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!

Quickly make sense of mortgages Taking out a mortgage to purchase real estate is a huge decision, one that could affect your family's finances for years to come. This easy-to-follow guide explains how to secure the best and lowest-cost mortgage for your unique situation. Whether you select a 15- or 30-year mortgage, you'll get all the tips and tricks you need to pay it off faster—shortening your payment schedule and saving your hard-earned cash. Fine-tune your finances Qualify for a mortgage Secure the best loan Find your best lender Refinance your mortgage Pay down your loan quicker Must-knows about foreclosure Top mortgage no-nos

Quickly make sense of mortgages Taking out a mortgage to purchase real estate is a huge decision, one that could affect your family's finances for years to come. This easy-to-follow guide explains how to secure the best and lowest-cost mortgage for your unique situation. Whether you select a 15- or 30-year mortgage, you'll get all the tips and tricks you need to pay it off faster—shortening your payment schedule and saving your hard-earned cash. Fine-tune your finances Qualify for a mortgage Secure the best loan Find your best lender Refinance your mortgage Pay down your loan quicker Must-knows about foreclosure Top mortgage no-nos

The painless way to manage credit in today's financial landscape People with great credit scores are getting turned down for credit cards and loans for homes and cars. What do they need besides a good score? What are lenders looking for now that they are extremely risk-averse? Repairing broken or damaged credit is one thing, but having to meet today's much stiffer credit standards requiring that consumers consistently manage their credit is another thing all together. Credit Management Kit For Dummies gives you answers to these questions and insight into these concerns, and also walks you down the correct path to credit application approval. You'll discover major changes with the Credit CARD (Credit Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure) Act provisions and the new Consumer Financial Protection Legislation Agency; the effect of tightened credit markets on those with good, marginal, or bad credit; new rules and programs including Hope and Government options via the Obama Administration; the best ways to recover from mortgage related credit score hits; tips for minimizing damage after walking away from a home; credit score examples with new ranges; and much more. The pros and cons of credit counselors The quickest and most effective way to undo damage from identity theft Advice and tips about adding information to a credit report, and beefing-up thin credit Guidance for evaluating your Credit Score in today's economy Fannie Mae's revised guidelines for purchasing mortgages Information on significant others (boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse) and credit and debt sharing IRS exceptions to the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act in a mortgage meltdown situation Not just for those who have bad credit and need to repair it, Credit Management Kit For Dummies also serves as an invaluable resource for those with average credit who want, or need, to manage it to get a job, reduce insurance costs, qualify for banking products, and more.

For seniors who live on a fixed income, owning a home—and keeping it—can be financially challenging. Rather than face the choice of selling your home and moving or becoming a home-owning pauper, reverse mortgage products let seniors convert part of their equity into tax-free income that can be used for anything—even mortgage payments, living expenses, or medical costs. Reverse Mortgages For Dummies covers all the basics of reverse mortgage products so you and your adult children can understand and take full advantage of these handy loans—and keep the home you love. Covering a full range of reverse mortgage options and topics, you’ll discover how to: Decide if a reverse mortgage is right for you Shop for the best reverse mortgage products Find out if your home is eligible Find a counselor who can help you Written by Sarah Lyons, an Assistant Editor at Mortgage Originator magazine, and John Lucas, an experienced reverse mortgage specialist, Reverse Mortgages For Dummies explains these helpful loan products in simple, easy-to-understand language free of all the jargon. Once you understand how reverse mortgages differ from other loans—and what you could do with your reverse mortgage—the book covers the specifics you need to find the right loan for you, including: Special advice for adult children helping their senior parents secure a loan How to get a reverse mortgage and keep your second home legally Property requirements and financing fees Selecting among a multitude of lenders Spending and estimating leftover equity Sharing the decision-making process with family and loved ones If you’re a senior wondering whether a reverse mortgage can help you keep your home, this book gives you the information you need to make smart, informed decisions that are vital to you, and your family’s, security. Reverse Mortgages For Dummies will help you keep your home and live the life you want.

Your turn-key guide to crucial information about buying a new home before you take the plunge Home Buying Kit For Dummies, 7th Edition simplifies and explains the home-buying process to new home buyers everywhere. Authors Eric Tyson, MBA and Ray Brown inform and educate readers in the simple, straightforward and incisive style the For Dummies series is known for across the world. This book covers all the topics necessary to tackle the purchase of a home with confidence, including: Complete coverage of new US tax rules and strategies What's happening with home financing given the high home prices and fluctuating economies found in many markets How to compare renting and buying in light of new rules regarding mortgage interest and property tax write-offs Updated coverage of internet resources and how to best utilize them as a buyer The 7th Edition of Home Buying Kit For Dummies offers brand new content of particular interest to millennial homebuyers, as well as freshly updated online companion content.

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