Mortgages Books

The Subprime Solution: How Today's Global Financial Crisis Happened, and What to Do about It

Robert J. Shiller

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Princeton University Press Amazon Marketplace: 48 new & used starting at $9.95

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Economics -> General AAS
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Industries & Professions -> Banks & Banking
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Popular Economics -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The subprime mortgage crisis has already wreaked havoc on the lives of millions of people and now it threatens to derail the U.S. economy and economies around the world. In this trenchant book, best-selling economist Robert Shiller reveals the origins of this crisis and puts forward bold measures to solve it. He calls for an aggressive response--a restructuring of the institutional foundations of the financial system that will not only allow people once again to buy and sell homes with confidence, but will create the conditions for greater prosperity in America and throughout the deeply interconnected world economy.

Shiller blames the subprime crisis on the irrational exuberance that drove the economy's two most recent bubbles--in stocks in the 1990s and in housing between 2000 and 2007. He shows how these bubbles led to the dangerous overextension of credit now resulting in foreclosures, bankruptcies, and write-offs, as well as a global credit crunch. To restore confidence in the markets, Shiller argues, bailouts are needed in the short run. But he insists that these bailouts must be targeted at low-income victims of subprime deals. In the longer term, the subprime solution will require leaders to revamp the financial framework by deploying an ambitious package of initiatives to inhibit the formation of bubbles and limit risks, including better financial information; simplified legal contracts and regulations; expanded markets for managing risks; home equity insurance policies; income-linked home loans; and new measures to protect consumers against hidden inflationary effects.

This powerful book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how we got into the subprime mess--and how we can get out.

Financial Shock: A 360º Look at the Subprime Mortgage Implosion, and How to Avoid the Next Financial Crisis

Mark Zandi

Amazon Price: $16.49 List Price: $24.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: FT Press Amazon Marketplace: 39 new & used starting at $12.49

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Economics
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Finance -> General AAS
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Investing -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 82 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

"In Financial Shock, Mr. Zandi provides a concise and lucid account of the economic, political and regulatory forces behind this binge." --The Wall Street Journal "Aggressive builders, greedy lenders, optimistic home buyers: Zandi succinctly dissects the mortgage mess from start to (one hopes) finish." --U.S. News and World Report "If you wonder how it could be possible for a subprime mortgage loan to bring the global financial system and the U.S. economy to its knees, you should read this book. No one is better qualified to provide this insight and advice than Mark Zandi." -- Larry Kudlow, Host, CNBC's Kudlow & Company "Every once in a while a book comes along that's so important, it commands recognition. This is one of them. Zandi provides a rilliant blow-by-blow account of how greed, stupidity, and recklessness brought the first major economic crises of the 21st entury and the most serious since the Great Depression." --Bernard Baumohl,Managing Director, The Economic Outlook Group and best-selling author, The Secrets of Economic Indicators "Throughout the financial crisis Mark Zandi has played two important roles.He has insightfully analyzed its causes and thoughtfully recommended steps to alleviate it. This book continues those tasks and adds a third--providing a comprehensive and comprehensible explanation of the issues that is accessible to the general public and extremely useful to those who specialize in the area." --Barney Frank, Chairman, House Financial Services Committee The subprime crisis created a gigantic financial catastrophe. What happened? How did it happen? How can we prevent similar crises from happening again? Mark Zandi answers all these critical questions--systematically, carefully, and in plain English. Zandi begins with a fast-paced overview and then illuminates the deepest causes, from the psychology of homeownership to Alan Greenspan's missteps. You'll see the home "flippers" at work and the real estate agents who cheered them on. You'll learn how Internet technology and access to global capital transformed the mortgage industry, helping irresponsible lenders drive out good ones.Zandi demystifies the complex financial engineering that enabled lenders to hide deepening risks, shows how global investors eagerly bought in, and explains how flummoxed regulators failed to prevent disaster, despite crucial warning signs. Most important, Zandi offers indispensable advice for investors who must recognize emerging bubbles, policymakers who must improve oversight, and citizens who must survive whatever comes next. *Liar's loans, flippers, predatory lenders, delusional homebuilders How the housing market came unhinged, and the whirlwind came together*Alan Greenspan's trillion-dollar bet Betting on the boom, ignoring the bubble*The subprime market goes global Worldwide investors get a piece of the action--and reap the results*Wall Street's alchemists: conjuring up Frankenstein New financial instruments and their hidden contents*Back to the future: risk management for the 21st century Respecting the "animal spirits" that drive even the most sophisticated markets

