Useful Links
Brighten Lending helps you find the right information
when you need it fast. Through these helpful Web Sites you can:
• Compile information for underwriting and credit
analysis
• Enhance quality control efforts
• Support current process information
• Increase your knowledge base for resources
See the attached sheet of investigative Web Sites to help you find
the right information for your business.
Information at your fingertips, just a click away!
See links for investigative Web Sites.
NATIONAL UNDERWRITING
CENTER USEFUL WEBSITES
Death
records:
www.RootsWeb.com
Frequently used Brighten Lending databases: Fee based
www.realquest.com
www.westlaw.com
www.searchamerica.com
www.lexisnexis.com
CRIMINAL RECORDS: Free
http://www.virtualchase.com/resources/criminal_records.html#i
http://www.crimcheck.com/freerecords.htm
http://www.crimetime.com/online.htm
VERIFICATION OF EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER:
www.knowx.com
APPRAISER INFORMATION:
FREE
Appraisal
Subcommittee
http://www.asc.gov
National Appraiser
Registry
GOOD FREE
PUBLIC RECORDS:
http://www.virtualgumshoe.com/
http://www.searchsystems.net/
http://www.pimall.com/nais/skiptrace.htm
http://www.merlindata.com/industrylinks.html
http://www.netronline.com/public_records.htm
INTERNET SEARCH ENGINES
– Free Searches
AltaVista
http://www.altavista.digital.com
search engine
Dog Pile
http://www.dogpile.com
searches multiple search engines
Infoseek
http://www.infoseek.com
search engine
Yahoo
http://www.yahoo.com
search engine
Super Search
http://www.ct.net/~wedigs/search.html
multiple search engines
Google
http://www.google.com/
search engine
Ask Jeeves
http://www.ask.com/
search engine
Search Engine
Room:
http://www.relibrary.com/28main1.htm
-multiple search
engines/searches & maps
GENERAL
SEARCH-Free Searches
AT&T
Info
http://www.anywho.com/tf.html
name & address search
Big Yellow
http://www.bigyellow.com
name & address search
Look Smart
http://looksmart.com
name & address search
Map Quest
http://www.mapquest.com/
address & location search
One Look
http://onelook.com
English usage reference – writing assistance
Switchboard
http://switchboard.com
name & address search
Who Where
http://whowhere.com
name & address search
World Pages
http://worldpages.com
name & address search
SearchBug
http://www.searchbug.com
SSN verification/name & address search
The Ultimate
White/yellow pages
http://www.theultimates.com/white/
name & address search
Search Monger
http://www.searchmonger.com/phoneindex.htm
Fax number
searches/name&address
Search.com:
http://www.search.com/
name and address search
Qwest:
http://www.uswestdex.com/
name, address, and business search
411.COM
http://www.411.com/
people and business search
Address.com
http://www.addresses.com/services.php
people and business
search
FindLaw.com
http://www.findlaw.com/directories/phone.html
Reverse lookups
*SPECIALIZED
SEARCH -
Fee Based
*AutoTrack
http://www.autotrackxp.com/
public records search
*C&S Marketing
http://www.csmarketing.net/
appraisal services
–Value Finder-AVM Select-History Pro.
*Choicepoint
http://www.choicepointonline.com/
public records search
*Informus
http://www.informus.com
public records search
*IRSC
http://www.irsc.com/
public records search
*Lexis-Nexis
http://www.lexis-nexis.com/lncc/
public records search
*MARI
http://www.mari-inc.com/
mortgage-related search
*@EBS – ACES
http://www.ebs-inc.com/
quality assurance
services
*Affinity
http://www.teamaffinity.com/
fraud detection services
*AllRegs
http://www.allregs.com
mortgage lending guidelines
*Appintell
http://www.appintell.com/
fraud detection services
*Business Risks,
Int.
http://www.businessrisks.com/
investigative
services
*TENA
http://www.tenaco.com/
quality assurance services
*Appraisal
Enhancement Services
http://ousleyinc.com
appraisal services
*First American
http://www.eappraiseit.com
appraisal services
*Lenders Service, Inc.
