Real Estate & Investing

Now updated — America’s #1 bestselling home-buying book!

Want to buy a house, but concerned about the market? Have no fear — this trusted guide arms you with Eric Tyson and Ray Brown’s time-tested advice and updated strategies for buying a home in current market conditions. You’ll discover how to find the right property, make smart financial decisions, and understand the latest lending requirements and tax implications.

• New to this edition — new and expanded coverage to help homebuyers take advantage of low home prices, understand the subprime mortgage crisis, obtain a mortgage, and improve credit scores
• To buy or not to buy? — weigh the advantages of owning versus renting, get your finances in order, and know how much house you can safely afford
• Handle financing — understand your credit rating, navigate the different types of mortgages, and complete all paperwork
• Play the real estate game — find the right location and property, assemble an all-star real estate team, and make the most of the Internet’s real estate resources
• Let’s make a deal — negotiate with finesse, make successful offers, inspect and protect your new home, and cover all your bases in escrow

“Invaluable information, especially for the first-time home buyer.” — Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“A reference you’ll turn to time after time.” — St. Petersburg Times

Open the book and find:

• Reasons why home prices rise and fall
• Hands-on instruction for buying a home in up or down markets
• How to pay the price you want
• The best mortgage options
• A sample home-buying contract
• Pros and cons of comparable market analysis
• Tips for overcoming mortgage and appraisal problems
• How to cope with buyer’s remorse
• The best real estate Web sites

“Fun-to-read…. Deciphers mortgage mumbo-jumbo.” —San Jose Mercury News

“A favorite…. Fun reading and informative.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Objective, down-to-earth…. A book I wish I’d read before purchasing my first lemon-of-a-home.” —Wilmington News Journal

For many of us, the single biggest financial transaction is buying a house. Even more significant than the hefty down payment we fork over is the 15- to 30-year mortgage that needs feeding every month. If you have this much at stake, a little knowledge can go a long way, which is where Eric Tyson and Ray Brown come in. In Mortgages for Dummies, Tyson and Brown (who also wrote Home Buying for Dummies and House Selling for Dummies) provide a comprehensive introduction for anyone who is contemplating a mortgage. The book tells you how to evaluate your creditworthiness, determine your borrowing power, and shop for a lender, as well as covering the various types of loans. The authors also devote a section to refinancing and discuss what you should consider when prepaying a loan. They include amortization and remaining-balance tables, and a useful glossary. Whether you’re a first-time home buyer or are just looking to refinance, you’ll find this a valuable, easy-to-use guide. –Harry C. Edwards –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

There are many excellent “how to get a mortgage” books, but this one is vastly different, because it reveals the insider secrets even many mortgage professionals don’t know. Warren reveals what really goes on in the home-loan business to get mortgages approved, and dhow borrowers can avoid becoming victims of their lenders. On my scale of one to 10, this superb new book rates an off-the-chart 12. — Robert J. Bruss, Inman News, July 10, 2007

Carolyn Warren better get a bodyguard. Her new tell-all on the mortgage industry exposes so many of the lending industry’s favorite frauds, every loan officer from Seattle to Miami is going to be gunning for her! Mortgage Rip-Offs and Money Savers is like a map that guides you around the carefully camouflaged landmines laid by lenders. And it gives you simple, step-by-step directions for saving tens of thousands of dollars. If you’re looking for ways to save a king’s ransom on your mortgage and monthly payments, you simply must read this book. — Clayton Makepeace, founder and president, The Profit Center Topics include:
* Why calling around for the best interest rate is a BAD idea (and what to do instead).
* How to force lenders to disclose their hidden fees.
* The Dirty Dozen: Junk fees You should not pay.
* How to get the lowest possible rate.
* Uncover the best-kept secret of the mortgage industry.
* Avoid the five most common unpleasant closing surprises.
* Turning a denied loan into an approved loan.
* and much more.