Texas firm accused of preying on black homebuyers

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court, includes 17 plaintiffs, who say they were misled by Harbour Portfolio and associated companies into thinking they were becoming owners when they signed agreements that effectively made them renters. Harbour targeted black areas with the deals, known as “contracts for deed” or “land contracts,” which gave the plaintiffs […]

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Lawsuit: Texas Real Estate Firm Targeted Black Neighborhoods, Swindled Prospective Homebuyers Into ‘Land Contracts’ – Atlanta Black Star

“The companies make it difficult for aspiring homeowners to ever achieve the goal of ownership, which is what they think they are doing,” she told the AJC. “None of the people in this lawsuit understood. They believed they were becoming homeowners and they later found out they were functionally renters.   Source: Lawsuit: Texas Real […]

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How a Home Bargain Became a ‘Pain in the Butt,’ and Worse – The New York Times

“Across the country, people like Mr. Williams have found themselves in similar predicaments. Unable to obtain a traditional mortgage, they have signed a high-interest, seller-financed deal known as a contract for deed that works like an installment plan for housing. For many, these deals can quickly turn into money traps. The deals also have added […]

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Arkansas investigates Harbour Portfolio’s attempt to buy AR bank

“Government scrutiny of Harbor Portfolio Advisors of Dallas has contributed more baggage to weigh down a would-be sale of Arkansas’ smallest bank. Two of the three prospective buyers of an 87.3 percent stake in Community State Bank of Bradley (Lafayette County) are affiliated with Harbor Portfolio Advisors: Chad Vose, president of the company, and Farzana […]

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“After the bubble burst” | Reveal | A podcast that features a Home Savers Campaign Organizing Committee member!

The Home Savers Campaign is delighted to hear the investigative report that Reveal has done on land contract sales in Detroit with our Organizing Committee member Stevenna Dobson and the podcast’s deeper look into Trump’s friend and advisor Tom Barrack and his investment into the foreclosure crisis. “Michigan Radio’s Sarah Hulett brings listeners to ground […]

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Winning!After Complaints, Fannie Mae Will Stop Selling Homes to Vision Property – The New York Times

“One of the biggest firms in the rent-to-own home business is now on the federal government’s do-not-sell list. Fannie Mae, the government-controlled mortgage finance giant, said on Tuesday that it had stopped selling properties to the firm, Vision Property Management, after conducting a review of the firm’s rent-to-own program, which operates in more than a […]

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