http://www.lendersservice.com
appraisal services
*General American
http://wwwgac.com/
http://www.gencredits.com/index.html
appraisal services
*Solimar
http://www.solimar.com/
Property specific data- PASS – AVM using input date
*Win2Data –
Property specific data, last two sales, alternative sales-Value
Point – AVM using input date
NATIONAL MEDIA
SOURCES - Free Searches
US
Newspapers
http://usnewspapers.about.com/blpapers.htm
Links to most US
Newspapers
US Newspapers
http://www.usnpl.com/
Newspaper links
Mortgage Daily
http://www.mortgagedaily.com/
Mortgage News
American Banker
http://www.americanbanker.com/index.html
Real Estate News
Mortgage Banking News
http://www.wolfrichards.com/news/index.htm
Real Estate News
News Search
http://searchenginewatch.com/links/news.html
Mortgage Servicing
http://www.mortgageservicingnews.com/
Mortgage Servicing News
Mortgage Broker
http://www.brokeruniverse.com/
Mortgage Broker News
Mortgage Industry News
http://www.calyxnews.com/index.asp
Mortgage News
http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/
National Mortgage News
on-line
INDUSTRY
INFORMATION AND SERVICES – Free Searches
Fannie
Mae
http://www.fanniemae.com/
ACFE
http://www.cfenet.com/
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
ALTA
http://www.alta.org
American Land Title Association
HILA
http://www.title1.org
Home Improvement Lenders Association Information
MBAA
http://www.mbaa.org
Mortgage Bankers Association of America
NAR
http://www.realtor.org
National Association of Realtors
NFIC
http://www.fraud.org
National Fraud Information Center Information & Links
Texas A&M
http://recenter.tamu.edu/links/clrec.html
real estate-related links
The Fund
http://thefund.com/Links/index.cfm
mortgage-related links
The Real Estate Library
http://www.relibrary.com/
real estate
–related links
Continuing education:
http://www.prou.net/utilities/relinks.html
Mortgage professionals
The Association of RealEstae License Law Officials
http://www.arello.org/
PROPERTY-RELATED
INFORMATION/SERVICES-Free Searches
Appraisal Institute
http://www.appraisalinstitute.org
appraiser information
Appraisal Subcommittee
http://www.asc.gov
National Appraiser
Registry
Real Estate Listings
http://www.realtor.com/
National Association of
Realtors
Relocation Info
http://www.erc.org/
relocation appraisers and
brokers
Appraiser/Disciplinary
http://www.llr.state.sc.us/POL/RealEstateappraisers/
Foundation of Real
Estate Appraisers
http://www.frea.com/frea/index.html
Portico:
http://indorgs.virginia.edu/portico/home.html
Web Resources
HUD
http://www.Hud.gov/
general HUD info, Home
Price Index (HPI) by state or MSA
Fannie Mae:
http://www.fanniemae.com/
HPI-value trends at zip code level –Automated Property
Service (APS)
–Fannie Mae’s internal AVM as of the current date. – Refer to
Services On Line (SOL), manager or director access
FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
–Free Searches
EPLS
http://epls.arnet.gov/
- Excluded Parties List System
FirstGov
http://firstgov.gov/
Government Services Admin – Link to Fed agencies
FirstGov
http://www.consumer.gov/
information from Fed agencies
FBI
http://www.fbi.gov/
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Register
http://www.access.gpo.gov/
FTC
http://www.ftc.gov/
Federal Trade Commission
FEMA Flood Maps
http://www.fema.gov/msc/q3flooda.htm
FFIEC -Geo Code
http://www.ffiec.gov/geocode
HMDA geo-code
look-up
FinCen
http://www.ustreas.gov/fincen/
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
HUD Clips
http://www.hudclips.org
HUD Program information
INS
http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/index.htm
Immigration &
Naturalization Service
IRS
http://www.irs.ustreas.gov
IRS Forms and Publications
NIPC
http://www.nipc.gov/
National Infrastructure
Protection Center
SSA
http://www.ssa.gov/
SSA_Home.html Social Security Administration
SSA – High Numbers
http://www.ssa.gov/foia/highgroup.htm
Current list of
legitimate SSN ranges
SSN Death Index
http://www.ancestry.com/ssdi/advanced.htm
Look up SSNs on deceased
individuals
Tiger Map
http://tiger.census.gov/cgi-bin/mapbrowse-tbl
US Congress
http://thomas.loc.gov
National legislative information
US Postal Service
http://www.usps.gov
zip code look-up
FDIC-http://www.fdic.gov/
Click on financial news letters
