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Aug 06, 2004 -- Three honest mortgage lenders gaining busine

Clark has been incensed regarding the unethical behavior of banks over the past few years. Under current federal law, banks and mortgage lenders can offer a quote on a mortgage loan called a good faith estimate. But when you get to the closing table, they change the prices and rip you off. And it’s all legal. The Department of Housing and Urban Development had created new rules that require that a lender tell you the truth. If a lender told you your closing costs would be $1,200, he or she could not charge you more than that amount, plus 10 percent for errors. But the industry squealed like pigs about having to tell people the truth, and the feds backed down. Only a few big mortgage lenders now offer people honest quotes. The first is ABN AMRO, which has what’s called the “One Fee Advantage.” With it, they quote you one guaranteed price, and it doesn’t change. ING Direct is the other company. They are doing loans with no lender closing costs at all. But you’ll usually pay a nominal amount. The third company is Di-Tech, a division of GM. They’ve been charging a flat fee of $395, and that’s it. According to syndicated real estate experts, people are taking serious advantage of these offers. ABN AMRO has now closed $30 billion with its “One Fee” program. GM and Di-Tech have closed $60 billion in flat fee loans. So, obviously people care about getting an honest quote. Congress should get the message that people want truth in lending.

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