Equity stripping, also known as equity skimming or foreclosure rescue, is any of various predatory real estate practices aimed at vulnerable, often low-income, homeowners facing foreclosure in the United States. Often considered a form of predatory lending, equity stripping began to spring up in the early 2000s and is conducted by investors or small companies that take properties from foreclosed homeowners in exchange for allowing the homeowner to stay in the property as a tenant.
Most often, these transactions take advantage of uninformed, low-income homeowners. Because of the complexity of the transaction and false assurances given by rescue artists, victims are often unaware that they are giving away their property and equity. In recent years, several states have taken steps to confront the more unscrupulous practices of equity stripping. Although "foreclosure reconveyance" schemes can be beneficial and ethically conducted in some circumstances, many times the practice relies on fraud and egregious or unmeetable terms.
The term "equity stripping" has sometimes referred to subprime lending refinance practices that charge excessive fees thereby "stripping the equity" out of the home. The practice more often describes foreclosure rescue scams. While most do not consider equity stripping a form of predatory lending per se, equity stripping is related to traditional forms of that practice.
Subprime loans targeted at vulnerable and unsophisticated homeowners often lead to foreclosure, and those victims more often fall to equity stripping scams. Additionally, some do consider equity stripping, in essence, a form of predatory lending since the scam works essentially like a high-cost and risky refinancing. Equity stripping, however, is conducted almost always by local agents and investors, while traditional predatory lending is carried out by large banks or national companies.
In certain circumstances, foreclosure rescue services can be beneficial to the consumer. When refinancing options are exhausted and foreclosure proceedings have led to near eviction, a foreclosure rescue transaction with moderate fees and full disclosures can be legally and ethically executed.
A consumer can face removal from the property and the loss of their entire equity following a foreclosure auction. As an alternative, foreclosure rescuers have the ability to redeem the home from foreclosure with a new mortgage of their own. For a moderate fee or portion of the existing equity, this can keep the former homeowner in the home as a tenant while they repair their credit or increase their income. After a given time period, the homeowner can then repurchase the property from the rescuer.
If done with full verbal and written disclosure, terms the consumer is capable of fulfilling, and moderate total fees, foreclosure rescue can be suitable to consumers in dire situations.This mechanism is often used by family members or friends in order to prevent the loss of a home. In effect, the investor "lends" their good credit to the foreclosed homeowner by paying off the foreclosed mortgage and obtaining the title to the home temporarily.
Several states have passed laws to prevent and/or regulate equity stripping schemes. Minnesota and Maryland passed laws in 2005 aimed at "foreclosure reconveyance" practices. The state laws require adequate disclosures, capped fees, and an ability to pay on behalf of the consumer. The statutes also ban certain deceptive and unfair practices associated with equity stripping.
Other laws regulating the activity of "foreclosure consultants" have been passed in California, Georgia, and Missouri.Additionally, state fraud and "unfair and deceptive trade practices" acts can be used when rescue artists have misrepresented their services and the end result.
Rescue artists arrange the closing (often delaying the date until shortly before the homeowner's removal in order to create urgency). At the closing, the homeowner transfers title (possibly unwittingly) to the rescue artist or an arranged investor. The rescue artist or arranged investor pays off the amount owed in foreclosure to acquire the deed, and inherits or is paid any portion of the homeowner's remaining equity. The rescue artist will reconvey the property back to the homeowner in the form of a lease or a contract for deed.
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