Confessions of a Subprime Lender: An Insider's Tale of Greed, Fraud, and Ignorance

Richard Bitner

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 57 new & used starting at $10.53

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Real Estate -> Mortgages
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Real Estate -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Real Estate -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Lucid, informed, and on point 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I'll cut to the chase. This is one of the best books I have yet read on the subprime mortgage situation. The narrative is clear and specific, explanations sufficient without getting lost in excessive technicalities. The set of recommendations is practical and well based in the author's extensive experience and observations. No one book gives the whole picture, but Confessions of a Subprime Lender should be on every recommended reading list for those interested in the subject, in my opinion. (The Trillion Dollar Meltdown belongs on the same list.)

Editorial Review:

Former subprime lender Richard Bitner once worked in an industry that started out helping disadvantaged customers but collapsed due to greed, lack of financial control and willful ignorance. In Confessions of a Subprime Lender: An Insider's Tale of Greed, Fraud, and Ignorance, he reveals the truth about how the subprime lending business spiraled out of control, pushed home prices to unsustainable levels, and turned unqualified applicants into qualified borrowers through creative financing. Learn about the ways the mortgage industry can be fixed with his twenty suggestions for critical change.

Mortgages For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Eric Tyson, Ray Brown

Amazon Price: $11.55 List Price: $16.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: John Wiley & Sons Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $4.95

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Personal Finance -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Personal Finance -> General AAS
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Popular Economics -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

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

Mortgage Ripoffs and Money Savers: An Industry Insider Explains How to Save Thousands on Your Mortgage or Re-Finance

Carolyn Warren

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 50 new & used starting at $8.48

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Personal Finance -> Credit Ratings & Repair
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Popular Economics -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Popular Economics -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 64 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

mortgage rip-offs and money savers 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a great book for anyone thinking of taking out a loan for a home or home equity. This book can literally save you thousands of dollars and give you a good working knowledge of the mortgage industry and all the scams they run to drive up their profit at your expense.

Editorial Review:

Mortgage Rip-offs and Money Savers reveals how the mortgage industry cheats borrowers out of billions in extra costs every year. Mortgage industry insider Carolyn Warren taps her decade of experience with lenders to expose the tricks, lies, and dirty little secrets they don't want you to know. With her expert guidance, borrowers will save tens of thousands when they avoid the traps so many consumers fall into. Having this inside information is the only way borrowers can truly get the best possible deal. This book presents that knowledge in an interesting and easy format that anyone can understand. Readers won't be victims of the mortgage industry with this invaluable resource in hand. Instead, they'll get the best possible rates, avoid bogus fees, and get the great deal they deserve.

Mortgage Encyclopedia: An Authoritative Guide to Mortgage Programs, Practices, Prices and Pitfalls

Jack Guttentag

Amazon Price: $14.93 List Price: $21.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: McGraw-Hill Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $3.50

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Reference -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Reference -> General AAS
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Real Estate -> Investments

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

A one-stop reference for in-depth explanations of mortgage topics

With the creation of so many new, complex mortgage programs, it's difficult for consumers --not to mention real estate agents, attorneys, closing agents, and mortgage brokers--to keep track of them all. Written by nationally syndicated real estate columnist Jack Guttentag, The Mortgage Encyclopedia helps readers understand the various mortgage terms, features, and options by offering clear, precise explanations. The alphabetical organization of terms makes it easy to quickly find information on any topic, from FHA, Investor, and No-PMI Loans to Origination Fee and Rate Float. Each entry includes not just a description of the term, but also relevant advice for consumers, such as answers to the questions "Is this loan right for me?" and "Can I negotiate this fee?"

