Tag: income property investing
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Fake Lawyers Run Real Estate Scams
The threat of legal action strikes fear in the hearts of most people – and it’s a fear that scammers employ quite effectively. Now, along with housing market fraud and schemes like the Nigerian bank transfer scam, fraudsters posing as attorneys (and some real lawyers) are conning homeowners and investors with promises to handle all…
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Financial Planner or Money Manager: What’s the Difference?
The world of finance and investment planning is complex and fast becoming more so. And that’s why the field is full of experts offering advice, financial products and legal representation to manage your money. It can be difficult for independent investors to go it alone – but it’s not always easy to choose the right…
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When Good Debt Goes Bad: Gen Y’s Money Crunch
In a previous post, we took a look at why new and recent college graduates saddled with student loans are wary of taking on the traditional debts of adult life: car loans and mortgages. Now, new statistics on college graduation rates reveal that over half of those under 25 who finished college in 2011 with…
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Bank Fraud Settlement Checks Arrive –Only to Bounce
Nearly four years ago, several of the nation’s major banks were caught red-handed in a variety of foreclosure related abuses collectively termed the “robosigning” scandal. And it’s taken nearly that long for the first checks issued in that settlement to reach the victims of wrongful foreclosure and other fraudulent practices. But according to a recent…
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Good Debt, Bad Debt: Mortgages Can Save Money
For generations, parents have drummed the principles of financial responsibility into the brains of irresponsible offspring: pay your bills on time, save all you can and above all, stay out of debt. While the first two certainly still apply, in today’s financial climate, that last one may not be as ironclad a marker of savvy…
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Do Changing Demographics Drive Home Sales?
In years past, homeownership was the bedrock of American stability and a clear marker of success – and maintaining home still represents those values. “Owning a home is the keystone of wealth, both financial affluence and emotional security,” says financial guru Suze Orman. But as America ages, suffers financial instability and becomes more diverse, the…
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Are Gold Prices in Free Fall?
The price of gold took another nosedive in mid-April, hitting levels not seen since February 2011. Dropping prices of the metal many view as the unshakable standard backing currencies around the world are prompting concerns about the dumping of gold on the world market – and a potential rise in interest rates here at home.…
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Spotting Real Estate Fraud: 10 Red Flags
Housing scams come in so many forms that it’s hard to catch them all. Scams are constantly evolving to take advantage of changes in the landscape, frequently targeting the most vulnerable. As we’ve seen in this week’s intermittent series of posts on real estate scams, fraudulent practices harm not just individual victims but the housing…
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Scam Companies Target Mortgage Relief
Scam artists have a long history of targeting the desperate, and after the housing collapse of a few years ago, numerous homeowners were placed in just that position. Now, scammers are moving in on legitimate avenues for mortgage assistance with fake companies and extravagant claims that cheat struggling mortgage holders of fees and even mortgage…
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Bullet Demand Up. Supply Down: The Next Bubble?
Are bullets the new Bitcoins? Throughout the US, ammunition is flying from store shelves and manufacturers are pushing to keep up with the sudden demand. Alarmed by recent calls for new regulations on firearms, people are hoarding bullets. And that, say some financial experts, creates an artificial shortage with echoes of past speculation in gold…