By Wendy Silver-Hale, President, and David Walker, Stop · Van Nuys, CA 91406 For Information or to...
1
ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT THE VOICE FOR REAL ESTATE IN THE SAN FERNANDO AND SANTA CLARITA VALLEYS www.SRAR.com | Real Estate Questions? E-mail Wendy Silver-Hale, SRAR 2012 President, c/o [email protected] Wendy Silver-Hale 2012 SRAR President Smile! I’m Going to Rob You Blind! By Wendy Silver-Hale, President, and David Walker, Southland Regional Association of Realtors® They grin a lot, with a twinkle in their eye like an approachable, innocent, honest-looking lifelong friend or a close relative — and then they rob you blind. Even with laws banning advance pay- ment of fees, desperate homeowners “by the thousands” are being ripped off by handsome, articulate, often well-educated, well-dressed con art- ists. Too many owners lose everything — their homes, meager savings, even their identities. Unlike a mugger who bashes the victim over the head, snatches the cash and flees, these con men are so brazen that some stick around for lunch and dinner, befriending victims until there is literally nothing left. David R. Lopez has prosecuted violent crime in his 24-year career in the L.A. County District Attorney’s office, yet it’s the smug smirk of the con artist that haunts his dreams. “I’ve covered all sorts of terrible crimes, but con artists look you right in the eyes and smile,” he said. “We can barely touch the surface of fraud because it’s huge.” Even with teams of police, sher- iff’s deputies, investigators and pros- ecutors, the D.A.’s Real Estate Fraud Unit, which Lopez leads, is swamped under a tsunami of fraud. Realtors are so concerned about the extent of identity theft and real estate and loan modification fraud that the Southland Regional Association of Re- altors asked Lopez to explain the scope of the problem to nearly 100 Realtors and company owners. Educating the public, brokers and agents is a crucial step in stopping rampant fraud. Lopez said the D.A.’s Real Estate Fraud Unit received 459 referrals from law enforcement during last fiscal year alone and filed 212 cases with 241 vic- tims who lost an aggregate $92 million. One case had 27 defendants. In Mon- tebello, 150 homeowners fell for the same sting. Loan modification scams are “ri- diculous,” he said, noting that some ads FREE FORECLOSURE PREVENTION SEMINAR FREE - Take full advantage of property-centric data, advanced mapping capabilities, market and trend data, custom configuration options, and enhanced professional reports. FREE - Generate, for your buyers and sellers, the most comprehensive, informative, personalized, and eye- catching reports in real estate. Includes three report sets; including a buyer tour, a single property report, and of course, real estate's most innovative CMA. FREE - an online real estate library that provides members with valuable data on every property in the United States - create custom reports to provide to clients and customers. FREE - allows you to set up client accounts. As a result, your clients can search for listing data which allows you to manage and keep updated on your clients’ every need. FREE - a B2B platform where you can share real estate listings with other professional organizations worldwide. SRAR offers a wide array of training oppor- tunities, including certification courses, continuing education credit courses, desig- nation courses, and hands-on technology training. We can even conduct training in your office. See the calendar on SRAR.com for a full list. Training & Education FREE - CRISNet Members have access to live tech support Monday thru Saturday. Tech Support Member Benefits FREE - Listing Syndication system advertises your listings across 300+ public listing search sites. FREE Basic Website, FREE Basic IDX, and FREE Basic Mobile IDX. FREE - provides mobile technology tools (QR codes) that allow real estate agents to deliver property information to a buyer's cell phone while they are standing at the property or on-the-go. The agent is optionally notified after each request. Stop Fraud! Quick tip on how to … Slow Down! That’s right. In this age of tweets and texts, slow the process down. Understand what you sign! Know who you’re really dealing with! Loan ‘Scam Alert’ Websites www.LoanScamAlert.org www.preventloanscams.org http://www.dre.ca.gov/ Who to Contact • L.A. County District Attorney’s Office: Foreclosure Fraud — http://da.co.la.ca.us/cpd/fore- closure.htm • District Attorney’s Guidelines for completing the Real Estate Fraud Complaint Form — http:// da.co.la.ca.us/pdf/realestate- fraud.pdf • District Attorney — Foreclosure Fraud: Don’t Give Away Your Home — http://da.co.la.ca.us/ cpd/foreclosure.htm • Los Angeles County Depart- ment of Consumer Affairs, Real Estate Fraud & Information Pro- gram 800-973-3370 (Los Ange- les and adjacent counties). • California Department of Real Estate 916-227-0864, or go on- line to www.dre.ca.gov . • Get free help negotiating with a lender or loan