Office of Consumer
Litigation:
http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/ocl/index.htm
Consumer related
litigation
Attorney’s General
http://www.naag.org/ag/full_ag_table.php
Attorneys General by
State
Committee on Governmental affairs
http://www.senate.gov/~gov_affairs/index.htm
US Senate
STATE & LOCAL
INFORMATION
– Free Searches
AARMR
http://www.aarmr.org/index.html
state regulator trade group (regulator links)
California
http://www.dca.ca.gov./r_r/r_rtoc.htm#state
CA government information
Florida
http://www.fightfraud.org/
Anti-Fraud consortium of FL State agencies
Florida
http://ccfcorp.dos.state.fl.us
FL corporate information
Florida
http://www.state.fl.us/dor
FL Dept. of Revenue
Florida
http://www.state.fl.us/dbpr/re/index.shtml
Division of Real Estate
Florida
http://www.mbaf.org
Mortgage Bankers Association of Florida
Florida
http://www.dbf.state.fl.us/master_index.html
FL Comptrollers Office
Florida
http://www.state.fl.us/doi
Dept. of Insurance
Florida
http://www.state.fl.us/dbpr
Dept. of Professional Regulation
Florida
http://legal.firn.edu
FL Attorney General
Florida
http://www.famb.org
Florida Association of Mortgage Brokers
Florida
http://www.bcpa.net
Broward County Property Appraiser’s Network
Georgia
http://www.sos.state.ga.us/default800.asp
GA Secretary of State
New York NYS – (e-mail:
corporations@dos.state.ny.us)
Texas
http://publicdata.com
TX public records (registration required)
Texas
http://tdhca.state.tx.us/mh.htm
TX manufactured housing
Texas
http://www.trec.state.tx.us/
TX Real Estate Commission
INVESTIGATIVE
RESOURCES-Free Searches
Virtual
Chase
http://www.virtualchase.com/
Free Legal
research/internet research guides
EIN Finder – Requires registration See “How to” Virtual Chase and
select Employer Identification Number
Virtual Gumshoe
http://www.virtualgumshoe.com/
free public records
Investigators Tool Box
http://www.virtuallibrarian.com/it/index.html
Free Investigative
Resources
Search Systems
http://www.searchsystems.net/
Free Public Records
Zip Code/County Look up
http://www.zipinfo.com/search/zipcode.htm
Free Look ups
Black Book/Crimetime
http://www.crimetime.com/online.htm
Free Internet Information
and Public Records
Skip Trace Portal
http://www.pimall.com/nais/skiptrace.htm
links to specialized
searches
Better Business Bureau
http://www.bbb.org/
Free Company Information
DouSearch
http://www.docusearch.com/free-links.html
Free Searches
Pay Phones
http://www.payphone-directory.org/
Pay Phones in the US and
Abroad
10,000 year calendar
http://www.calendarhome.com/tyc/#start
-Perpetual calendar
Special Agency
http://www.sasops.com/links.html
Internet Information
Services
Jeff Flax Web Page:
http://www.jflax.com/
Legal Resources on the
Internet
Search Enginez
http://searchenginez.com/public_records.html
Public Records
YBLost
http://proagency.tripod.com/
Public Records
Merlin Information Links
http://www.merlindata.com/industrylinks.html
Research & Public Records
BRB Publications:
http://www.brbpub.com/pubrecsites.aspb
Public Records
Salary.com
http://www.salary.com/salary/layoutscripts/sall_display.asp
- Salary Estimates
PROPERTY
ESTIMATES-Free Searches
Home
Price Check
http://www.domania.com/homepricecheck/index.jsp
Free Property estimates
Yahoo Home Valuation
http://list.realestate.yahoo.com/re/homevalues/
Free Property estimates
WWW.Realtor.com
http://www.homestore.com/cities/default.asp?lnksrc=REALR2LF2C0058&poe=realtor&gate=realtor
Free Property
estimates
Home Gain.com
http://homegain.com/home_prices/index?status=badaddress
Free Property estimates
Home Advisor
http://homeadvisor.msn.com/default.aspx
Free Property estimates
PROPERTY
ASSESSORS-Free Searches
Wisconsin Property Assessors
http://www.waao.org/
Ownership Records
Netronline
http://www.netronline.com/public_records.htm
Free Property Records
RESEARCH – Free
Reporters Desk Top
http://www.reporter.org/desktop/
Research
Reference Desk
http://www.refdesk.com/index.html
Research/Investigation
National Check
Fraud Center
http://www.ckfraud.org/compliance.html
Special Links for
Compliance Officers
Consumer Alert:
http://www.consumeralert.org/
Consumer Alert Web Site
Consumer Action:
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/crh/resprt2.htm
Consumer Action
Web Site