Enough of these letters have come my way that my immediate reaction is that they are a scam. Regrettably, not every recipient of the above letter is going to be wary of the offer presented. The letter is carefully laid out to appear like an official document sent from the FHA when it actually is an attempt by a mortgage company to solicit mortgages.
The mortgage company name has been blacked out to protect the company's reputation and to protect me from being sued! The fine print at the bottom of the letter clearly states the mortgage company does not represent the HUD FHA, but the consumer's eyes are drawn to the bolded words "FHA Division" and the highlighted bar that reads "ATTENTION: READ THIS FHA NOTIFICATION IN ITS ENTIRETY". The letter is a notification ABOUT changes in FHA financing in an attempt to capture refinanced loans, but the letter is not FROM the FHA.
The command to read "this FHA notification in its entirety" could be represented as a warning to the consumer to read the entire letter including the fine print on the bottom when the marketing expert who created this advertisement knows the consumer will not get that meaning. The average letter recipient focuses on the government looking logo and the words "FHA notification" and "FHA Division". A sense of urgency is created through these powerful words.
My caution to readers is to read the fine print. It's in the fine print that the mystery of this "notification" will be solved and the consumer will be protected.
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