Homeowners warned about foreclosure ‘rescue’ scams
Kurt Hilderbrand worked hard for a decade to make his monthly mortgage payments, but a recent failed business dealt him the final blow: He was six months behind on payments and weeks away from losing his three-bedroom house.
That’s when the “foreclosure rescue specialists” began circling. They hounded him by phone. One even rapped at his front door, offering to bail him out.
Hilderbrand was so desperate to hang on to his Bellevue home that he struck a deal to sell it and lease it back — with an option to buy later.