Why Isn’t HAMP Working? More Bank Fraud

Ever since it was created back in 2008 to help homeowners avoid foreclosures, the government’s Home Affordable Mortgage Program, or HAMP, has fallen far short of its goals. Because that’s so, large numbers of preventable foreclosures have hit the market in some areas,...

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: Zombie Stocks on a Roll

The rollercoaster ride of quasi-federal mortgage lending superagencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac hit the down slope after an unprecedented climb that saw stock prices for both these institutions gaining up to 150 percent in previous weeks. Now, as stocks fell by as...

Lenders Court Delinquent Borrowers With “Streamlined Modification”

Even though indications are that the housing market is looking up after the disastrous crash a few years ago, the mortgage lending industry is still digging itself out of some very deep holes. Among the numerous problems facing major lenders both private and federal...

Fake Attorneys Scam the Housing Market

If Nigerian money transfers and fake refinancing promotions weren’t enough, scammers keep coming up with still more ways to defraud and otherwise take advantage of unwary or struggling homeowners and income property investors. Now, new warnings about real estate...

10 Warning Signs of Real Estate Fraud

Real estate fraud takes many forms and targets all areas of the housing market, with an impact on investors, homeowners and renters all over the country. Because these schemes can be hard to spot, we’ll wrap up this week’s intermittent series on housing related fraud...