage broker is able to find a lender to suit a buyer with just about any credit rating.

Why A Broker Can Work For You

While the idea of a commission fee paid to a broker may not seem worth it, in most cases this cost is passed back to the lender. Brokers provide a service to lenders which saves them time and resources, and often they are willing to absorb this cost. Lenders who work with brokers are also more aware that their offer will be competing with other offers from different institutions, and in many cases this means that you are getting the most competitive rates and terms available.

A mortgage broker can definitely find a mortgage that can work for you, but as in hiring any professional, be sure you are certain they are qualified to give you advice and services you are requesting. Your REALTOR® can give you the names of reputable brokers in your area, and there are also a number of organizations that monitor the profession.

Re/Max Connection Realtors disclaimer:
Re/Max Connection Realtors are not licensed financial advisors, and are not providing any financial advice, you should consult with a licensed financial advisor prior to making any financial decisions. Re/Max Connection Realtors are only providing this economic statement from Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc. for informational purposes.
Our company accepts no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.
Re/Max Connection Realtors, 1000 East Lincoln Drive, Suite 2, Marlton, NJ 08053 www.goconnectionnj.com

July Housing Starts and Permits

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NAROFF ECONOMIC ADVISORS, Inc.
Joel L. Naroff
President and Chief Economist

INDICATOR: July Housing Starts and Permits
KEY DATA: Starts: -1.5%; 5+ Units: +6.3%; Permits: -3.2%;

IN A NUTSHELL: “Home construction may not be the leader of the pack but it no longer looks like it will hold things back.”

WHAT IT MEANS: Housing activity is a key factor in the sluggish recovery and there are no great expectations that the sector will return to being robust for quite a while. Given that reality, what I have been looking for is the sector to move forward at a pace which will actually add to growth and that may be happening. After a solid rise in June, there was a modest decline in construction in July. To me, this represents not a backward movement but a solidification of the gains that were made. Housing starts are also up nearly 10% from July 2010, so maybe the improvement is really underway. The multifamily segment rose strongly and since rental housing looks to be the place to be given the inability to buy new homes, this is a good sign that the market is working. Improvement was seen in the East and West. However, a large decline in the Midwest largely created the drop in housing starts. Was weather a factor? That is not clear but a nearly 23% fall off seems to point to a special circumstance not a trend. There was a much more moderate decline in the South. Looking forward, permit requests also eased back but again they are up compared to last year. The number of homes under construction continues to drop, which is disturbing as it implies payrolls are not rising. This is due to the large number of houses that have been completed recently.

MARKETS AND FED POLICY IMPLICATIONS: Housing is coming back slowly but it is coming back. We too often forget that most of the problems arose in just a handful of major construction regions. A large part of the country did not participate in the housing bubble at nearly the same pace and are now beginning to come back. Don’t expect to see strong levels of construction anytime soon as the areas where so much of the construction used to take place are where the excess supply due to the distressed housing inventory exists. But if we see housing starts rise in other areas, which is most of the rest of the nation, then we know the sector is healing. I think that process has begun and I am buoyed by that. As for investors, the world is now the worry, especially Europe even as it appears the U.S. economy is beginning to show that it remains quite resilient. Watch August vehicle sales. With demand up in July, a good sales pace would signal the consumer is spending better than expected and with construction in the positive column, we could see third quarter growth better than the weak pace most economists now project.
Re/Max Connection Realtors disclaimer:
Re/Max Connection Realtors are not licensed financial advisors, and are not providing any financial advice, you should consult with a licensed financial advisor prior to making any financial decisions. Re/Max Connection Realtors are only providing this economic statement from Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc. for informational purposes.
Our company accepts no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.
Re/Max Connection Realtors, 1000 East Lincoln Drive, Suite 2, Marlton, NJ 08053 www.goconnectionnj.com

How Much House You Can Afford

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How Much House You Can Afford

There are a number of factors that can contribute to the affordability of a house and, as a potential homebuyer, it’s important that you know what type of mortgage payments are within your budget.

Debt-To-Income Ratio

As a homebuyer, your first consideration will be the amount of your monthly mortgage payments. If you owe a lot of debt, lenders may consider you to be a high credit risk, which makes debt-to-income ratio a leading factor in determining how much of a house you can afford.

Most lenders will discount any loans that you will have paid off within one year when determining how much of a home you can afford. As a general rule, your mortgage payment should not exceed 25-30 percent of your monthly take-home pay.

Loan Term

Although you will end up paying more interest in the long run, you will find that you can afford a more expensive house if you request a loan term of 25-30 years, compared to a shorter term of 15 years.

Interest Rates

When you look at an interest rate, all you see is a number. Hopefully, it’s a single digit that’s comparable with current market rates. Most homebuyers already know that their interest rate affects their monthly payment which, in turn, is determined by the borrower’s income. Lower interest rates mean that you can afford a larger principal loan amount, which means a more expensive house.

Credit History

Because your past credit history will play a large role in determining your interest rates, it will also impact the affordability of a house. For instance, a buyer who pays six percent interest will save a considerable amount of money over a buyer who pays eight percent interest on their home loan. It may not seem like much now but, when averaged over time, the savings could be tremendous.

Down Payment Amount

Believe it or not, the amount of your down payment will not only show the lender how serious you are about buying a home, but it will also affect your ability to afford a particular house. For instance, if you were to qualify for a home loan of $200,000, but your dream home was currently listed for $250,000, a down payment in the amount of $50,000 would get you into the home.

The above scenario is just an example, but it does show how a down payment can affect the price of the home that you are able to afford. Some lenders may only require a five percent down payment, but you are free to pay as much above that as you wish. A larger down payment can also reduce the principal loan amount, which thereby reduces the monthly mortgage payments.