• Guides readers through the bewildering array of new mortgage programs
• Features definitions and explanations of common mortgage, escrow, and closing fees and arcane mortgage terminology

Plunder: Investigating Our Economic Calamity and the Subprime Scandal

Danny Schechter

Amazon Price: $13.45 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Cosimo Books Amazon Marketplace: 17 new & used starting at $13.45

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Industries & Professions -> Banks & Banking
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Real Estate -> Mortgages
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Current Events -> Conspiracy Theories

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The best book on the current economic meltdown 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Danny Schechter has compiled a brilliant book based on his documentary work, In Debt We Trust, as well as his news dissector blog. Within the covers of the new book, Plunder, you will find three sections that will help you to a) understand what happened, b) what the unfolding timeline of the events were and c) why the powers that be kept news like this from us all. Speaking truth to power, Schechter has had a difficult time letting the world know just what was as plain as could be, if you really took the time to look for the sources that could be trusted. I highly encourage anyone who wants to help avert further disasters, man-made ones, to read this book in order to learn how to do it. Danny Schechter is a great teacher as well as a great news hound.

Editorial Review:

From the author of THE MORE YOU WATCH THE LESS YOU KNOW, NEWS DISSECTOR and WHEN NEWS LIES...

Americans under a burden that many will never crawl out of.

* PLUNDER identifies some of the profiteers and calls for an investigation of those behind this shrewdly engineered subprime scheme. * PLUNDER indicts the regulators who enabled the crisis and the media that missed it. * PLUNDER advocates a debt-relief movement in America and argues that such a movement would resonate across the political spectrum.

"Social critic and journalistic provocateur - Danny Schechter - deserves our appreciation for identifying yet another crucially important issue that has been ignored by the mainstream media and our national leaders." - Robert D. Manning, Professor and Director of the Center for Consumer Financial Services, Rochester Institute of Technology

Real Estate Finance And Investments (Real Estate Finance and Investments)

William Brueggeman, Jeffrey Fisher

Amazon Price: $123.11 Usually ships in 24 hours By: McGraw-Hill/Irwin Amazon Marketplace: 79 new & used starting at $96.29

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Real Estate -> Investments
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Real Estate -> Mortgages
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Real Estate -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

aspects of professional investment 4 out of 5 stars.
13 of 15 people found this review helpful.

For serious investors pondering whether to indulge in real estate, this book provides an indepth look at the factors you should be aware of. It explains the main types of real estate - residential, commercial, industrial. Each has its quirks, with its own pricing, investment history and tax considerations.

For example, there is consideration of foreclosed homes. Giving an analysis of the costs of buying this REO from a bank and then fixing it up for resale. The different types of acquisition fees you are likely to encounter are given. Along related lines, there is a study of a personal residence. Should you rent or own this? The conclusions can and will vary with market conditions and geography. Unlike what a realtor might tell you, the book has no automatic bias towards owning a home.

On a larger scale, the book tells how to evaluate many types of property for income streams. Along with possible financial leverages schemes, to bootstrap your portfolio.

Editorial Review:

Rigorous yet practical, Real Estate Finance and Investments has been the leading real estate finance and investments text for over 25 years, consistently setting the standard for currency and coverage in real estate finance and investments textbooks.. . The 13th edition continues to provide students with the tools they need to understand and analyze real estate markets and the investment alternatives available to both debt and equity investors. New content and problems addressing current trends in real estate finance and investments have been seamlessly incorporated into the text, without disrupting the material and organization instructors have relied on in past editions..

