CALIFORNIA LINKS
California Department of Fair Employment and Housing
The mission of the Department of Fair Employment and Housing is to protect Californians from employment, housing and public accommodation discrimination, and hate violence.
California Deparment of Real Estate: Protecting Yourself from Scams
The primary responsibility of the Department of Real Estate is to the public as a consumer protection agency. As government is not able to guarantee a risk-free marketplace, the Department acts in concert with other governmental agencies, education providers, and community organizations to enhance its enforcement and consumer awareness efforts to lessen the risk of loss to consumers in real estate transactions. In this regard, consumer and licensee information as well as education are regarded as important operational elements. Through consumer education, the public is better able to make more informed decisions and protect themselves to the extent they are able. By educating its licensees, the Department helps ensure that they are aware of their legal responsibilities, as well as their obligations to their clients. By approaching these principal responsibilities from the multiple avenues of education and enforcement, the Department maximizes the effectiveness of its consumer protection efforts.
State of California's Consumer Home Mortgage Information: Help With Your Mortgage
Here you will find helpful information and links if you are considering buying a home, or if you already own a home, or have a mortgage and may be experiencing difficulty in keeping your payments current.
California Housing Finance Agency: First-time Homebuyers
For over 30 years, California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) has supported the needs of renters and first-time homebuyers by providing financing and programs that create safe, decent and affordable housing opportunities for individuals within specified income ranges. Established in 1975, CalHFA was chartered as the State’s affordable housing bank to make low interest rate loans through the sale of tax-exempt bonds. A completely self-supporting State agency, bonds are repaid by revenues generated through mortgage loans, not taxpayer dollars.
UNITED STATES LINKS
Federal Reserve System: Mortgage Information
The Federal Reserve System is the central bank of the United States. It was founded by Congress in 1913 to provide the nation with safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and financial system. Over the years, its role in banking and the enconomy has expanded.
Federal Bureau of Investigation: Mortgage Fraud
The mission of teh FBI is to help protect you, your communities, and your businesses from the most dangerous threats facing our nation—from international and domestic terrorists to spies on U.S. soil…from cyber villains to corrupt government officials…from mobsters to violent gangs…from child predators to serial killers.
Government National Mortgage Association
The Government National Mortgage Association, also known as Ginnie Mae, mission is to help make affordable housing a reality for millions of low- and moderate-income households across America by channeling global capital into the nation's housing markets. Specifically, the Ginnie Mae guaranty allows mortgage lenders to obtain a better price for their mortgage loans in the secondary market. The lenders can then use the proceeds to make new mortgage loans available.
Home Mortgage Disclosure Act
The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA), enacted by Congress in 1975 and implemented by the Federal Reserve Board's Regulation C, requires lending institutions to report public loan data. In this section of the web site, you can find out more about the regulation and its interpretation.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Guide to Avoiding Foreclosure
HUD's mission is to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing free from discrimination. To fulfill this mission, HUD will embrace high standards of ethics, management and accountability and forge new partnerships--particularly with faith-based and community organizations--that leverage resources and improve HUD's ability to be effective on the community level.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: Loans & Mortgages
The FDIC is a recognized leader in promoting sound public policies, addressing risks in the nation's financial system, and carrying out its insurance, supervisory, consumer protection, and receivership management responsibilities.
www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov
www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov, provides homeowners with detailed information about these programs along with self-assessment tools and calculators to empower borrowers with the resources they need to determine whether they might be eligible for a modification or a refinance under the Administration's program. Through this website, borrowers can also connect with free counseling resources to help with outstanding questions; locate homeowner events in their communities; find a handy checklist of key documents and materials to have ready when making that important call to their servicer as well as FAQs from borrowers in similar circumstances; and much more.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury established the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network in 1990 to provide a government-wide multisource financial intelligence and analysis network. The organization's operation was broadened in 1994 to include regulatory responsibilities for administering the Bank Secrecy Act, one of the nation's most potent weapons for preventing corruption of the U.S. financial system.