The Underwater Mortgage: How to Survive Your Sinking Ship While Keeping Your Sense of Humor by Bud and Kristin Gragg gives you all the help you need to make the right financial decision now for you and your family. Power-packed with tips, tricks, and techniques available only here, The Underwater Mortgage can keep you afloat and save your financial peace of mind. The authors teach you how to put all the cards on the table and, most importantly, stack them in your favor. Their book documents their experience-from the rise of their significant portfolio (over $24 million in investment real estate), through the economic perfect storm, and ultimately how they got their family to higher ground.

An up-to-date look at the latest innovations in mortgage-backed securities

Since the last edition of Mortgage-Backed Securities was published over three years ago, much has changed in the structured credit market. Frank Fabozzi, Anand Bhattacharya, and William Berliner all have many years of experience working in the fixed-income securitization markets, and have witnessed many cycles of change in the mortgage and MBS sectors. And now, with the Second Edition of Mortgage-Backed Securities, they share their knowledge on many of the products and structuring innovations that have taken place since the financial crisis and fiscal reform.

Written in a straightforward and accessible style, and containing numerous illustrations, this timely guide skillfully addresses the investment characteristics, creation, and analysis of mortgage-backed securities. Each chapter contains cutting-edge concepts that you'll need to understand in order to thrive within this arena.Discusses the dynamic interaction between the mortgage industry, home prices, and credit performanceAddresses revised valuation techniques in which all non-agency MBS must be treated as credit piecesExamines the shift in this marketplace since the crisis and the impact on industry and investors

Filled with in-depth insights and expert advice, Mortgage-Backed Securities, Second Edition offers you a realistic assessment of this field and outlines the products, structures, and analytical techniques you need to know about in this evolving arena.

The financial collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2008 led to one of the most sweeping government interventions in private financial markets in history. The bailout has already cost American taxpayers close to $150 billion, and substantially more will be needed. The U.S. economy–and by extension, the global financial system–has a lot riding on Fannie and Freddie. They cannot fail, yet that is precisely what these mortgage giants are guaranteed to do. How can we limit the damage to our economy, and avoid making the same mistakes in the future?

Guaranteed to Fail explains how poorly designed government guarantees for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac led to the debacle of mortgage finance in the United States, weighs different reform proposals, and provides sensible, practical recommendations. Despite repeated calls for tougher action, Washington has expanded the scope of its guarantees to Fannie and Freddie, fueling more and more housing and mortgages all across the economy–and putting all of us at risk. This book unravels the dizzyingly immense, highly interconnected businesses of Fannie and Freddie. It proposes a unique model of reform that emphasizes public-private partnership, one that can serve as a blueprint for better organizing and managing government-sponsored enterprises like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In doing so, Guaranteed to Fail strikes a cautionary note about excessive government intervention in markets.

With real estate prices at their lowest in years and the economy poised for a rebound, it's an opportune time to invest in commercial real estate. But credit and financing issues can still pose challenges that prospective borrowers must overcome in order to get the money and mortgage terms they need. Commercial Mortgages 101 is a step-by-step guide for both real estate investors and mortgage brokers, offering insight, practical tools and a thorough overview of commercial mortgage underwriting and credit analysis. Readers will learn how to: Think and speak like a commercial real estate lender * Quickly size and under write a basic commercial real estate loan * Prepare a personal cash flow statement and calculate true net worth and liquidity * Read and interpret a lender's preliminary loan proposal * Create a Schedule of Real Estate Owned * Prepare a persuasive and professional loan request package * Choose the right form of ownership (including LP, LLC, Co-tenancy and others) * And more Both thorough and timely, Commercial Mortgages 101 reveals what readers need to ensure their loans are approved.

A clear look at how to capture investment profits during difficult financial times

The U.S. economy has become crippled by the credit and real estate catastrophe. Even though we've all been affected by the calamity and have heard no shortage of news about it, it still seems unfathomable and utterly incomprehensible to most people that the actions of certain mortgage brokers, bankers, ratings agencies, and investment banks could break the economic engine of the world.

Now, for the first time, and in terms everyone can grasp, noted analysts and value investing experts Whitney Tilson and Glenn Tongue explain not only how it happened, but shows that the tsunami of credit problems isn't over. The second wave has yet to come. But if you know catastrophe is looming, you can sidestep the train wreck-and even profit. You just need to understand how bad times present opportunity and where to look. More Mortgage Meltdown can help you achieve this goal. The book
Breaks down the complex mortgage products and rocket-science securities Wall Street createdAddresses how to find investment opportunities within the rubble and position your portfolio to take advantage of the crisisExplains exactly how the combination of aggressive lending, government missteps, and Wall Street trading practices created the perfect economic stormShows you why the crisis is not yet over and what we can expect going forward

More Mortgage Meltdown can help you understand the events that have unfolded, and put you in a better position to profit from the opportunities that arise during these tough financial times.

