Protect Yourself from Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud offers accurate and authoritative information regarding real estate and mortgage fraud. It provides guidelines on what to look for and how consumers or real estate professionals can protect themselves from falling pray to this practice.  The reader learns what mortgage fraud is and how it occurs; its impact on homeowners and home values in neighborhoods;  provides case studies;  describes how inflated appraisals play a role in mortgage fraud; misrepresentation in loan applications; double-sales scams; cash received at closing; builder bailouts and contractor scams.