Houston and Harris County Real Estate Scams

There have been numerous reports on Houston and Harris county real estate scams. Most include potential renters or cash buyers. Some are related to propety deed scams. Many are related to deals on craigslist.

Before giving even a dollar for deposit or rent, make sure that you verify the person that you are dealing with. Sometimes even seeing the home inside is no guarantee.

Real estate scams come in different forms.  Sometimes, the person claiming to be the owner or landlord is not the owner of the property or does not have the authority to sell or rent the entire interest.  Other times, sellers will sell to buyers in high-risk scenarios like wrap mortgages, which often aren’t technically a scam, even though they do involve a great degree of risk.  Many times, a piece of property is not free and clear of liens, or other defects arise, such as defects in a deed.

A Houston Real Estate Lawyer can help you avoid or minimize potential problems.  You may also need to contact an attorney if a problem has already arisen.  You may be facing an eviction, a foreclosure or a suit to establish title to the property.  If so, you should at least consult with an attorney to understand your rights.

Some of the more popular scams involve a seller that does not have the authority to convey the entire property.  It could be that the seller inherited the property along with many other brothers and sisters.  It could also be that a wife did not join in the deed with her husband.  Other times, problems arise when people put property “in other peoples’ names.”

Another common scam arises when the deed does not sufficiently describe the property.  A complete legal description is required in order to satisfy the statute of frauds in Texas.  Without a sufficient description, the deed to your home might be insufficient and your ownership rights could be in question.  A real estate in attorney can help analyze your deed to make sure you are really the owner of your home.

Sometimes owners will sell a property even if the property has liens on it or even when there are general liens against the seller.  Liens can be a substantial problem for homeowners, and a seller might not even know that a lien is affecting the property.  A lien can be the cause of you losing your home.