Mortgage fraud continues to plague homeowners, and lenders and criminals are constantly creating new ways to separate people and mortgage lenders from their money. However, a new website provides free assistance to prevent homeowners from becoming victims of a new and especially problematic type of fraud called “house theft.”  The new site—ePropertyWatch.com— monitors public documents associated with a home and promises to let homeowners know if there is any illegal activity, such as a forged deed that fraudulently transfers a home’s title, in connection with their home. The site also provides informal home appraisals and other tools to track real estate activity in a homeowner’s neighborhood and much more. In scams called “house theft,” a thief assumes “ownership” of a home so that they can sell it to other criminals who have secured a loan on the property. The fictitious “seller” then splits the take with anyone else in on the scam. Incidents of mortgage fraud jumped 36 percent in 2008 over the previous twelve months to almost 64,000 cases, according to the FBI’s annual report. The site uses a combination of home selling prices in the user’s neighborhood, recent appraisals, foreclosures and other neighborhood-specific information to estimate any home’s current value. It provides long-term changes in the median selling prices of a zip code. Users can sign up to receive emails when a new lien is placed on their home or when their home’s assessed value changes significantly. While mortgage fraud may be on the rise, there’s nothing unsavory about finding your perfect home or selling one quickly with the assistance of LouisvilleProperties.com. This Louisville real estate professional has many years of experience assisting clients and has the area’s best selection of Louisville homes for sale. Call today at 502.744.9504.