Buy a Home With a Government Grant? Avoid this Scam

If you watch enough late night television, you'll seethat would like to build a 100-unit apartment complex
advertisements that suggest that the Federalfor low-income residents. You might even obtain some
Government is giving all kinds of things away. You'llgrant money if you'd like to overhaul a 100-year old
see ads for auctions that promise that you can buy ahome in a blighted neighborhood as a step towards
Ferrari for $500 or a home for $1000 throughurban renewal. You won't get the money to build or
"government liquidations" or some such thing. You'll alsobuy the mansion next door to Tiger Woods.
see ads that promise to tell you how you can getSo yes, funds are available, but only under fairly limited
money for free to purchase a home. Is this for real?circumstances. And the process of applying for and
Will Washington provide you with money to purchasereceiving grant money is fairly complicated. It's not just
a home?a matter of filling out a form and waiting for the money
It shouldn't surprise anyone who wasn't born yesterdayto arrive. The process involves a pile of forms, and
that these ads that sound too good to be real are justreports, and plans and outlines for how, when and
that. Yes, the Government makes millions of dollarswhere you intend to spend the money. After you get
available for certain uses, and yes, some of thosethe money, you'll probably have to report exactly how
uses include housing. But little of that money is availablethe money is being spent and whether or not
for individuals, and none of it is available for John Q.everything is going according to your plan. Obtaining
Public to buy a home on a golf course in Shady Pinesgrant money is not a free lunch. It's hard work, and the
Estates. Most of the available funds are available onlypeople responsible for handing out the money want to
to businesses and other organizations, not individuals.know that the money is being spent wisely.
You can obtain grant money if you own a company