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A new type of home that leaves your wallet fatter and your life easier to manage...
A home for the 21st Century is not about the latest in gadgets
and wireless alarms, internet connections or top of the line
intercom system. It is about strength, comfort and energy
efficiency.
Baby Boomers are buying their last home and...
Dream House Can Be A Reality
(NC)—For many Canadians who have only dreamt of buying a home, it can now become a reality. While the actual dream may differ—a house with a big back yard for gardening, or a condo in the sky with a great view of the city—buying any home can be...
First Steps In Real Estate Investing
With all the stories of people making tremendous amounts of money in real estate it's no wonder why so many are looking at real estate as an investment vehicle. It offers more security than the stock market, provides great potential returns, offers...
Garden Sheds - More Than a Storage Area
You may already have a garage or a shed in your garden or backyard and its possible that you haven't even considered the prospect of adding a garden shed at all. Any garden implements could easily be stored in the garage or utility area. However,...
Jupiter Microlite - The Facts You Need To Know
When you by a Jupiter MicroLite Water Ionizer you will be taking the first step towards inaugurating the harmonizing of your essential internal pH towards its suitable level. The Jupiter MicroLite Water Ionizer has all of the positive...
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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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