An Essential Guide for Home Buyers

Today's housing market offers borrowers a multitude of loan products and options. This makes home buying very confusing and intimidating, especially for first-time buyers. To get a loan with the lowest possible cost and an affordable monthly payment, home buyers must educate themselves on the various loan products. This book provides home buyers and homeowners with the essential basics on home mortgage financing, guides them through mortgage maze, and steers them away from making costly mistakes.

This book is written in a clear and concise style. Its contents are presented in an easy-to-follow format and accompanied with logical explanations and examples. More importantly, it contains many valuable insights and practical tips. This is an indispensable guide for home mortgage financing.

Some of the highlights of this book are provided below:

Home Ownership - Discuss costs and benefits of home ownership so you can decide whether home ownership is right for you. Types of Mortgage Loans (Conventional, FHA, VA, and reverse mortgage) - Discuss pros and cons of each type of mortgage loans. Reverse Mortgages - Discuss types of reverse mortgages, how they work, and who are eligible. Fixed-Rate Mortgages (FRMs) - Compare loan terms with prepayment option so you can deicide which loan option is best for you. Find out which FRMs you should avoid. Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) - Discuss types of ARMs and their features so you can decide which ARM is good for you and which one you want to avoid. Refinancing - Discuss reasons for refinancing and show the effects of reduction in interest rates and the timing of refinancing on mortgage payments as well as break-even periods. Find out when refinancing is not a good idea. You should read this book before refinancing your existing mortgage, because it may save you thousand of dollars. Shopping for a Loan - Find out the best way to compare loans from different lenders. Loan Application Process - This section walks you through the loan application process so you know what to prepare.