Every industry has its scam artists, and real estate is no exception. While most of the professionals who work in real estate are ethical and honest, there are people in the industry who want to take your money and run. Worse, there are scam artists who use real estate as a cover. These fraudsters may know nothing about real estate but simply use properties to extract money from victims. Sadly, properties mean large amounts of cash and this can attract criminals. You don't have to be a victim, though. Whether you are investing in real estate or buying your own home, there are a few things you can do to stay safe:

1) Get it in writing. The simplest and most effective way to stay safe is to assume that nothing is concrete until it is in writing and signed.

Any verbal promised made simply does not count unless it is in a legally binding contract, so never assume anything until you have a contract in hand. Never assume that someone will follow through on a promise of any kind unless there is a viable contract.