From Library Journal
Turnauer, a veteran of the mortgage industry and owner of a California-based national mortgage brokerage, shows how the mortgage application process has become an impersonal nightmare influenced by nationwide suitability criteria. Individuals applying for a mortgage will benefit from the advice Turnauer offers here. He illustrates the importance of selecting property that fits well-defined present and future needs. After discussing the various types of mortgages available, he reviews the decision process the mortgage company is likely to use in considering not only whether the loan will be given but at what rate. He provides a helpful glossary and numerous references to World Wide Web sites. Recommended to update personal finance collections. (Software not available for review.)?Joseph Barth, U.S. Military Acad. Lib., West Point,
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
The Internet has added another dimension to--if not completely revolutionized--the way people look for jobs, shop, and communicate with one another; and new applications and innovations are being made almost daily. Turnauer is a mortgage broker who has been in the business for 17 years, and he shows how the processes of finding and getting a mortgage have been transformed by computers. Much of his book is devoted to a standard attempt to demystify mortgages, explaining the various types and options and how the application and approval process works. But he also shows how many of the steps in loan approval and property appraisal have been automated and how this may or may not work to an applicant's advantage. Turnauer includes QualifyR, a software program written in Visual Basic 3.0 that enables applicants to duplicate the steps in the lenders' approval process. The program also helps calculate various mortgage payment options, and, finally, Turnauer identifies sites on the World Wide Web that offer mortgage information.
David Rouse