The state upholds the Georgia Residential Mortgage Fraud Act which names misstating, omitting, and misrepresenting facts and intentions in real estate deals as criminal acts. Mortgage felony of this nature merits a 10-year jail term and fines amounting to $100000. Although there is wide appreciation for the mortgage fraud policy, there are some parties that see problems in upholding the policy. They claim that lenders unaware of the borrowers' fraudulent intentions are also criminally liable. Michael Brook, a specialist in mortgage law, counters the claim by stating a policy provision that states that lenders are allowed to be defendants to plead their cases in the event that they are involved in fraud cases. In addition to the lenders, appraisers, brokers, real estate agents, and investors are possible defendants in a fraud case. He asserts that the stringency of the new policy makes committing frauds more difficult which discourages potential lawbreakers. He also claims that the move by Georgia serves a paradigm for other states. At present four more states are upholding similar laws, and California, another real estate hotspot is considering to adopt a similar policy.
The Georgia Residential Mortgage Fraud Act continues to boosts the real estate industry of state. Despite the mix of reactions regarding the new policy, there is no doubt that it minimizes risks of fraud in investing in Georgia real estate properties. Finally, hopes for the redemption of Georgia as fraud hotspot are high in the near future. The state looks forward to more real estate investors and the revival of its industry.
Contributed by Jason Murphy. For more valuable information on Gerogia Real Estate, please visit AdvantageHouseHunt.com