Florida A&M University College of Law Scholarly Commons @ FAMU Law Journal Publications Faculty Works Spring 2014 "We Buy Houses": A Foreclosure Rescue as the Solution to the Trapped Homeowner Equity Problem Cori Harvey Florida A&M University College of Law,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://commons.law.famu.edu/faculty-research Part of the Banking and Finance Law Commons, Bankruptcy Law Commons, Consumer Protection Law Commons, and the Property Law and Real Estate Commons Recommended Citation Cori Harvey, "We Buy Houses": A Foreclosure Rescue as the Solution to the Trapped Homeowner Equity Problem, 79 Mo. L. Rev. 371 (2014). This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Works at Scholarly Commons @ FAMU Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal Publications by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons @ FAMU Law. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. "We Buy Houses": A Foreclosure Rescue as the Solution to the Trapped Homeowner Equity Problem Cori Harvey* 1. INTRODUCTION Foreclosure rescue transactions are viewed widely as scams designed, among other things, to dupe poor, minority, and elderly homeowners out of the equity in their homes. 1 The transactions are frequently called "foreclosure rescue scams.t" "equity skimming schemes.t" or other derogatory terms. However, foreclosure rescue transactions come in many forms and, as an alternative to foreclosure, often maintain valuable options for homeowners that the homeowners otherwise would lose in the traditional foreclosure pro cess.4 For this reason, many of these transactions, though imperfect, should be preserved and supported.