Fight Foreclosure! offers a practical, step-by-step system for taking action to prevent foreclosure on your home before it?s too late. If you?re having trouble keeping up with your payments, the worst thing you can do is nothing. This book explores all your options, weighs the pros and cons of each, and explains the pre-foreclosure process in detail. Plus, it points out the too-good-to-be-true credit repair offers you should avoid and gives you real, practical alternatives that help you help yourself before it?s too late.

Find The Home Mortgage That's Right For You

Finding the right mortgage can be complex, confusing, and frustrating. But that doesn't mean you have to settle for anything other than the terms you want. This indispensable and newly updated second edition of How to Save Thousands of Dollars on Your Home Mortgage spells out everything mortgage hunters need to know in clear and accessible terms. It covers more loan alternatives than any other book and examines the importance of discount points. It offers complete details on virtually every mortgage option currently available, what advantages each option offers, how to choose the right one for your needs, and how to save money in the process. New information in this edition will help you use the Internet to find a home and get a mortgage, examine automated underwriting models and conforming loan limits, and weigh new shopping strategies. Easy-to-read charts and graphs, helpful sample forms, and numerous examples will help you understand:
* First-time buyers programs
* APR, buy-downs, reverse mortgages, accelerated payoffs, and zero point loans
* Refinancing strategies
* Closing costs, lender fees, and other expenses
* How to dispute credit report errors and fix credit problems
* How to use the Internet for loan analysis

This Is the Book Lenders DON’T Want You to Read.EMPOWERING HOMEOWNERS TO SHOP, MANAGE, AND ELIMINATE MORTGAGE DEBTA mortgage is simply a pile of money. So why the complexity? Because the mortgage industry makes it that way. And the industry enslaves homeowners to mortgage debt.Mind Your Own Mortgage changes the game by revealing inside information previously used against you. Now you are in charge: * Shop with confidence—an exclusive, automated system helps you find the best price—it’s as easy as buying a gallon of gas * Identify slick sales gimmicks and lender manipulation * Refinance only when it make sense for you—not for the mortgage company * Eliminate your mortgage in record time—so your retirement years include retirementAVOID HOUSING MELTDOWN #2Despite the collapse, today’s system invites you to make the same mistakes all over again. Steer clear—only a sound mortgage will build a strong household economy. And a strong household economy is good for America, too.Stocked with compelling real-life scenarios, budgeting tips, and powerful financial tools, Mind Your Own Mortgage is a timely wake-up call for homeowners and a candid decree that the American dream is still possible—if we dramatically rethink the way we finance our homes.IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE. IT’S TIME TO MIND YOUR OWN MORTGAGE. “Whether you’re getting a new mortgage, refinancing an old one, or dealing with the mortgage you have already, you won’t find a better mortgage coach than my friend, Rob Bernabé.” —Mary Hunt, personal finance expert, best-selling author, and CEO of Debt-Proof Living“Finally, consumers have what they need to hold any mortgage provider accountable.” ?R. Jarret Lilien, founder and managing partner of Bendigo Partners and former president and COO of E*Trade Financial

An updated and revised look at the truth behind America's housing and mortgage bubbles

In the summer of 2007, the subprime empire that Wall Street had built all came crashing down. On average, fifty lenders a month were going bust-and the people responsible for the crisis included not just unregulated loan brokers and con artists, but also investment bankers and home loan institutions traditionally perceived as completely trustworthy.

Chain of Blame chronicles this incredible disaster, with a specific focus on the players who participated in such a fundamentally flawed fiasco. In it, authors Paul Muolo and Mathew Padilla reveal the truth behind how this crisis occurred, including what individuals and institutions were doing during this critical time, and who is ultimately responsible for what happened.Discusses the latest revelations in the housing and mortgage crisis, including the SEC's charging of Angelo Mozilo Two well-regarded financial journalists familiar with the events that have taken place chronicle the crisis in detail, showing what happened as well as what lies aheadDiscusses how the world's largest investment banks, homeowners, lenders, credit rating agencies, underwriters, and investors all became entangled in the subprime mess

Intriguing and informative, Chain of Blame is a compelling story of greed and avarice, one in which many are responsible, but few are willing to admit their mistakes.