Stop Foreclosure Now: The Complete Guide to Saving Your Home and Your Credit

Lloyd Segal

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: AMACOM Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $10.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Industries & Professions -> Purchasing & Buying
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Real Estate -> Mortgages
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Real Estate -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A pure gem of wisdom, knowledge and power 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

As a principle, I stay far away from self help and you-can-do-it-yourself books, because more often than not, their authors seem to have the secret ambition of turning clueless reader/user into experts on their subject matters. Mr. Segal's book does not supply the reader with needless information on foreclosure, short sales and related matters: it simply provides very straightforward answers to all the fundamental questions the distressed homeowner actually has and to which he/she is seeking concrete answers to get out of a difficult situation. Plain and simple.
.
What more, the book is remarkably clearly written, and structured in such a way that the user/reader does not spend a minute agonizing over where to start, what chapters to read, or what information could be relevant given his or her particular circumstances. This book is in fact very results-oriented, and explores right from the start different viable solutions; from there, the reader/user is then guided through his or her solution, or best alternative option very steadfastly by the author. In that regard, I have to admire Mr. Segal's great ability to navigate the reader/user through a complex situation with surprisingly simple solutions, and his ability to put himself in the shoes of a distressed homeowner. Truly amazing!

Now. I came across, and bought this book when was entangled in a seemingly dead end situation: I had tried - rather very unsuccessfully-- to sell my house on which I owed more than the current market value, from 2 different lenders; my real estate agent, and real estate lawyer had both given up on my case; I felt trapped, and I was angered by the situation. When they let me down, I freezed, and was basically waiting for doom to loom on me. " Stop Foreclosure Now. Save your house if you can; save your credit if you can't" did not merely give me hope to find a way out. It actually empowered me overnight to take charge of my situation, by equipping me with the knowledge, tools, and information needed to engage with lenders and people in the real estate community in an intelligible and articulated manner about my case. Indeed, as a read the book, I could see myself evolving from a state of desperation and disempowerment to a state of mind where I could see new opportunities emerging from my obviously desparate situation. In that respect, one of the key lessons of the book, from a homeowner's perspective is Mr' Segal's take that foreclosure is not the end of it all; as a matter of fact, it could actually be the best thing happening to a homeowner seeking a fresh beginning in homeownership.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone, -- distressed homeowner or not -- who wants to engage intelligibly with lenders, or real estate folks on a foreclosure case, and work out a viable solution for herself or himself. Given the current real estate market, this book is simply a gem of wisdom, knowledge and power.

Editorial Review:

Americans are losing their homes in record numbers, and the housing crisis seems unlikely to subside any time soon. Many people faced with foreclosure feel helpless and resigned to giving up their homes without even trying to save them. With the right advice, however, homeowners can take control of the situation, avoid foreclosure proceedings, and even protect their credit. Timely and indispensible, this guide will help anyone survive the housing crisis and preserve their most important investment.

Mortgage Free!, Second Edition: Innovative Strategies for Debt Free Home Ownership

Robert L. Roy

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Chelsea Green Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 9 new & used starting at $16.47

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Personal Finance -> Budgeting & Money Management
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Real Estate -> Buying & Selling Homes
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Real Estate -> Mortgages

Editorial Review:

As a wave of foreclosures sweeps the country, many people are giving up hope for owning a home of their own. They have good reason to turn their backs on the banks, but not on their dreams. In this revised edition of Mortgage Free!, Rob Roy offers a series of escape routes from enslavement to financial institutions, underscored by true stories of intrepid homeowners who have put their principles into action.

From back-to-the-land homesteads to country homes, here is a complete guide to strategies that allow you to own your land and home, free and clear, without the bank. Included is detailed advice about:

• Clarifying and simplifying your notions of what’s necessary;
• Finding land that you love and can afford;
• Taking control of the house-building process, for the sake of sanity and pleasure;
  and
• Learning to take a long-term perspective on your family’s crucial economic decisions, avoiding debt and modern-day serfdom.