servicer. To file a complaint or find a local HUD- approved housing counseling agency, call 1-888-995-HOPE (4673) for free housing counsel- ing or go online to www.HUD.gov . • Better Business Bureau of the Southland, Inc. 909-825-7280 Reserve a seat today to receive free counseling while finding out how to avoid foreclosure at a free seminar presented by the Southland Regional Association of Realtors. Attendees will learn about their legal rights, get insights into foreclosure scams to watch out for, find out if a short sale is an option, if refinancing is possible, and which government programs could come to their aid. The free foreclosure prevention seminar will be held on Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Association's auditorium, located at 7332 Balboa Blvd., in Van Nuys, just north of Sherman Way. For more information and to RSVP, call 818-947-2298. Monday, April 2, — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Santa Clarita Valley — Realtor Expo All Realtors will pick up important tips on risk management in residen- tial and commercial real estate transactions by attending the 2012 Re- altor Expo offered by the Santa Clarita Valley Division of the Southland Regional Association of Realtors. An array of vendors will offer services and detail new products to aid R.E. professionals. Seating for classes is limited: Reserve a time today at [email protected] and get a free parking permit. The Expo will be held at University Center at College of the Canyons, 26455 Rockwell Canyon Rd., Santa Clarita. "Reduce your risk! What you don't know can hurt you!" Are You a Victim of a Scam? Ask yourself these questions Did anyone offer to help modify your mortgage, either directly or through advertising such as a flyer? Were you guaranteed a loan modification or asked to do any of the following? • Pay a fee • Sign a contract •Sign over title to your property •Redirect mortgage payments • Stop making loan payments If the answer to either question is “yes,” then it’s likely that you’ve been scammed! Report it today! Call 1-888-995-HOPE (4673), contact the police, the L.A. County District Attorney, or report a mortgage scam online using contact information found elsewhere on this page. claim they can get loans reduced to 2 percent. “It’s the biggest problem we have,” Lopez said. “ousands of people are signing their homes over to companies, paying up-front fees, all based on worthless promises of saving their house. We’ve had to call police stations to tell them to take the report, to tell them it’s a crime, but often the victim doesn’t even know who they talked to.” And if they have a name, the name typically is fictitious. “What we see are patterns,” he said, with the chief one being that con artists are not who they say they are. Or, that scofflaw notaries public or dishonest tax preparers often play a minor, yet piv- otal, role in a widespread sting. Some swindlers will masquerade as a minister, only to fleece the flock of a local church. “Let us pray over it,” they’d say, just before urging the faithful to “Sign here.” Others simply assume a phony name, claiming expertise in res- cuing beleaguered owners. Vast international rings swoop into local neighborhoods to defraud hundreds of scared owners, many of them elderly and terrified of los- ing their homes, willing to believe anyone, accept any offer of help. One particularly devious thief posed as a neighbor walking his Bichon by a woman’s house each day for weeks until she happened to strike up a conversation. She shared her fight with foreclosure. He said he could help, but he stole her home and all of her savings. It was a flimflam from the begin- ning, a swindle from day one. e D.A. takes on cases only if they are sure of winning a convic- tion, Lopez said. Even then, it’s years after the fraud, it can take years to prosecute, and it can lead to little or no time in overcrowded prisons. Tragically, owners often get fleeced twice; they insist that they’ve made all payments and had no idea they’d been conned until the Sheriff arrives to evict them. Realtor Kathy Mehringer, who was among several experts at SRAR’s Fraud Prevention Seminar, had a simple, yet ef- fective way to avoid being tricked. “Slow down,” she said. “In an age of split-second decisions, Realtors and the public need to take the time to make sure it’s right, to check all documents, to make sure the person is who they claim to be.” Demand a little proof. Check mul- tiple references. Work with a local pro. Asking even a few probing questions, she said, often can do what all the police and prosecutors in the world cannot — make it clear that you’re not today’s easy mark, and force a swindler to flee. e Southland Regional Association of Realtors® is one of the largest local trade associations in the nation with more than 9,000 members serving the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys.
Transcript of By Wendy Silver-Hale, President, and David Walker, Stop · Van Nuys, CA 91406 For Information or to...
ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
The Voice FoR Real esTaTe in The san FeRnando and sanTa claRiTa Valleyswww.sRaR.com | Real Estate Questions? E-mail Wendy Silver-Hale, SRAR 2012 President, c/o [email protected]
Wendy silver-hale2012 SRAR President
smile! i’m Going to Rob you Blind! By Wendy Silver-Hale, President, and David Walker,
Southland Regional Association of Realtors®They grin a lot, with a twinkle in their eye like an approachable, innocent, honest-looking lifelong friend or a close relative — and then they rob you blind. Even with laws banning advance pay-ment of fees, desperate homeowners “by the thousands” are being ripped off by handsome, articulate, often well-educated, well-dressed con art-ists. Too many owners lose everything — their homes, meager savings, even their identities.
Unlike a mugger who bashes the victim over the head, snatches the cash and flees, these con men are so brazen that some stick around for lunch and dinner, befriending victims until there is literally nothing left.
David R. Lopez has prosecuted violent crime in his 24-year career in the L.A. County District Attorney’s office, yet it’s the smug smirk of the con artist that haunts his dreams.
“I’ve covered all sorts of terrible crimes, but con artists look you right in the eyes and smile,” he said. “We can barely touch the surface of fraud because it’s huge.”
Even with teams of police, sher-iff ’s deputies, investigators and pros-ecutors, the D.A.’s Real Estate Fraud Unit, which Lopez leads, is swamped under a tsunami of fraud.
Realtors are so concerned about the extent of identity theft and real estate and loan modification fraud that the Southland Regional Association of Re-altors asked Lopez to explain the scope of the problem to nearly 100 Realtors and company owners. Educating the public, brokers and agents is a crucial step in stopping rampant fraud.
Lopez said the D.A.’s Real Estate Fraud Unit received 459 referrals from law enforcement during last fiscal year alone and filed 212 cases with 241 vic-tims who lost an aggregate $92 million. One case had 27 defendants. In Mon-tebello, 150 homeowners fell for the same sting.
Loan modification scams are “ri-diculous,” he said, noting that some ads
FREE FORECLOSUREPREVENTION SEMINAR
Foreclosure? Short Sale?
LoanModification?
Bankruptcy?
7232 Balboa Blvd.Van Nuys, CA 91406
For Information orto RSVP, call 818-947-2298
* Your Legal Rights Explained
* Foreclosure Scams to Watch Out For
* What is a Short Sale & How can it Help?
* Options for Refinancing
* Government Programs that can Help
Saturday, April 28th10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
ComplimentaryRefreshments
FREE - Take full advantage of property-centric data, advanced mapping capabilities, market and trend data, custom configuration options, and enhanced professional reports.
FREE - Generate, for your buyers and sellers, the most comprehensive, informative, personalized, and eye-catching reports in real estate. Includes three report sets;including a buyer tour, a single property report, and of course,real estate's most innovative CMA.
FREE - an online real estate library that provides members with valuable data on every property in the United States - createcustom reports to provide to clients and customers.
FREE - allows you to set up client accounts. As a result, your clients can search for listing data which allows you to manage and keep updated on your clients’ every need.
FREE - a B2B platform where you can share real estate listings with otherprofessional organizations worldwide.
SRAR offers a wide array of training oppor- tunities, including certification courses, continuing education credit courses, desig-nation courses, and hands-on technology training. We can evenconduct training in your office. See the calendar on SRAR.comfor a full list.
Training &Education
FREE - CRISNet Members have access to live tech support Monday thru Saturday.Tech Support
Member Benefits
FREE - Listing Syndication system advertises your listings across 300+ public listing search sites.
FREE Basic Website, FREE Basic IDX,and FREE Basic Mobile IDX.
FREE - provides mobile technology tools (QR codes) that allow real estate agents to deliver property information to a buyer's cell phonewhile they are standing at the property or on-the-go. The agentis optionally notified after each request.Stop
Fraud!
Quick tip on how to …
Slow Down!That’s right. In this age of tweets and texts, slow the process down. Understand what you sign! Know who you’re really dealing with!
