Mortgage Confidential: What You Need to Know That Your Lender Won't Tell You [Paperback]

David Reed (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 8, 2006

Mortgage Confidential is an insider's look at the mortgage process for anyone concerned with getting the best deal (and not being taken advantage of) while financing their home. The book goes beyond the basics, revealing the options lenders don?t often divulge to their clients, what they really look for before they approve a loan, which costs they have control over, little-known sources of down payment money, and whether to trust loan officers recommended by Realtors. Whether looking into securing a mortgage for the first time or seeking to refinance, Mortgage Confidential gives readers the confidence and information they need to get through this complicated process and find the ideal loan for their needs.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This book provides the roadmap to steering clear of certain traps of the mortgage game.” --Sunday Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ)

“[Reed] gets better with each book he writes. You can read this book and laugh out loud while actually learning.” --The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH)

“The only people who should read Mortgage Confidential by mortgage broker David Reed are home buyers who want to avoid unnecessary mortgage fees, homeowners who want to refinance and save money, and real estate agents looking out for the best interests of their buyers…. This is one of the very few real estate books that cannot be recommended too highly. It is easy to understand, but, more importantly, it includes mortgage secrets not revealed elsewhere. On my scale of one to 10, this outstanding book rates an off-the-chart 12.” --Robert Bruss, nationally syndicated real estate columnist

"Mortgage Confidential is like reading CliffNotes for Shakespeare's Hamlet....Reed breaks fown the lingo of the industry and provides good unbiased information that will help you ask the right questions and avoid getting snookered. If you don't want to be like a third of homeowners who don't know what type of loan they have, get this book." --Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, nationally syndicated columnist

“This consumer-oriented book is easy to understand, but, more important, it includes mortgage secrets not revealed elsewhere.” --Los Angeles Times

Book Description

"Mortgage Confidential is an insider’s look at the mortgage process for anyone concerned with getting the best deal (and not being taken advantage of) while financing their home. The book goes beyond the basics, revealing the options lenders don’t often divulge to their clients, what they really look for before they approve a loan, which costs they have control over, little-known sources of down payment money, and whether to trust loan officers recommended by Realtors. The book tells readers everything their lender won't, including how to:

* qualify for a larger loan

* avoid credit repair scams

* complete the loan application to maximize the chances of approval

* pay zero closing costs

* avoid origination charges

* determine whether paying ""points"" can save them money

* know when a loan officer is lying

* identify a ""rip-off"" loan program

* and more!

Whether looking into securing a mortgage for the first time or seeking to refinance, Mortgage Confidential gives readers the confidence and information they need to get through this complicated process and find the ideal loan for their needs."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 17 and up
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM (December 8, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814473695
• ISBN-13: 978-0814473696
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #293,524 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #61 in Books > Business & Investing > Real Estate > Mortgages

More About the Author

David Reed (Austin, TX) is the author of Mortgages 101, Mortgage Confidential, Your Successful Career as a Mortgage Broker , The Real Estate Investor's Guide to Financing, Your Guide to VA Loans and Decoding the New Mortgage Market. As a Senior Loan Officer and Mortgage Executive he closed more than 2,000 mortgage loans over the course of more than 20 years in commercial and residential mortgage lending.

He is Principal of and Lead Writer for CD REED Professional Writers Group, dedicated to web-based marketing, content writing and search engine optimization for the Real Estate, Financial and Mortgage Industries. He has written copy for literally hundreds of websites, authored countless articles and is an expert in Search Engine Optimization.

He has appeared on CNN, CNBC, Fox Business, Fox and Friends and the Today In New York show. His advice has appeared in the New York Times, Parade Magazine, Washington Post and Kiplinger's as well as in newspapers and magazines throughout the country. He is married and a father of three in Austin. His website can be found at www.cdreed.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Home Run!, December 21, 2006

By 

Gary Frimann (Gilroy, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mortgage Confidential: What You Need to Know That Your Lender Won't Tell You (Paperback)

Author David Reed has done it again! I read his first book, Mortgages 101 and like it so much that I bought this one without any deliberation. I have been reading his column in Realty Times for years, and always enjoyed them.
In a clear, concise, easy to read manner, the author has set forth in simple and easy to understand terms the truth about mortgages and mortgage lending. Everything is explained, such as where mortgage money comes from, to how Annual Percentage Rate is determined to shopping for a loan and (hopefully) avoiding some "junk" fees. Also included is the commonly misunderstood diferrences between a Bank, a Mortgage Bank, and a Mortgage Broker. All this ads up to a great book to read for the consumer who is shopping for a mortgage loan. Details too numerous to explain here, but you won't regret buying this book, if you are eithar purchasing a home or refinancing. The "confidential" part of the title is the stuff Loan Agents know, and he has made it available to the reader.

One very miniscule flaw I picked up, with perhaps no relevance, is on page 150: It states that rate caps protect you, "even if they go into the 20% range as they did in the late 1980s." I think he meant the early 1980s. A time we'd all like to forget...

Another interesting thing I picked up was that he did address the once popular pick-a-payment loan, which I like in certain circumstances and he has disdained in his column. They do work well for some people in some situations, and I was glad to see him recognize that (page 159), although he does advise to people to avoid them. Glad to see a slight concession.

This is a highly informative book, which doesn't include a lot of math (the only math, really, is easy to understand graphics), which makes it the best book on the market to easily understand the whole process of lending- being a consumer or loan officer. Good job on this book Mr. Reed! Buy this book--you won't regret it...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended, August 31, 2007

By 

James (Seattle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mortgage Confidential: What You Need to Know That Your Lender Won't Tell You (Paperback)

This is a well-written easy-to-follow book that keeps you glued to it. The only small criticisms I have are that the book really should have a bullet-point summary at the end of each chapter so readers can refer to for practical use. There is so much to remember that as written, it is not in a format enabling one to use in the real world unless you memorize everything.

Also, the book would have been more useful if it were written a few years ago. Now and in the future, some of the secrets exposed will not be applicable due to the expected overhaul of this corrupt and abusive industry. However, many things won't change. Even still, these changes will take several years. Therefore, this book is a must-read if you plan to get a mortgage. If I could, I would give it a 9 of 10 stars (instead of 4 of 5). Overall, well done. We need more books exposing the corruption and deceit by industries in America.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An invaluable guide., February 6, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mortgage Confidential: What You Need to Know That Your Lender Won't Tell You (Paperback)

David Reed's MORTGAGE CONFIDENTIAL: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT YOUR LENDER WON'T TELL YOU tells everything a lender won't about what they really look for in an application before approving a loan, and is a pick for any solid real estate collection and for any who would understand the loan process. From qualifications for different size loans to avoiding scams and maximizing chances for loan approval, MORTGAGE CONFIDENTIAL is an invaluable guide.