Salt Lake City, UT / November 18, 2006 / Press Release / --  It is without question that the U.S. Housing Market is weakening but many wonder has the weakening intimidated potential home buyers from parting with hefty down payments.

Home buyers in places like Utah already have resorted to fears that the home of their dream has been scorched by the touch of investor flips or some form of predatory lending. 

But for now Utah with a population slightly over 2.6 million has a bigger problem in the midst of its housing market - Getting its consumer base educated about the red flags of the state's real estate market.    

Nationally Utah ranks second for mortgage fraud, according to the MARI Index with expectations from industry experts that the state should coast into the number one position by 2007.  The fall out from such national ranking continues to have Utah's consumer-base struggling to keep pace.

"Increased property taxes, a surplus of low wage jobs and price hikes in tuition costs is the talk at the dinner table, not declining mortgage rates," says Sheri Fitzpatrick, Utah Real Estate Broker and CEO of Perfect Home Living, a Non-Profit Organization based in Salt Lake City, UT, committed to the education of consumers, financial institutions and law enforcement agencies on loopholes used during  predatory lending practices and other symptoms of real estate fraud by white collar criminals. 

"Unlicensed investors and investment group purchases in Utah have fueled false housing appreciation and more easily enabled the introduction of hybrid mortgages.  If we are to reverse this trend and bring back consumer confidence in our housing market we must first start with educating consumers about real estate fraud and predatory lending practices," Fitzpatrick added. 

Still the Mortgage Bankers Association announced on the 15th of this month  that its seasonally adjusted index of mortgages to purchase homes rose 2.7% for the week ending November 10th to its highest level since July.  Rates for 30-year fixed mortgages fell to 6.15%, the lowest level since this past January. 

About Perfect Home Living 

Perfect Home Living assists in implementing programs and providing training to financial lenders as well as educating Utah's consumers and licensed professionals to red flags within Utah's real estate market.   For more information or to request assistance please visit us online at:  http://www.PerfectHomeLiving.com