American Mortgage: Everything U Need to Know about Purchasing and Refinancing a Home » (Bargain)

Trevor Rhodes is founder and CEO of AmerUSA, the nation's trusted partners in real estate to both homeowners and investors, and is a nationally recognized leading authority in real estate.

Trevor Rhodes is founder and CEO of AmerUSA, the nation's trusted partners in real estate to both homeowners and investors, and is a nationally recognized leading authority in real estate.

Introduction     1
Mortgage Basics: The Lender's Security Instrument     3
Promissory Note     4
Mortgage     13
Deed of Trust     30
Meet the Mortgage Industry Wranglers: Roles and Responsibilities     51
Lenders     52
Correspondent Lenders     53
Mortgage Bankers     53
Loan Officers     54
Mortgage Brokers     55
Real Estate Agents     56
Appraisers     57
Title Insurance Agents (Including Attorneys)     57
Homeowners Insurance Agents     58
An Overview of the Mortgage Process: From Start to Finish     59
Pre-Approval     60
Application     61
Conditional Approval     62
Closing     63
How the Industry Billions Are Made: The Real Truth in Lending     65
Interest     66
Points and Origination Fees     66
Junk Fees     67
Yield Spread Premium (YSP)     69
Speaking to a Loan Officer or Mortgage Broker: What's Happening Behind the Scenes     73
How Your Rate is Quoted     74
Selling Techniques     76
The "Bait andSwitch" Technique - Borrower, Beware!     79
The Almighty Interest Rate: What You Thought You Knew     81
Despite What You've Been Told, It's Usually Negotiable     82
Fixed Vs. Adjustable     82
Interest Only Option     84
Annual Percentage Rate (APR)     96
Rate Lock     100
Your Property May Be Costing You More: Why Each Type Is Different     103
Detached Single-Family Residences     104
Condominiums     104
Cooperatives (Co-Ops)     105
Multi-Family Homes     105
Townhouses     106
Mobile/Manufactured Homes     106
Rural Properties     107
The Four Types of Lenders: Understanding the Differences     109
Conforming     110
Alt-A     111
Nonprime (Subprime)     112
Hard Money     113
Income and Asset Programs: Choosing Your Best Option     115
Know Your Debt-to-Income Ration (DTI)     116
Full Documentation (Full Doc)     119
Lite Documentation (Lite Doc)     120
Stated Income Verified Assets (SIVA)     120
Stated Income Stated Assets (SISA)     122
No Ratio      122
No Income No Asset (NINA)     124
No Documentation (No Doc)     125
Mortgage Homework: What to Do Before You Apply     127
What a Lender Wants to See     128
Preparing Your Income     130
Preparing Your Assets     132
Check Your Credit     132
Shop Around     134
Raising Your Credit Score in 10 Days: Fast Fixes When Applying for a Mortgage     135
The Rapid Re-Score     136
Determining the Factors That Are Affecting Your Score     137
Assembling Your Evidence     138
Fast Fixes That Do Not Require Money     139
Fast Fixes That Require Money     144
The Major Deal Breakers: Why Many Mortgages Never Close     149
Appraisal Problems     150
Sales Contract No-No's     152
Borrower Blunders     154
Taxes and Insurance: To Escrow or Not to Escrow?     157
What Is an Escrow Account?     158
How This Decision May Affect Your Rate     159
A Little Each Month Is a Lot Easier Than a Lot Next Year     159
Application Documents and Disclosures The Most Important Ones to Know and Why     161
Uniform Residential Loan Application (1003)      162
Good Faith Estimate (GFE)     168
Truth in Lending Disclosure (TIL)     171
Mortgage Brokerage Business Contract     173
Authorization to Release Income Tax Transcripts (4506-T)     177
Refinancing, Equity Loans and Lines of Credit: Should You Mess with a Good Thing?     181
Refinancing for a Reason, Not the Season     182
An Equity Loan or Line of Credit, Why You May Regret It     184
Exercising Your Right of Rescission     186
Conclusion     189
Government Publications: Resources for Financing a Home     191
HUD Buying Your Home: Settlement Costs     193
HUD Fair Housing: Equal Opportunity for All     221
FTC Real Estate Marketplace Glossary     237
Looking for the Best Mortgage? Shop, Compare, Negotiate     255
Mortgage Servicing: Making Sure Your Payments Count     265
RESPA: Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act     271
TILA: Truth in Lending Act     339
Bonus CD-ROM: The American Mortgage Resource Center     433
Installation Instructions     433
Terms of Use     434
How to Personalize a Real Estate Form     434
The End Result     435
Index     437