At the same time, sadly beause times are tough,  pathetic low-life scammers raise their ugly heads. In fact, there is a down-right explosion going on.  We all seem to be inundated with those annoying telemarketing calls, unwanted spam email or direct mail.  If you or someone you know is facing foreclosure and are looking into potential solutions to prevent losing a home, it is crucial to be very aware of deals that sound too good to be true.

The California Association of Realtors has prepared a list of RED FLAG RESCUE SCAMS outlined below.
* Asks for money upfront before providing any service
* Instructs you not to contact your lender, lawyer, housing counselor, family, friend or others.
* Asks for mortgage payments to be made directly to a company or bank account set up by the “negotiator” rather than your lender.
* Requires payments only in the form of cash, cashier check or money wire.
* Promises to stop the foreclosure process, no matter the circumstances.
* Advises you to transfer your property deed or title to the “negotiator’s” company.
* Offers to fill out the paperwork for you
* Asks for something to be done immediately and without delay. This includes pressuring you into signing paperwork that you have not had the chance to read thoroughly or do not fully understand.
* Encourages you to lease your house and buy it back over time.
* Offers to purchase your house for a fixed price that is not set by the housing market at the time of sale
* Asks for you to give a power of attorney
* Refuses or fails to put an oral promise in writing.
* Fails to provide copies of signed documents
* Asks for signatures on a document that has lines left blank.
* Asks for signatures on a grant deed or deed of trust
If you are approached by a scam artist, please report the incident to one of the following ñ and then run.
California Attorney General (http://ag.ca.gov)
California Department of Real Estate (www.dre.ca.gov)
Department of Housing and Urban Development (www.hud.gov)
Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov)
Your local Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org)

Finally, if you are at risk of foreclosure or have already received a foreclosure notice, you should contact your lender immediately.  You may also want to visit the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website at http://www.hud.gov/ and look for the Guide to Avoiding Foreclosure and its list of California HUD-approved housing counseling agencies.
Copies of the above information are available if needed.  Just give us contact us at Souers@HomeInTahoe.com.  We’re here to help.

On that note, we are eager to share with you some of the “real estate tips” that could make life a whole lot simpler.

DID YOU KNOW that folks interested in staying in touch with the Lake Tahoe real estate market (or just about anywhere they desire,) have the ability to sign up to be notified as soon as a new listing appears on the market. For example, if a potential buyer is interested in knowing about all homes listed under $500,000 with at least three bedrooms and two baths AND located within 2 miles of Lake Tahoe beaches, they could sign up with only an email address, punch in their wishes, and wait for the information to arrive.

They can even take this process one step further. That same potential buyer (or simply curious individual) can set up a portfolio, save the properties that caught their eye within that portfolio and watch the status of those same properties progress.

AND NOW FOR THE NEWEST TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCE: this same person can now easily distinguish between newly matched listings and listings that have had a price or status change. An improved auto-prospecting e-mail format now informs them which listing numbers in their client portal have changed, and includes hyperlinks to the public view of each changed listing.

This program is done through a system called IDX which is a direct feed from the South Tahoe Association of Realtors Mulitple Listing Services. In our website, access is provides through the “New Listing Email Alerts.” Check it out or contact us if you have any questions on setting up this program.

Makes you just wonder what is next. Bring it on!

On that note, we are delighted to share with you some of the “real estate tips” that could make life a whole lot simpler. 

DID YOU KNOW that folks interested in staying in touch with the Lake Tahoe real estate market, or just about anywhere they desire, have the ability to sign up to be notified via email as soon as a new listing appears on the market.  For example, if a potential buyer is interested in knowing about all homes listed under $500,000 with at least three bedrooms and two baths AND located within 2 miles of Lake Tahoe beaches, they could sign up with only an email address, punch in their wishes, and wait for the information to arrive. As the email links appear, they can even take the process one step further.  That same potential buyer (or simply curious individual) can set up a portfolio, save the properties that caught their eye and monitor the status progress.

AND NOW FOR THE NEWEST TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCE:  this same person can now easily distinguish between newly matched listings and listings that have had a price or status change. An improved auto-prospecting e-mail format now informs them which listing numbers in their client portal have changed, and includes hyperlinks to the public view of each changed listing. This feature is provided through a system called IDX which is a direct feed from the South Tahoe Association of Realtors Mulitple Listing Services.  You can access this time-saving feature through our website in a section called New Listing Email Alerts. Check it out and contact us via Souers@HomeInTahoe.com OR call toll free 877.768.3775 if you have any questions. 

Stay tuned for the next “up and coming.”