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Guru Q&A: Suspected Mortgage Fraud

FiLife User Question: I bought a home brand new in 2007, and everything I was told about getting the mortgage was said to be normal practice. Now I am stuck with repairs and fixes that needed to be done and I have a high mortgage payment.
-BabyDolly

FiLife Guru Response from Ali Rogers: The mortgage guru might have things to add, but I’d start by following the link here.

That page tells you about different agencies that can help you.

FiLife Guru Repsonse from Steve Heideman: This is a difficult one. Ali’s suggestion of mortgage fraud resources are a good start. One thing that I would try as well is to contact the lender that you make your mortgage payments to. Mortgage fraud is very hard to prove. There are laws in place that make it difficult to prove fraud if you have signed your name to the mortgage documents. That is why it is VERY important to read everything before you sign it to make sure that:
1. It is what you were told you were getting
2. The payments are something that you can afford

One strategy that I use in my own practice is to get a copy of all loan documents to my clients a few days before their closing. That way, they have plenty of time to read them over and/or get an attorney to help them understand the nuances.

Remember, when you take out a mortgage, you are signing a contract that you will pay the interest rate and payments that are outlined in that document. Get informed! There are some good resources here on filife such as “The Grilling Guide” to help you arm yourself with knowledge before shopping for a mortgage.

-FiLife Gurus Ali Rogers and Steve Heideman

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