Using forms that were downloaded from the internet, or bought at an office supply store.

Seller wants to hold the deposit check, not a third party attorney or title office.

"You won't need a lawyer, this is just a standard real estate sale".

Use you intuition and if something doesn't feel right, sound right or smell right, it probably isn't right.

Buyer is going to leave the closing with money.

Here are a few tell-tale signs that you may be dealing with real estate fraud:

No government-issued ID;

Sales price exceeds fair market value;

File contains more than one contract with significant differences in price;

Buyer’s check indicates another to be remitter;

Attorney-in-fact involved;

Title held by virtue of an unrecorded deed;

Loan secured by property recently paid off;

Flags wave.  Education and experience combine that anything that seems too good to be true typically is.   

There is one that is happening in my town right now and I actually found it before it hit hte papers!  Long story short, guy is trying to sell his grandparent's home, which he doesn't own.  Red flags:

• Don't disturb the occupants (not always a red flag, typical on foreclosures but this was a "standard sale").
• House was advertised FSBO on Craigslist (lots of fraud there) and not in the MLS.
• Seller had a way to "save everyone money" by not using escrow and title (the reddest of all red flags).

I think it's more important to learn how to avoid incompetence.  There's a whole lot more of that out there than outright fraud.

Kimberly Taylor Anything that looks like it may be too good to be true.

Luckily it has not been a problem for me. While the list can be extensive a good starting point would be Fred Griffin's list!

If it sounds to good to be true, it is

Anything that could result in this  

Have never had to worry about this issue.

Verify everything and be wary of things that appear to be too good to be true.

Kimberly Taylor - there are many! Not disclosing the facts can be considered one of them.

I think, that the best solution would be: to hire an experienced real estate consultant. 

Be honest, do your due dilligence.

There are a lot of con men out there watch out

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Always do your homework. 

Kimberly Taylor Just covered this topic in Real Estate Fundamentals class today. Hope you can join us for quick review tomorrow morning

I've never been confronted with any fraudulent situations.....

common sense, too real to be true.