Foreclosure Scam Alert Based On Phony Deeds

Hi Folks,

   I love to bring you good news, but since that is not always possible, I at least want to bring you informative and helpful news. Today's topic skews in that direction, for sure !

   In a Story from the Associated Press that appeared on TheRepublic.com, titled, "NC officials say fake property claims flooding in on real estate caught in foreclosure crisis", an incredibly deceptive event has been occurring on a very consistent basis. Why do you need to be aware if you do not live in North Carolina? Read on...

   This red flag was raised by officials at Charlotte-area courthouses, as they have been seeing an "epidemic of frivolous paperwork filed by people claiming the right to seize foreclosed property.", with the bogus deeds being filed by people claiming to be part of a temple from a small religious sect.

   In one specific case, as reported by the Mecklenburg Times, two guys came to a home during a showing, showed a deed and said the Temple now owned the home, and per Detective Brian Keziah of the Union County Sheriff's Department, "They took over the house."

   Mecklenburg County's register of deeds, J. David Granberry, said at least 200 deeds and other documents filed in his office (in the name of the Temple) are "outright fraud.", and cautions that many times, the documents appear official and legitimate. Granberry and other officials added that as more homes go into foreclosure/vacated status, there is more opportunity for this type of fraud.

   Why did we tell you to read on if you do not live in the affected area? The story mentions the following: "Real estate agents in Virginia and police in California warn of similar incidents there.

   So now what?

   Granberry suggests that state law be changed to make it illegal to file worthless documents (including deeds which record the transfer of real estate ownership), and says, "We will still have to file (the deed), but they could be prosecuted".

   A small glimmer of hope in all of this is that the story says the police "aren't powerless", and the two men mentioned about that barged in on the showing were arrested. According to the article, one was charged with "breaking and entering, first-degree trespass, obtaining property by false pretenses and possession of stolen goods", and the other was charged with "breaking and entering and taking possession of a house without consent."

   Do you know of any other Scams that are worth mentioning to us, your fellow readers?

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Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes Blog: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com

TAGS: #ForeclosureScam #PhonyDeeds #Charlotte #NorthCarolina #foreclosedproperty

5 Tips for Selling a For Sale By Owner (FSBO)

Hi Everyone,

Today, I'd like to discuss 5 very important tips for anyone trying to sell their home on their own. This type of arrangement is often referred to as For Sale By Owner, or FSBO.

Tip #1: PRICING: In order to determine a fair selling price for your home, you need to investigate home prices in your area. You'll want to review not only the prices that homes are listed for, but what they have sold for as well. Your best resource for this information will be your local newspapers. You can even take a trip down to your local government office to check out more details from the mortgages that have been obtained by new homeowners in your area and saved ("recorded"). These documents are public domain, and it takes a little time to get the gist and flow of how to do this research, however, there are usually plenty of clerks available to take your questions. Some other ideas: talk with real estate agents in your area, and check around for appraisers in your own network of family and friends. If you can connect with an appraiser, you can ask them for a general rule of thumb for pricing on your home, and perhaps they can make a few suggestions to increase the value. Finally, you can always shell out a few hundred bucks for an actual appraisal of your home, but most often that will not be required.

TIP #2: LEGALITY: Whenever you are talking about the sale of a big ticket item such as your home, it is always good advice to retain an attorney and/or consult with your local Title Company. To check if your state is a Title State or not, please refer to this handy resource: http://title.grabois.com/

TIP #3: MORTGAGE: I am a firm believer in lining up all of your "ducks" in advance. Before you get to the physical process, you'll want to consult with some mortgage brokers and banks to educate yourself on the financing side of selling your home. This goes both ways, in that, if you make a good contact with one of these individuals or institutions, you can always refer a potential buyer to them, since they would already be familiar with your situation from your previous discussions with them.

TIP #4: ADVERTISING: This is where you want to do your homework on creating your Ad. Check on the Web and in your local papers to see the most common Ad format. Once you have done your research, create an electronic copy of your Ad, perhaps in Microsoft Word. In addition, you will want to have high-quality images of your home, for the interior and the exterior. For the exterior photos, make sure you get a sunny day when you take the photos. Why? Would you be more excited about a photo of a potentially new home when the photo is framed by a grey, cloudy, and rainy day vs a bright, sunny day with blue skies? It's all psychological.

TIP #5: MARKETING: It's time to plaster your Ad everywhere - starting with the Internet. There are a lot of free sites - but with free sites sometimes comes the "time-wasters". The old adage, "You get what you pay for" certainly applies. In addition, there are forums, discussion boards, and many other places that will allow you to announce your home, of course, once you have passed the proper permission steps unique to each of those specific sites. Should you decide to also accept Rent to Own as an option to purchase your home, you can always place your "Home Available" Ad on our website, as a For Sale By Owner (FSBO), as well as a Rent to Own (Click Here to Sell Your Home).

So there you have it. Once you start receiving offers that are in your price range, this is where your attorney, title company, and ultimately, your mortgage broker, will come into play.

Have a great 4th of July Holiday, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !!