NPR: Companies like EasyKnock offer to help people in financial trouble by buying their home and renting it back. An NPR investigation finds the deals cost some people a lot of money and even their homes.

Companies like EasyKnock offer to help people in financial trouble by buying their home and renting it back. An NPR investigation finds the deals cost some people a lot of money and even their homes.

'Sale-leasebacks' offer to help homeowners needing cash. Some lose thousandswww.npr.org Companies like EasyKnock offer to help people in financial trouble by buying their home and renting it back. An NPR investigation finds the deals cost some people a lot of money and even their homes.

I spoke to that company once. They offered me considerably less than half what the house is worth, and they weren't even offering rent-backs in my area either. I laughed out loud. I'm desperate but come on.

It's a company whose financial purpose is to extract value from desperate people. Of course it's financially abusive

Any for-profit enterprise designed solely for people in dire straits (whether health, finance, mental stability, legal) deserves close examination, just at the time the “consumer” (victim) is often too desperate to investigate.

am shocked

*gasp* A scam that most definitely looks like a scam on its face is a scam!? I'm shocked and dismayed by this not-at-all obvious thing you've told me NPR!

right. because removing their only asset is "helping"

The man they interviewed them sold them his house in which he had 138K in equity. They gave him 66K. Then soon raised his rent.

that's what i thought

everything in this country is a scam now and our government is lead by crooks so they don’t care

Yes, because American companies are widely known for their benevolence.

This is the worst thing I’ve ever read. Just call your bank and ask for the loss mitigation department to restructure your loan.

There is a vast swath of poor homeowners for whom the answer to that will be an automatic "No." I'm one of them. This obviously still isn't a good option either. Truthfully I'm kind of waiting for the old cat to die so I can sell and be homeless for a little while. I can't put him through that.

:(

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