JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The News4JAX I-TEAM has been warning homeowners about “subject-to” mortgage deals. These are legal but risky transactions that can leave sellers financially responsible even after signing over their homes.
Now, another Jacksonville homeowner says a deal like that left him facing foreclosure, damaged credit and mounting stress.
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Stacey Sexton said he sold his home last year to BG Investment Group, also known as BG Ventures Investment Real Estate, or BG Ventures, through a subject-to agreement, meaning the deed transferred to the buyer while the mortgage remained in his name.
“They buy your home, they take over the deed, they make your mortgage payments for you,” Sexton said. “They go in, they put some investment into the property and they use it as a rental. And then eventually, when the market takes a change, they’ll pay off the existing mortgage and you’ll be free and clear.”
Sexton said the deal appealed to him because he was upside down on his mortgage and looking for relief.
“They’re good at showing you the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
He said representatives from BG Ventures came to the home, closing documents were signed, and he received a check for $4,000.
But just months later, Sexton said his mortgage company contacted him with troubling news.
“They were reaching out to me saying the payments aren’t being made,” he said.
The home was no longer his but the mortgage still was. Documents Sexton provided to News4JAX show he is now responsible for more than $35,000 in past-due payments. He said repeated emails to BG Ventures went unanswered, and the home is now headed toward foreclosure.
When the I-TEAM visited the property, a notice posted on the door indicated it was vacant and abandoned. Sexton said he and his wife believed the home would have been rented by now.
Sexton, a military veteran, said the consequences go beyond finances.
“I work full-time. I pay my bills,” he said. “It’s a VA loan. So not only is it in foreclosure and not only has it ruined my credit, I won’t be able to get another VA loan until all this is satisfied.”
The stress has taken a toll, he said.
“We’re losing sleep — stress and worry,” Sexton said.
Now, Sexton said he wants accountability.
“I want to be able to pay off the mortgage company. I want to make the VA whole,” he said. “But I also want these guys to be held accountable.”
Sexton said he is now working with a local attorney and hopes to pursue a class-action lawsuit.
The News4JAX I-TEAM made multiple attempts to contact BG Ventures for comment but has not received a response.