After you buy your first home, you'll inevitably fall into property virgin pitfalls. One of the biggest things to beware of is that your newly signed wet ink deed becomes a matter of public record immediately. Thus, hundreds of companies, salesman and con-artist/scammers watch the new court house filings daily to solicit new home owners with all their wonderful products and services. You'll begin receiving tons of official looking mail, phone calls and door to door visits. Few tips: Never pay to obtain a copy of your deed. The title company will mail you the original one after it is recorded on public record and certified copies can be obtained at the courthouse for a nominal fee. Another offical piece of mail notifies you that a new mortgage company has bought your loan but the current mortgagee doesn't notify you it's been sold. Don't start paying the new mortgagee until the old one verifies this is true. These are two big ones, but there are lots of cons out there trying to take money off of unsuspecting people. When in doubt call your agent, lender and/or title company to verify if it's legit. Here is a recent email I received from an extremely savy client who ignored her better judgment just briefly:
There was an envelope left on my door when we moved in. It said "sorry
we missed you."
Enclosed was a flier that has a guy's phone number, name,
and a weird area code. It also said "Authorized ADT dealer." So I
called him and from that instant i knew he was a salesmen, a really
good one. I wasn't on guard at all, so he went ahead and got all my
information including my ssn and wanted to schedule installation like
right away, I couldn't because of various reasons, and also so I could
shop just in case. The rate was $44 a month no installation fee, no
contracts. Good thing I did, I called TNT, and they had a way better
rate but with installation fee, and 3 year contract.... which is
understandable. I wanted to cancel and didn't have his cell
with me, so I called ADT's 1-800 number and I went through 2 corporate
departments and then to Oklahoma City's managers office, to find out
he was 3rd party. So dug up his cell and called to cancel, he
picked up like he was already mad. I told him I needed to cancel and
he scolds the following words to me "YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME." Just
lectured me on how stupid I was for not going with a name brand that
someone knows. He just went on and on. Turns out later, when TNT came
to install, the installer met this guy and said he just seemed like
all sorts of shady and was based out in Moore. So, a lesson learned on
my part. Don't do anything door to door, don't ever buy from a
"fantastic" salesmen (because they are soulless creatures), and never
give out your SSN. I know he's already sold my phone number and email
addresses, I'm getting offers from cruises and Nigerian princesses.
So, if you could educate the next ignorant first time home security
participant maybe we can put him out of business.
There was an envelope left on my door when we moved in. It said "sorry
we missed you."
Enclosed was a flier that has a guy's phone number, name,
and a weird area code. It also said "Authorized ADT dealer." So I
called him and from that instant i knew he was a salesmen, a really
good one. I wasn't on guard at all, so he went ahead and got all my
information including my ssn and wanted to schedule installation like
right away, I couldn't because of various reasons, and also so I could
shop just in case. The rate was $44 a month no installation fee, no
contracts. Good thing I did, I called TNT, and they had a way better
rate but with installation fee, and 3 year contract.... which is
understandable. I wanted to cancel and didn't have his cell
with me, so I called ADT's 1-800 number and I went through 2 corporate
departments and then to Oklahoma City's managers office, to find out
he was 3rd party. So dug up his cell and called to cancel, he
picked up like he was already mad. I told him I needed to cancel and
he scolds the following words to me "YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME." Just
lectured me on how stupid I was for not going with a name brand that
someone knows. He just went on and on. Turns out later, when TNT came
to install, the installer met this guy and said he just seemed like
all sorts of shady and was based out in Moore. So, a lesson learned on
my part. Don't do anything door to door, don't ever buy from a
"fantastic" salesmen (because they are soulless creatures), and never
give out your SSN. I know he's already sold my phone number and email
addresses, I'm getting offers from cruises and Nigerian princesses.
So, if you could educate the next ignorant first time home security
participant maybe we can put him out of business.