Overview
Need a mortgage but worried about the market? In Mortgages For Dummies, 3rd Edition, bestselling authors Eric Tyson and Ray Brown give you proven solutions for obtaining a mortgage, whether you want to buy your first home, refinance, or tap into your equity. You get the latest on sub-prime and adjustable-rate mortgages, finding the best lender, avoiding fiscal pitfalls and foreclosure, and much, much, more!
This easy-to-understand, objective, and jargon-free guide helps you fine-tune your finances, figure out what you can afford, and improve your credit score before you go mortgage shopping. You’ll get familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of fixed- and adjustable-rate mortgages, 15- and 30-year loans, and conforming and jumbo packages. You also get help finding and working with reputable professionals, comparing programs, and securing terms you can live with. Discover how to:
- Match your mortgage to your financial goals
- Qualify for a mortgage even when money is tight
- Find the right loan for you
- Choose the best lender/broker
- Negotiate the best terms
- Calculate your costs and payments
- Understand and complete all paperwork
- Refinance an existing mortgage
- Understand and consider special situation loans
- Explore reverse mortgages and other options
- Decipher amortization tables and comparison worksheets
- Use the Internet wisely when mortgage shopping
Now, more than ever, you need clear, reliable information that helps you get the mortgage you need at a price you can afford. You need Mortgages For Dummies, 3rd Edition!
Synopsis
The proven guide to getting the best mortgage — and surviving today's lending crisis
Need a mortgage, but worried about the hostile market? Bestselling authors Eric Tyson and Ray Brown give you proven solutions for obtaining a mortgage, whether you want to buy your first home, refinance, or tap into your equity. You get the latest on subprime and adjustable-rate mortgages, finding the best lender, avoiding fiscal pitfalls and foreclosure, and much, much more!
- Why this book is different — two real estate experts give you objective, jargon-free advice that takes into account your financial goals
- Fine-tune your finances — evaluate your expenses, calculate what you can afford, and improve your credit score
- Find the right loan for you — from fixed- and adjustable-rate to 15- to 30-year to conforming and jumbo, weigh all your options
- Choose the best lender/broker — interview and work with the cream of the crop, compare programs, and negotiate loan terms
- Consider special situation loans — from home equity to co-op to balloon loans, understand the tax consequences and legalities
- Handle refinancing and reverse mortgages — decide if you should explore these options, crunch the numbers, and save money
- Get helpful resources — recommended mortgage Web sites, loan amortization tables and comparison worksheets, and more
Open the book and find:
- How to qualify for a mortgage
- Ways to lower your interest rate
- Updated worksheets and tools for calculating mortgage costs and payments
- New information on foreclosures
- Tips for saving tax dollars
- Interview questions to ask lenders/brokers
- Expert guidance in completing all paperwork
- The dos and don'ts of using the Internet
Booknews
Offers a complete mortgage reference. Explains refinancing, conventional and balloon loans, and reverse mortgages, and gives advice on how to overcome loan qualification obstacles, how to negotiate lower loan fees and closing costs, and how to shop among lenders online. Includes reader-friendly cartoons, icons, a glossary, and reference appendices. Tyson is the author of several books on home buying and personal finance. Brown is a veteran of the real estate profession, and currently hosts a radio show on real estate. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)