Before you even start the mortgage process, you need to have a plan. Melinda Payan, who has been helping people make wise mortgage decisions for more than twenty years, provides a blueprint so you can protect yourself in this guide that reveals The Truth about Lending. Key steps in your plan should include: - setting a monthly budget for a mortgage payment - figuring out how much you want to pay out of pocket to cover all costs - researching your loan officer - understanding your loan program In the guide, you'll learn how to reduce lender fees, navigate the home inspection process, shop around for the best interest rate, and gather the documents you'll need as you move through the process. Protect yourself by taking the right steps and asking the right questions-and don't be satisfied until you get the answers.
This Element is an excerpt from Homebuyers Beware: Who’s Ripping You Off Now?--What You Must Know About the New Rules of Mortgage and Credit (ISBN: 9780137020164) by Carolyn Warren. Available in print and digital formats. The simplest, clearest, quickest, step-by-step guide to today’s home loan processes! I’ve seen loan process flowcharts so elaborate, I wonder if the author’s purpose was to try to impress me with the complexity and enormity of their job. By contrast, here is a simple checklist that leads you through the steps, from start to finish. Step #1: Get a Good Faith Estimate and choose your loan officer....
In Mortgage Myths, Realtor Ralph Roberts and mortgage consultant Chip Cummings take aim at the 77 mortgage myths that prevent so many would-be homeowners and real estate investors from pursuing their dreams of homeownership. You’ll learn the difference between good and bad debt, how to make mortgage approval easier and simpler, and how to use other people’s money to leverage your investments. This is the ultimate guide to getting the great deal you deserve.
Everything you thought you knew about financing a house has changed. Your future depends on knowing today’s mortgage and credit realities: Relying on older information could cost you a fortune or keep you from buying a house altogether. In Homebuyers Beware: Who’s Ripping You Off Now? – What You Must Know About the New Rules of Mortgage and Credit, Carolyn Warren reveals the new realities of home financing and shows exactly how to take advantage of them, whether you’re buying your first home, refinancing, struggling with imperfect credit, or planning to invest in real estate. Homebuyers Beware reveals new secrets homebuyers simply can’t afford to miss and exposes new scams that target today’s eager consumers--including new loans that look great on paper but are every bit as dangerous as yesterday’s subprimes. Unlike other mortgage guides, this book fully reflects today’s radically new mortgage requirements, in addition to the latest federal housing legislation and how to improve your credit rating. Warren covers topics from real estate negotiation, to powerful tips on getting lower interest rates, to avoiding bogus junk fees, and everything in between: · High-tech “smoke and mirrors” that can trick you into overpaying · Quick, easy, powerful ways to fix your credit · Uncovering the costly secrets of the Yield Spread Premium · The latest laws and credit rules and what they mean to you · New plans for recovering from bad credit, foreclosures, or short sales “Carolyn Warren is my go-to expert for mortgage industry information. She not only helps you avoid rip-offs, she helps you know what questions to ask and how to ask them. Full of tips, scripts, and sample letters, Homebuyers Beware is an extremely valuable book that I recommend to all my readers!” --Alison Rogers, “Ask the Agent” columnist, CBS Moneywatch.com “In this fun-to-read volume, mortgage industry insider Carolyn Warren tells you what real estate cheats and mortgage scammers do NOT want you to know: the tricks, the deceptions, and the outright frauds that would otherwise add thousands, maybe tens of thousands of dollars to your mortgage. Get it. Read it. And take it to the mortgage broker with you. You’ll be glad you did!” --Clayton Makepeace, The Total Package, Makepeacetotalpackage.com “In Homebuyers Beware, Carolyn Warren directs her keen eye at the mortgage and credit markets in the wake of the housing bubble. With an insider’s knowledge, plenty of interesting anecdotes, and helpful reference information, Warren is a cheerful teacher leading readers down the path to homeownership and pointing out pitfalls along the way.” --Ben Meyer, InternetBrands.com
Finding the right home can be easy. Finding the right mortgage-one you can afford-can be a challenge. You need to arm yourself with the latest information so you can make the right decision for you and your family, especially in the current housing market. In plain English, finance expert Lisa Horton shines a light on the confusing world of points, interest rates, and credit scores. Whether you're buying your first home, trading up to a larger one, or buying a rental property, you'll find all you need inside. Learn how to: Save for a down payment and prepare to borrow Understand credit reports and credit scores Deal with banks, mortgage brokers, and online lenders Refinance a mortgage The Everything Mortgage Book teaches you how lenders work, how different kinds of loans are structured, and what they're best for. You'll also learn which mortgage practices and loans you should avoid. Whether you have a great credit history or a poor one, you'll be able to get the best loan for your most important purchase-your home. Lisa Holton is the author of How to be a Value Investor, The Essential Dictionary of Real Estate, and the Encyclopedia of Financial Planning. She is a contributing writer for the Financial Planning Association on consumer finance and retirement planning issues. Ms. Holton heads the Lisa Company, a writing, editing, and research firm. She lives in Evanston, IL.
