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Alaska Real Estate – The Great Outdoors
Alaska is the biggest state in the Union and tends to be a take it or leave it proposition for relocation. For those choosing Alaska, the real estate market is a solid investment.
Alaska
Known as "the great land", Alaska seems like a harsh,...
Is Now A Good Time To Sell Your Home?
If you own a home in a real estate boom market, you are probably richer now than you ever thought you could be–on paper. Even if your house is in a real estate market that's rising more modestly, you may still be feeling pretty flush–on paper. But...
The Good, the Bad and the Buggy
Bugs! Most of us got over liking them somewhere around the age of 12 after the ant farm went belly up and we began to appreciate how annoying mosquitoes, wasps and chiggers could be. Then as adults, we learned to despise roaches, gnats and the...
Thinking of Selling Your Home?
Are you thinking of selling your home? Well, the time to start planning for it is NOW!
One of the biggest mistakes a homeowner can make when he or she is thinking about selling their home is failing to plan for the sale in advance. There really...
Understanding Real Estate Lease Options
If you are an investor that sells properties using lease options you no-doubt understand why it can be an appealing avenue for those that need rental history and/or rent credits to help a challenging credit file. But, would YOU consider buying a...
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Home Loans – Identity Theft Protection Could Hurt Home Sales
Identity theft has been a hot topic in the news during the last few years. Just a month or so ago, forty million credit card numbers were compromised due to a computer attack on a credit card processor. Consumers are rightly concerned, as it can take years to unravel the problems created when someone’s identity is stolen. New legislation in Texas and California, also proposed elsewhere, is designed to protect consumers by letting them put a “freeze” on their credit reports. Those in the real estate industry are worried, however, that doing so may make it difficult for some people to buy homes.
The concept of freezing credit reports is a simple one. Every time someone applies for credit, the lender contacts on of the three main credit bureaus and requests a copy of his or her credit report, which contains the applicant’s FICO score. The score, a number ranging from 300 to 850, indicates how worthy the applicant is to qualify for the loan or credit. The new laws allow consumers to “freeze” their credit reports, effectively blocking any attempts by anyone to view his or her credit score. If the score can’t be viewed, then credit can’t be issued, thus protecting the consumer from fraudulent activity.
The process is a simple one, and can be initiated or canceled with a simple transaction on the Internet. The problem, according to those in the real estate industry, is that this simple security precaution may make it difficult for a consumer who has blocked their credit to buy a home. In many markets, homes put up for sale sell in a few hours or days, and the process of
unfreezing a credit report can take longer than that. If a home seller or lender cannot assess a potential buyer’s credit rating, then the home sale may be lost to another buyer. True, it is a simple process to unfreeze a credit report, but some consumers may forget that they froze their reports in the first place, or they may forget or misplace their username or password for the Website that allows them to unfreeze their report.
On the surface, the new laws to protect consumers seem to be a good idea, and those in the real estate industry who are concerned may find that their worries are unjustified. This is a case where all parties would benefit from taking the time to see if the laws are effective, and whether or not they actually hurt the real estate industry. In the meantime, anyone considering purchasing a home should be made aware of the ramifications of freezing their credit, as doing so may make it more difficult to purchase the house of his or her dreams.
About the Author: ©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including http://www.End-Your-Debt.com, a Website devoted to debt consolidation information and http://www.HomeEquityHelp.net, a site devoted to information on home equity loans.
Source: www.isnare.com
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