Safe mortgages are home and business property loans offered by entities that are properly licensed and registered with local jurisdictions and meet the standards set in place by those jurisdictions. Dealing only with lenders who offer a safe mortgage contract helps to protect the consumer from potential fraud while also ensuring the consumer has legal recourse in the event that the terms of the home loan agreement are not honored by the issuing entity. Many countries have specific legislation that encourages the certification and monitoring of mortgage lenders by local municipalities.
In the United States, the concept of the safe mortgage is defined in the Secure and Fair Enforcement Act, or SAFE. Essentially, SAFE supports and encourages states to draft and pass specific criteria that a lender must meet in order to function within the jurisdiction. In addition to encouraging states to establish rules for operation, the act also calls for the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors to participate in licensing system that allows efficient communications between the states regarding the status of various lenders.
In many areas, part of the criteria for certification as a safe mortgage lender will require proof of mortgage training that meets the standards put in place by the state or other community entity. The idea behind requiring specific forms of training is to ensure that anyone offering mortgages on home sales in the jurisdiction are knowledgeable about real estate procedures, laws, and current regulations that would apply to a sale and the extension of credit for the purchase of property. If the potential lender is not able to produce proof of training from what is considered an authoritative source, he or she is not likely to be licensed by the jurisdiction and be allowed to legally offer mortgages.
Part of the benefit of establishing safe mortgage guidelines is to minimize the opportunity for fraud. It is not unusual for unscrupulous individuals and entities to pose as legitimate lenders while operating with questionable policies and procedures. While this type of activity has long been a problem in the finance sector, the advent of Internet lending has served to increase the potential for people who need help in purchasing a home to get involved with less than ethical lenders.
Before seeking a first mortgage or attempting to refinance an existing mortgage, it is a good idea to investigate the credentials of any potential lender. Taking the time to check with the local jurisdiction to ensure you are dealing with a safe mortgage lender will mean you are much more likely to be offered equitable mortgage rates, have a contract that is in keeping with current regulations and standards, and be able to seek legal recourse if any problems develop at a later date.