Most buyers are unfamiliar with the process of getting a loan or mortgage and what it really takes to get approved. This is not only important for first time home buyers but experienced owners too. It may have been awhile since a current home owner has purchased a home and acquired a mortgage and the rules change constantly. Buyers get frustrated with all the paperwork and they feel like they are asked for the same items over and over and over again. Most buyers don't really know what buying power they have. I see both ends of the scale: people who feel they can afford twice as much as allowed, and others who could qualify for five times more than they want. Also, there are various loan programs with numerous possibilities, down payment options, and the types of lenders who are available. All these options can make your head spin. The industry is constantly changing, which can confuse a buyer. The questions I hear most often are: "What is the interest rate?" and "What is my payment?" Although both are very valuable questions, they are not necessarily the critical ones when it comes to getting a mortgage. Finding the ideal loan officer and loan program is crucial and critical in getting you through the preapproval stage, underwriting, a final approval and all the way to the closing table. As an experienced business owner and loan officer, I have read the thousands of pages of regulations, and studied the various loan programs, in order to help my buyers get into the right program, at the right time, and for the right reasons. When purchasing real estate, and obtaining a home loan or mortgage, there are so many variables that a buyer should consider. Financing your first home, second home or cottage, or investment property all require preparation on your part. Do I get an FHA, VA, RD or a conventional loan, or do I get what is called a non-qualified mortgage? Do I need to worry about PMI - and what exactly is that? Do I get a variable rate or a fixed rate? Does the length of time I plan on living in the house matter? Each state and local entity has some of their own costs and rules. After reading this book, you will have an understanding of what is needed, why you should work with a qualified and experienced loan officer, and be ready to breeze through the process and if prepared do it less than 30 days. I have even closed loans in 8 days. I will cover mortgage basics, what is a good credit score, and what are the four c's of getting a loan. What is the loan process, what is the difference between a preapproval and being prequalified. What documents will my loan officer need and what should I be doing while in process. What kind of money and where is it coming from will be discussed. What if I had some credit blips in the past, how long do I have to wait to buy a house? What options do I have for rates, length of loan and can anything change? Finally, what happens behind the scenes and what can I do now to get approved. My mantra is education, communication, and certainly having some fun along the way. Life is too short, so, you better enjoy what you are doing. Because of this, I have put together a helpful guide and reference material to assist you, the buyer, in understanding the process and to help you through that process seamlessly so you aren't pulling out your hair.
The prequel to the hugely successful 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask tells first-time home buyers everything they need to know before they begin the search for the house of their dreams. Includes 20 worksheets, 15 charts and graphs.
Buying a house requires a lot of time and effort, but these 12 Steps Guide can help you make the house buying process easy and manageable and will help you make the best decisions possible.
America's #1 bestselling home buying guide Are you looking to buy a house, but don't quite know where to begin? Have no fear! This new edition of Home Buying Kit For Dummies arms you with Eric Tyson and Ray Brown's time-tested advice and strategies for buying a home in current market conditions. Packed with valuable tips for getting the best deal on your new home and navigating an ever-changing housing market, it shows you how to find the right property, make smart financial decisions, and understand the latest lending requirements and tax implications. Thanks to looser lending standards, lower down payment mortgages, and a wider selection of homes to choose from, first-time homebuyers are making a comeback in the housing market. But if you don't know a Colonial from a counter offer, the process of buying a home can be daunting. Luckily, this bestselling guide is here to take the confusion out of the process! In plain English, it provides step-by-step guidance for buying the home of your dreams, from inspecting a property to evaluating a location to making sense of loan applications, tax documents, and counter offer forms. Negotiate your best deal and obtain a lower down payment mortgage Improve your credit score Make sense of changing lending standards Take the confusion out of lending laws, mortgage rates, and marketplace conditions Whether you're a renter, investor, or current homeowner, everything you need to plant roots in a new home sweet home is just a page away.
