Chino Hills California Real Estate, Gail Griffin

If you receive an unsolicited email that appears to be from the IRS requesting that you file a "tax refund request," do not fall victim to this identity theft scheme. Numerous people are receiving unsolicited email informing them that a $9,390.55 IRS tax refund is due to them if they complete a tax refund request form. The ...

Freddie Mac is giving mortgage servicers expanded authority to provide six months of forbearance to unemployed borrowers without Freddie Mac's prior approval and up to an additional six months with prior approval.   This means unemployed borrowers may be eligible for up to 12 months of forbearance.  Freddie Mac's ...

  Orange County Register  Beginning with the 2012 tax bill (the one due in April 2013), the state Franchise Tax Board will require property owners to break down their property taxes into deductible and non-deductible portions. Read the full story

Instances of financial abuse and fraud against the elderly increased from November 2010 to January 2011, according to a recent report from MetLife, which found overall investment fraud targeted towards older Americans is on the rise. Americans over the age of 65 lost nearly $3 billion to financial abuse from April to June 2010, up ...

  The Wall Street Journal The Justice Department faces the daunting task of tracking down more than 210,000 alleged victims and determining how to compensate them, following last week’s $335 million fair-lending settlement with Bank of America Corp.’s Countrywide unit. Read the full story

  The New York Times Getting back in the black More than 2.6 million households are at least 60 days delinquent on their mortgage payments, according to the nonprofit coalition Hope Now. While those who are delinquent 60-120 days can make back payments to help them become current, those who are more than two months behind ...

C.A.R. recently released a consumer alert offering tips on avoiding mortgage fraud. Con artists trying to take advantage of unknowing, financially troubled homeowners usually promise mortgage loan modifications or reduced monthly payments for upfront fees.  In most cases, charging upfront fees or payments for ...

Don’t fall victim to unscrupulous con artists trying to take advantage of unknowing, financially troubled home owners.  These scammers usually promise mortgage loan modifications or reduced monthly payments for upfront fees.  In most case, charging ...

Talking Points The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) reports more than double the number of open-flame fires on Christmas Day than on an average day, and about twice as many on New Year’s Day. Property loss during a holiday fire is 34 percent greater than in an average fire, and the number of fatalities ...

An email with the subject line “Complaint from your customers” is circulating and may be a scam, according to an urgent scam alert by the Council of Better Business Bureaus. The email appears to come from a Better Business Bureau employee about a recently filed complaint with the organization and tells recipients to review ...