Fair Housing.

                                            It's Not An Option. It's The Law.

Beware of Predatory Lenders!!

Predatory lending strips borrowers of home equity and threatens families with foreclosure. Often borrowers are deceived into accepting unfair loan terms, usually through aggressive sales tactics. Often they are taken advantage of because of their lack of understanding of terms and involvement in complicated transactions. Even more informed consumers are occasionally fooled. Anecdotal information suggests predatory lending is concentrated in poor and minority communities, where better loans are not readily available. Signals of predatory lending practices include, but are not limited to:

• Aggressive and deceptive marketing

• Making loans without ample consideration to the borrower's ability to pay

• Financing excessive fees into loans

• Charging higher interest rates than a borrower's credit allows

• Home improvement scams

Among the factors that contribute to predatory lending are the steering of minorities toward the subprime market, even when they qualify for prime loans with better terms, an inadequate number of mainstream lending institutions in minority neighborhoods, and a general lack of information in minority communities about available mortgage products. Many consumers have already fallen prey to these lenders.

For more information on predatory lending, read the predatory lending brochure published by HUD.