loan ‘scam alert’ Websiteswww.LoanScamAlert.orgwww.preventloanscams.orghttp://www.dre.ca.gov/
Who to contact• L.A. County District Attorney’s Office: Foreclosure Fraud — http://da.co.la.ca.us/cpd/fore-closure.htm• District Attorney’s Guidelines for completing the Real Estate Fraud Complaint Form — http://da.co.la.ca.us/pdf/realestate-fraud.pdf• District Attorney — Foreclosure Fraud: Don’t Give Away Your Home — http://da.co.la.ca.us/cpd/foreclosure.htm• Los Angeles County Depart-ment of Consumer Affairs, Real Estate Fraud & Information Pro-gram 800-973-3370 (Los Ange-les and adjacent counties).• California Department of Real Estate 916-227-0864, or go on-line to www.dre.ca.gov.• Get free help negotiating with a lender or loan servicer. To file a complaint or find a local HUD-approved housing counseling agency, call 1-888-995-HOPE (4673) for free housing counsel-ing or go online to www.HUD.gov.• Better Business Bureau of the Southland, Inc. 909-825-7280
Reserve a seat today to receive free counseling while finding out how to avoid foreclosure at a free seminar presented by the Southland Regional Association of Realtors.
Attendees will learn about their legal rights, get insights into foreclosure scams to watch out for, find out if a short sale is an option, if refinancing is possible, and which government programs could come to their aid.
The free foreclosure prevention seminar will be held on Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Association's auditorium, located at 7332 Balboa Blvd., in Van Nuys, just north of Sherman Way. For more information and to RSVP, call 818-947-2298.
Monday, April 2, — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Santa Clarita Valley — Realtor ExpoAll Realtors will pick up important tips on risk management in residen-tial and commercial real estate transactions by attending the 2012 Re-altor Expo offered by the Santa Clarita Valley Division of the Southland Regional Association of Realtors. An array of vendors will offer services and detail new products to aid R.E. professionals. Seating for classes is limited: Reserve a time today at [email protected] and get a free parking permit. The Expo will be held at University Center at College of the Canyons, 26455 Rockwell Canyon Rd., Santa Clarita.
"Reduce your risk! What you don't know can hurt you!"
Are You a Victim of a Scam?Ask yourself these questions
Did anyone offer to help modify your mortgage, either directly or through advertising such as a flyer?
Were you guaranteed a loan modification or asked to do any of the following?
• Pay a fee• Sign a contract
•Sign over title to your property•Redirect mortgage payments• Stop making loan payments
If the answer to either question is “yes,” then it’s likely that you’ve been scammed!
Report it today! Call 1-888-995-HOPE (4673), contact the police, the L.A. County
District Attorney, or report a mortgage scam online using contact information
found elsewhere on this page.
claim they can get loans reduced to 2 percent. “It’s the biggest problem we have,” Lopez said.
“Thousands of people are signing their homes over to companies, paying up-front fees, all based on worthless promises of saving their house. We’ve had to call police stations to tell them to take the report, to tell them it’s a crime, but often the victim doesn’t even know who they talked to.”
And if they have a name, the name typically is
fictitious. “What we see are patterns,” he said, with the
chief one being that con artists are not who they say they are. Or, that scofflaw notaries public or dishonest tax preparers often play a minor, yet piv-otal, role in a widespread sting. Some swindlers will masquerade as a minister, only to fleece the flock of a local church. “Let us pray over it,” they’d say, just before urging the faithful to “Sign here.”
Others simply assume a phony name, claiming expertise in res-cuing beleaguered owners. Vast international rings swoop into local neighborhoods to defraud hundreds of scared owners, many of them elderly and terrified of los-ing their homes, willing to believe anyone, accept any offer of help.
One particularly devious thief posed as a neighbor walking his Bichon by a woman’s house each day for weeks until she happened to strike up a conversation. She shared her fight with foreclosure. He said he could help, but he stole her home and all of her savings. It was a flimflam from the begin-ning, a swindle from day one.
The D.A. takes on cases only if they are sure of winning a convic-tion, Lopez said. Even then, it’s years after the fraud, it can take years to prosecute, and it can lead to little or no time in overcrowded prisons. Tragically, owners often get fleeced twice; they insist that they’ve made all payments and
had no idea they’d been conned until the Sheriff arrives to evict them.
Realtor Kathy Mehringer, who was among several experts at SRAR’s Fraud Prevention Seminar, had a simple, yet ef-fective way to avoid being tricked.
“Slow down,” she said. “In an age of split-second decisions, Realtors and the public need to take the time to make sure it’s right, to check all documents, to make sure the person is who they claim to be.”
Demand a little proof. Check mul-tiple references. Work with a local pro.
Asking even a few probing questions, she said, often can do what all the police and prosecutors in the world cannot — make it clear that you’re not today’s easy mark, and force a swindler to flee.The Southland Regional Association of Realtors® is one of the largest local trade associations in the nation with more than 9,000 members serving the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys.
