The "Mortgage Professor" answers critical homemortgage questions This value-packed consumer reference by a nationally syndicated mortgage columnist is indispensable for anyone looking to secure a home mortgage. The Pocket Mortgage Guide answers 50 of the most commonly asked mortgage questions, including: How can I find the lowest-cost lender? Should I choose a 15-year loan or a 30-year loan? What is PMI and how can I cancel it? How large a mortgage will I be able to afford? What will my monthly mortgage payment be? What is a "debt ratio" used for and how is it calculated? What is a home equity line of credit and what should it be used for? The book also provides valuable interest amortization tables and is the perfect resource for home buyers.
Quick facts on everything from a first loan to a strategic refinance. This helpful guide reveals everything home owners and soon-to-be homeowners need to know in order to get the best deal. Coverage includes: ? Determining how much to spend ? The application process and overcoming qualification hurdles ? Finding the right type of loan and choosing a lender ? Closing day considerations ? When and how to refinance to save money
Before you take on the largest debt you'll ever have, you should have more - and better - information than you've ever had before. Whether you are a novice or an expert real estate investor this book provides the information you need to finally understand what lending channel, what loan product, and what price point truly fits your need. If you are an engineer looking to dig deeply into the nuts and bolts of how this works you will love the tools and analyses in this book. If you are more interested in just drilling in and getting quick answers, this book is an excellent reference guide with easy-to-find, high quality advice. In order to get the best mortgage possible you need to do five things very well: 1 - Decide whether you should even get a loan in the first place 2 - Choose the best lending channel for your needs 3 - Choose the best loan program for your needs 4 - Choose the best price point for your specific plans 5 - Lock your interest rate at the right time The Loan Guide provides a complete guide to doing all these things well. Finally, The Loan Guide covers how to manage your mortgage in order to keep as much money in your pocket over the course of your lifetime, how to interpret and avoid common marketing gimmicks, and how to use the Excel-based analytical tools used in examples throughout the book. Since 2008 all the rules of lending have changed. The Loan Guide, published in 2014, was written between 2008 and 2014 and updated as it was being written, to reflect the most current rules and guidelines possible. The Loan Guide is current, clear and complete, and you will find it answers exactly the questions you have, and many that you should have but don't know it.
Smart shopping in a buyer's market. It's a buyer's market out there. But with so many homes for sale, buyers can be overwhelmed by choice. How can they be certain they're making the right decision? The answers are here in this easy-to-use book of checklists focusing on every single aspect of the home buying procedure, from where to start looking to closing costs. *Finding affordable homes *Scoping out neighborhoods *Includes the questions that should be asked of agents, brokers, and sellers *For first-time buyers and experienced ones
Investing in a secure financial future. Every investor must understand the complex bond market—and how it’s affected by the existing economic environment. This invaluable volume explains all bond basics without the confusing jargon, providing information on Treasury notes, high yield junk bonds, tax-free municipals, US saving bonds and other tax-free varieties, and much more. —Seasoned financial writer and pocket-sized format for quick reference. —Explains the bond rating/analysis system. —Offers instructions on how to construct a portfolio and advice on whether a financial manager is necessary.
Keeping your job is job one. In recent years, the FairTax has gained a lot of attention, but for the vast majority of Americans, there's a sense that there's still too little unbiased information upon which to make an informed decision. The Pocket Idiot's Guide™ to the FairTax seeks to change that. In this book, readers get answers to all the questions they have about the FairTax, including: • What it is, how it's calculated, and who pays what • Comparisons with other tax systems • Economic and political effects of the FairTax • Common misconceptions • What supporters and opponents have to say • Moral issues associated with the FairTax • Author is a certified financial planner
An extraordinary and amazingly simple book that teaches you how to save at least tens of thousands of dollars when you prepay your mortgage, The Banker's Secret offers about forty pages of simple-to-follow text and loads of helpful charts.
For home buyers and home sellers. Here is the first how-to that addresses the needs of both buyers and sellers, making it the perfect companion to the bestselling The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Buying and Selling a Home. The buyer will depend on this guide to determine whether a house is worth buying. The seller will need it to determine which repairs are necessary before listing or signing anything. Readers will learn to troubleshoot all areas of a home, including its structure and foundation, windows and doors, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, insulation, electrical systems, and the roof, just to name a few. In this Pocket Idiot’s Guide®, you get: • What to look for when inspecting the electrical system, the roof, and other parts of the home. • Simple advice on what to do if the results of your inspections aren’t good. • Expert explanation of what you can expect during and after the inspection. • Easy ways to tell if a home is worth buying—or if it will need extensive repairs before you put it on the market.
