Mortgages
5 Tips: Shopping for a Mortgage
Review your monthly spending plan to estimate what you can afford to pay for a home, including the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, and monthly maintenance and utilities. Make sure you save...
A Consumer's Guide to Mortgage Settlement Costs
The mortgage settlement process--sometimes called mortgage closing--can be confusing. A settlement may involve several interested parties and a variety of documents and fees. This guide helps you...
A Consumer’s Guide to Mortgage Refinancings
Have interest rates fallen? Or do you expect them to go up? Has your credit score improved enough so that you might be eligible for a lower-rate mortgage? Would you like to switch into a...
Avoiding Home Equity Scams
Washington, DC — You could lose your home and your money if you borrow from unscrupulous lenders who offer you a high-cost loan based on the equity you have in your home. Certain lenders...
Consumer Finance FAQ
Idaho Department of Finance Frequesntly Asked Questions (FAQ) about Consumer Finance.
Consumer Handbook on Adjustable-Rate Mortgages (ARM)
This website gives you an overview of ARMs, explains how ARMs work, and discusses some of the issues that you might face as a borrower...
Defaulting on Your Mortgage Has Costly Consequences
If you don’t pay your mortgage on time or if your payment is for less than the amount that’s due, you’re in default on your loan. The consequences of default can be costly. The Federal...
Does Fannie Mae Own Your Mortgage? Loan Lookup Tool
Find out if a Loan is owned by Fannie Mae.
Extension of Mortgage Protections
Fair Housing Administration Extension until February 28, 2021
Servicers are banned from starting or continuing with a foreclosure or a foreclosure-related eviction action for Fair Housing...
Fair Housing - Predatory Lending
What is predatory lending?
Predatory lending is the practice of preying on, or taking advantage of, an individual or group of people that may have a difficult time buying or refinancing a home...
Fair Housing: Predatory Lending Abuses
The work that provided the basis for this page was supported by funding under a grant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. ILAS is solely responsible for the accuracy of the...
Fair Lending Brochure
Idaho Legal Aid Services Fair Lending: Predatory Lending Abuses Brochure.
Fair Lending Poster with Warning Signs of Predatory Lending
ILAS Fair Lending Project poster, which identifies some common warning signs of predatory lending, is available for printing and posting at your business.
Fair Lending Project: How to Escalate Your Case
Idaho Legal Aid Services Fair Lending Project:
How to Escalate Your Case
File a Complaint against the Bank at:
https://appsec.helpwithmybank.gov/olcc_form/
When You File a Bank Complaint...
File a Complaint Against a Mortgage Lender
The Idaho Department of Finance accepts complaints on behalf of its three regulatory bureaus - the Consumer Finance Bureau, the Securities Bureau, and the Financial Institutions...
Financiamento Abusivo
Si usted es propietario de una vivienda y necesita dinero para pagar cuentas o para hacer reparaciones en su casa, es posible que crea que un préstamo sobre el valor neto de la vivienda (home...
How Much Home Can You Afford?
Providing the information below will allow you to calculate how much you can afford to spend on a home. However, many additional factors play a part in the loan qualification process...
HUD Resources for Renters Related to Coronavirus
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has created a webpage for resources for renters during the Coronavirus pandemic. It includes information on rental assistance, tips on...
Incumplir el Pago de su Hipoteca Tiene Consecuencias Costosas
Si usted no paga su hipoteca en fecha o si paga un monto menor a su mensualidad, usted incurre en incumplimiento de pago de su préstamo. Las consecuencias del incumplimiento de pago pueden ser...
Información de la FTC para Consumidores
Cuando usted obtiene un préstamo hipotecario, es posible que piense que la entidad de préstamo conservará y administrará su préstamo hasta que termine de pagarlo o hasta que venda su casa....
Interest Only Mortgage Payments and Payment-Option ARMs – Are They For You
Owning a home is part of the American dream. But high home prices may make the dream seem out of reach. To make monthly mortgage payments more affordable, many lenders offer home loans that allow...
Mortgage Fraud and Foreclosure
Your home is likely your most valuable asset, and you have an interest in maintaining ownership, protecting your equity and preserving your credit rating. This manual describes how you can better...
Mortgage Servicing: Making Sure Your Payments Count
When you get a mortgage, you may think that the lender will hold and service your loan until you pay it off or sell your home. That’s often not the case. In today’s market, loans and the...
NCLC's Homeowner Rights During Covid-19 Pandemic
The National Consumer Law Center, Inc. has created a free chapter on Homeowner Rights During the Covid-19 Pandemic. This Chapter covers issues such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Federal Housing...
Protect Yourself From Predatory Lending
Buying or refinancing your home may be one of the most important and complex financial decisions you'll ever make. Many lenders, appraisers, and real estate professionals stand ready to help you...
Request for Information on Escrow Accounts Template
Please find attached a template letter that you can use to request information from your mortgage servicer for information regarding escrow accounts if your mortgage loan is currently in...
Signs of Predatory Mortgage Lending
The Center for Responsible Lending has created the following "8 Signs of Predatory Mortgage Lending", which you may find below or on their website:
Summary of Foreclosure Alternatives for Borrowers with Covid-19 Hardships
This chart by the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) provides a summary of relief options available for borrowers facing a COVID-19 related hardship. The options that a borrower has depends on...
Ten Things to Know about Reverse Mortgages from HUD
Reverse mortgages are becoming popular in America. HUD's Federal Housing Administration (FHA) created one of the first. The Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) is FHA's reverse mortgage program...
What You Should Know About Refinancing
Refinancing is a process in which you pay off one or more existing debts with a new home loan. If you have perfect credit, refinancing is sometimes a good way to obtain a lower interest rate or to...
Why Ask For An FHA Loan?
There are lots of reasons to ask your lender for an FHA loan instead of taking a conventional or an expensive and risky sub-prime mortgage loan. Why not take advantage of the many benefits and...