Mortgage wire fraud: Don’t send your down payment without first taking this simple step
There’s often a very short window to recover home down payment funds wired to scammers.
5 min read
Aug 19, 2024
Jeff Ostrowski
Writer and Housing Market Analyst
EXPERTISE
- Mortgages
- Mortgage refinancing
- Mortgage rate trends
- Housing market
- Real estate
EDUCATION
- Bachelor of Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Master of Arts, University of Illinois at Springfield
- Continuing coursework, including NMLS Mortgage Loan Originator education and MLO SAFE Test
About the author
Jeff Ostrowski has closely covered two nationwide housing booms and one devastating bust. Before joining Bankrate in 2020, he spent more than 20 years writing about real estate, business, the economy and politics. He previously worked as a reporter at the Palm Beach Post and the South Florida Business Journal.
From 2019 through 2025, Jeff served on the board of the nonprofit National Association of Real Estate Editors. He twice has won gold awards in the group’s journalism contest. His Bankrate coverage of housing affordability was also honored with a Best in Business award from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing.
When he’s not working, Jeff enjoys surfing, biking and traveling, usually with a surfboard or bike.
Jeff is the author of How to Buy a Home in a Miserable Market, available in paperback and e-book on Amazon.
Jeff beyond Bankrate
Jeff wants you to know
When you’re applying for a mortgage, shop around and do your homework — informed borrowers can save thousands of dollars over the life of their loan. Don’t fixate on finding the absolute perfect option, though, or timing your loan to a low point for mortgage rates. If you’re borrowing now, mortgage rates could go down in the future. Avoid worrying about all those things that are both out of your control and impossible to predict.
Jeff's latest articles
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Survey: Younger homeowners are more willing to tap home equity for nonessential, big-ticket purchases
When, if ever, is it ok to cash in your ownership stake?
7 min read Aug 06, 2024 -
What’s the ideal mortgage rate to buy a home? Older, younger generations diverge
What’s the ideal mortgage rate? It depends who you ask.
3 min read Jul 25, 2024 -
Survey: 47% of homeowners would need mortgage rates under 5% to be comfortable buying a home this year
Almost half of homeowners in a new Bankrate survey say they’d need mortgage rates to fall below 5 percent in order to feel comfortable buying a home this year.
5 min read Jul 24, 2024 -
One surprising thing that’s working in buyers’ favor in today’s housing market
One factor of today’s housing market is actually working in U.S. homebuyers’ favor.
2 min read Jul 18, 2024 -
Agent commissions are getting more transparent — but critics still say the real estate industry operates as a ‘cartel’
Does NAR operate like a cartel? Here’s what real estate industry critics are saying.
6 min read Jul 15, 2024 -
The Black neighborhood home appraisal gap is real. Can we close it?
There’s still a big divide between Black and White home price tags.
9 min read Jul 12, 2024 -
Co-buying startups help frustrated homebuyers hack the market
As homebuyers grapple with affordability, some startups have stepped in to help facilitate co-buying.
4 min read Jun 12, 2024
