Self-help information through various links, documents, publications, etc. Check the Community Directory Channel for more resources.
There are 43 resources
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Predatory Lending
Helping Elderly Homeowners Victimized by Predatory Mortgage Loans
(Separate Website)
Equity-rich, cash poor elderly homeowners are an attractive target for unscrupulous mortgage lenders. Many elderly homeowners are on fixed or limited incomes, yet need access to credit to pay for home repairs, medical care, property or municipal taxes, and other expenses. The equity they have amassed in their home may be their primary or only financial asset. Predatory lenders seek to capitalize on elders' need for cash by offering "easy" credit and loans packed with high interest rates, excessive fees and costs, credit insurance, balloon payments and other outrageous terms.
By: National Consumer Law Center
High-Cost Home Loans: Don't Be a Target
(Separate Website)
Homeowners Beware! You may be a target for abusive lenders trying to sell you a loan you can't afford. If this happens, you may unable to make the high payments and lose your home at a foreclosure sale or spend all of your spare cash paying off a loan you didn't need or want.
By: National Consumer Law Center
Overview of Predatory Lending Law
(Separate Website)
Report on current laws regarding predatory mortgage lending. PDF document (may load slowly).
By: South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center
Protect Your Investment - Don't Let Predatory Lenders Take Your Home
(Separate Website)
Senior citizens are an attractive target for unscrupulous mortgage lenders because they have a lot of equity in their homes after years of diligently paying off their mortgages, and they use that equity to finance home repairs, medical care and other needs. While these lenders may encourage seniors to use their hard-earned home equity to secure new loans - they will not tell seniors about the high fees, hidden payments or other disadvantageous loan terms that could lead to the loss of their homes.
By: National Consumer Law Center
South Carolina's Predatory Lending Laws Brochure
(Separate Website)
PDF document (may load slowly).
By: South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center
Buying a Home
This document describes the basic process for buying a home, answering the following questions: What kind of property should you buy? How do you look for a house? What are the steps you must go through before you buy a house? What are the usual terms you find in a real estate contract? How do you pay for your new house?
How do you check the title for the property you are buying? What happens if you can't repay the loan? The document is an excerpt from An Introduction to Law in Georgia, Fourth Edition, published by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, 1998 (updated 2004).
By: Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia
Buying and Selling Real Estate
(Separate Website)
Lawline FAQ: This information emphasizes the buying and selling of residential real estate. Many would be home buyers use the services of a real estate agent. Although the use of a real estate agent is not required, he or she can help by handling some of the details involved.
By: South Carolina Bar Association
Buying Your Home and the Law
(Separate Website)
Buying a home involves complex considerations. Once you have decided on the area in which you wish to live, you can save time and frustration by working with an experienced real estate broker. PDF document (may load slowly).
By: South Carolina Bar Association
Comprar un hogar (Buying a Home)
(Separate Website)
PDF document (may load slowly).
By: South Carolina Bar Association
Consumer Bill of Rights
(Separate Website)
By: SC Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation
Consumer Debts and the Law
(Separate Website)
Do you owe someone money? Having trouble paying off your debt? This brochure can help you understand your rights as a consumer debtor. PDF document (may load slowly).
By: South Carolina Bar Association
Fraud - Rules for Health Skepticism
(Separate Website)
By: SC Department of Consumer Affairs
Fraud - Types of Fraud
(Separate Website)
By: SC Department of Consumer Affairs
Ginnie Mae Homeownership Center
(Separate Website)
This web site provides information about (1) mortgages, including mortgate math, (2) choosing a home, real estate agent, and mortgage loan, (3) the process and paperwork involved in getting a mortgage, (4) the process and paperwork involved in closing on a home, and (5) credit counseling.
By: Ginnie Mae
Home Ownership
(Separate Website)
Before you start looking for a home, take a home
buying class offered in your community. Call the
Housing and Urban Development number on
the back of this brochure for classes in your area.
Also, check your credit history so that you can
clear up problems before you apply for a loan.
Even if you do not plan to buy a home right
away, taking a home-buying class will help you
set goals and plan for the future.
By: Appleseed Foundation
Homeownership 101
(Separate Website)
In this section, you will learn some of the basics of buying a home, including choosing the right mortgage.
By: Ginnie Mae
HUD Homes (Answers to Common Questions)
(Separate Website)
This web page explains how to buy a HUD Home and provides links to properties that are available near you for purchase from HUD. When someone with a mortgage insured by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can't meet their payments, the lender forecloses on the home. HUD pays the lender what is owed and HUD takes ownership of the home. Then HUD sells it at market value as quickly as possible.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Personal Financial Education
(Separate Website)
This web site contains information and educational materials about: (1) Consumer Banking, (2) Consumer Protection, (3) Economics, (4) Home and Mortgages, (5) Interest Rates, (6) Loans and Credit, and much much more!
By: Federal Reserve System
Protecting Your Home Brochure
(Separate Website)
Information on predatory lending practices. PDF document (may load slowly).
By: South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center
Rural Housing Service Section 502 Program
Section 502 loans are primarily used to help low-income individuals or households purchase homes in rural areas.
By: Georgia Legal Services Program
Adobe Acrobat Reader required. (If you are using a screen reader that does not support PDF format, copy the PDF link, and use the Access Adobe online form to convert this file to HMTL text.)
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(Separate Website)
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