Re/Max Connection Realtors disclaimer:
Re/Max Connection Realtors are not licensed financial advisors, and are not providing any financial advice, you should consult with a licensed financial advisor prior to making any financial decisions. Re/Max Connection Realtors are only providing this economic statement from Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc. for informational purposes.
Our company accepts no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.
Re/Max Connection Realtors, 1000 East Lincoln Drive, Suite 2, Marlton, NJ 08053 www.goconnectionnj.com

July Employment Report

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NAROFF ECONOMIC ADVISORS, Inc.
Joel L. Naroff
President and Chief Economist

INDICATOR: July Employment Report
KEY DATA: Payrolls: 117,000; Private Sector: 154,000; State and Local Governments: -39,000; Unemployment Rate: 9.1% (down 0.1 percentage point)

IN A NUTSHELL: “You can tell how worried people are when 117,000 new jobs actually look like a good report.”

WHAT IT MEANS: The reports of the death of the recovery appear to be quite a bit premature. The private sector added jobs at a decent pace in July. Okay, the level is clearly not enough to get the unemployment rate to fall very much despite the decline posted in July. Though down is good, we need better job gains in the months ahead to really make a dent in the way too high unemployment rate. This report, though, does hold out hope that that could happen. The increases were widespread with just about every sector from manufacturing through retail and services showing gains in payrolls. There was even some hiring by construction firms. Once again, we learned that there is no such thing as a free budget cut. State and local governments sliced another 39,000 more people from their rolls and are now down by nearly 350,000 jobs over the past year. In contrast, the private sector added 1.7 million workers during the past twelve months. In normal recoveries, the public sector adds workers. If the public sector simply stayed flat, there would have been over two million jobs added, a moderate not weak recovery. Even a small public sector rise would have led to the July gains being at or above 200,000 and few people would have been worrying about job growth if that were the case. Weekly hours worked and earnings were up solidly and that points to good income growth. Wage and salary income has been lagging and it is hard to get consumers to spend more if they don’t have the money to spend. Maybe that is changing a little.

MARKETS AND FED POLICY IMPLICATIONS: This report points to the simple fact that the economy is not in recession. Hopefully, that buoys fearful investors. There is no arguing that conditions are good but there is a difference between the stock markets and the real economy. Wall Street and Main Street have become delinked. So don’t assume a stock panic means the economy has suddenly nose dived. I stand by my forecast that the economy is not likely to go into another recession and indeed if the decline in oil prices holds up, falling gasoline costs should lead to better growth as we move through the fall. There are implications in this report for Fed policy. The public sector job cut backs are a real drag on growth and the debt ceiling agreement makes it clear that belt tightening will continue to restrain activity for a long time. Monetary policy will have to lean against that headwind and that means the FOMC could signal next week that it is prepared to keep rates low for a longer period of time than had been expected.
Re/Max Connection Realtors disclaimer:
Re/Max Connection Realtors are not licensed financial advisors, and are not providing any financial advice, you should consult with a licensed financial advisor prior to making any financial decisions. Re/Max Connection Realtors are only providing this economic statement from Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc. for informational purposes.
Our company accepts no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.
Re/Max Connection Realtors, 1000 East Lincoln Drive, Suite 2, Marlton, NJ 08053 www.goconnectionnj.com

Avoiding Mortgage Fraud

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Avoiding Mortgage Fraud

Unfortunately, fraud and identity theft are increasing at an alarming rate every year, and mortgage fraud is one of the most important types of fraud from which you will want to protect yourself. So what constitutes mortgage fraud, and how can you prevent this from happening to you?

What Is Mortgage Fraud?

Essentially, mortgage fraud is defined by the FBI as any material misstatement, misrepresentation, or omission relied upon by an underwriter or lender to fund, purchase, or insure a loan. There are several different types of mortgage fraud, and each is a serious offense that can have a huge impact on you and your credit. Here is a basic list of the most common types of mortgage fraud.

Undisclosed Kickbacks—This includes any financial deals between a buyer and seller that are not included in the mortgage documents.

Falsifying Income—Inflating your income is a serious offense on any loan document, especially a mortgage.

Undocumented Non-Owner Occupancy—Rates and other fees can be higher for income and rental properties, but resist the temptation to hide this fact in order to save money.

Inflated Purchase Price—In some cases this method is used to obtain a higher appraisal of a property, but it is illegal and may cost you your home.

How To Protect Yourself

The purchase of your home will probably be the greatest financial investment you will ever make. Ensuring that you know what constitutes mortgage fraud is half the job, but it is also important to know how to protect yourself from professionals who may not have your best interests in mind. In general the best method is to ensure that your real estate agent and mortgage lenders are professionals with considerable experience, professional credentials, and good references. It is also important to keep in mind that if an offer seems too good to be true, or if you feel that your REALTOR® or lender has given you advice that sounds as if it might fall under the category of mortgage fraud, you seek the advice of another professional. In this way you can avoid getting yourself into what may be a potential financial disaster.

Your property is not only your home, but also your greatest asset, and losing it to mortgage fraud can be avoided when you are armed with these facts.

Re/Max Connection Realtors disclaimer:
Re/Max Connection Realtors are not licensed financial advisors, and are not providing any financial advice, you should consult with a licensed financial advisor prior to making any financial decisions. Re/Max Connection Realtors are only providing this economic statement from Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc. for informational purposes.
Our company accepts no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.
Re/Max Connection Realtors, 1000 East Lincoln Drive, Suite 2, Marlton, NJ 08053 www.goconnectionnj.com