RECENT BLOG POSTS
As real estate professionals, we are often asked to help prospective home buyers find a mortgage broker to help them get financing in order to buy a home. We are also sometimes asked for recommendations when someone simply wants to refinance a current loan. Because of this, we need to be aware ...
04/03/2009
Here is yet another example of a mortgage fraud scheme. On February 6, 2009, Colorado real estate agent Linda Edwards was sentenced to 41 months in prison, ordered to pay $646,521 in restitution, and forfeit $139,854 for wire fraud, false statements, and false use of a Social Security number. M...
04/03/2009
On March 24, 2009, in Richmond, Virginia, attorney Colin C. Connelly was sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay $376,464 in restitution to the victims of his criminal conduct for a mortgage "rescue" scam. According to criminal court records, Mr. Connelly was involved with others in a...
04/03/2009
Foreclosure rescue scams are yet another potential stress for homeowners in distress. The possibility of someone losing a home to foreclosure can be terrifying. The reality that scam artists are preying on the vulnerability of desperate homeowners is equally frightening. Many so-called foreclosur...
04/03/2009
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HUD-approved housing counseling agencies are available to provide homeowners with the information and assistance they need to avoid foreclosure. As part of President Obama's comprehensive Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan (HASP), homeowners may be eligible for a special "Making Home Aff...
04/03/2009
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Radon gas is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible and odorless. It forms from the radioactive decay of small amounts of uranium and thorium naturally present in rocks and soils so some radon exists in all rocks and soils. Because radon is a gas, it can easily move through soi...
03/28/2009
What is a “fundamental alteration” of a housing provider’s operations with regard to Fair Housing Act reasonable accommodation requests? A “fundamental alteration” is a modification that alters the essential nature of a housing provider’s operations. Example: A tenant has a severe mobility impai...
03/28/2009
Are there any instances when a housing provider can deny a request for a reasonable accommodation without violating the Fair Housing Act? Yes. A housing provider can deny a request for a reasonable accommodation if the request was not made by or on behalf of a person with a disability or if ther...
03/28/2009
The duty to accommodate arises only when the housing provider has knowledge that a disability exists and that an accommodation may be required for the disabled person to use and enjoy the housing. Here are key points: The applicant or resident must make a request for an accommodation. The reques...
03/24/2009
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QUESTION: Must a housing provider adopt formal procedures for processing requests for a reasonable accommodation? No. The Fair Housing Act does not require that a housing provider adopt any formal procedures for reasonable accommodation requests. However, having formal procedures may aid indi...
03/24/2009