"Managing a Consumer Lending Business" summarizes the lore and the knowledge of the business as the new century begins. It covers many subjects a good manager should know: the importance of how to attract enough good accounts to offset the inevitable bad accounts that every lender will get, controlling line sizes, encouraging use by good customers/discouraging or controlling the bad customers, managing profitability with predictability, if he or she is to effectively run a high-volume consumer business.

Author: David Lawrence, Arlene Solomon
Paperback: 288 pages
Company: Solomon Lawrence Partners (2002-07)
ISBN: 0971753709
List Price: $50.00
Amazon Price: $48.00

This may be the best comprehensive guide for home buyers. Home Buying for Dummies is coauthored by Eric Tyson, author of several other books in the For Dummies series, and Ray Brown, a long-time real estate professional. Like other books in the series, this one is an easy and even entertaining read. But it does not gloss over details in pursuit of simplicity. Home Buying for Dummies covers all the bases, providing clear explanations and reasonable judgments on how to select a mortgage, hire a real estate agent, find the right house, and negotiate a good deal. The book goes further than most in providing helpful, specific information. For example, in discussing ways to save money for a future down payment, Home Buying for Dummies even includes the phone numbers for various mutual funds appropriate to different investment time frames. --Barry Mitzman

Author: Eric Tyson, Ray Brown
Paperback: 408 pages
Company: Wiley (2006-02-06)
ISBN: 0471768472
List Price: $21.99
Amazon Price: $8.50
Used Price: $8.09

A bold manifesto by two business leaders, A Billion Bootstraps shows why microcredit is the world's most powerful poverty-fighting movement-and an unbeatable investment for your charitable donations.

A Billion Bootstraps unearths the roots of the microcredit revolution, revealing how the pioneering work of people such as Dr. Muhammad Yunus-winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize-is giving hope to billions. Philanthropist and self-made millionaire Phil Smith and microcredit expert and consultant Eric Thurman provide a riveting narrative that explores how these small loans, arranged by “barefoot bankers,” enable impoverished people to start small businesses, support their families, and improve local economies. By paying back their loans instead of simply accepting handouts, men and women around the world are continually giving others the same opportunity to change their futures.

Smith and Thurman also examine why traditional charity programs, while providing short-term relief, often perpetuate the problems they are trying to alleviate, and how applying investment principles to philanthropy is the key to reversing poverty permanently.

A Billion Bootstraps explains how ordinary people can accelerate the microcredit movement by investing charitable donations in specific programs and then leveraging those contributions so the net cost to lift one person out of poverty is remarkably low. You'll discover how to get more for your money by donating with the mind-set of an investor and calculating measurable returns-returns that will change lives and societies forever.

Author: Philip Smith, Eric Thurman
Hardcover: 224 pages
Company: McGraw-Hill (2007-02-07)
ISBN: 0071489975
List Price: $24.95
Amazon Price: $12.20
Used Price: $9.35

The procedure of buying a home can be a scary experience. There are a lot of people to deal with, from realtors to attorneys to bankers. There's tons of paperwork with terms and vocabulary that read like a foreign language. In this new book you will find vital information and great strategies that will allow you to find your dream home faster and feel confident about the purchase. You will learn to avoid some of the most prevalent—and potentially dangerous and expensive—mistakes made by first-time home buyers.

According to Money Magazine, "Over the past five years, home values nationally have risen 65 percent while the stock market has fallen." Now is the time to get into the real estate marketplace. With the help of this comprehensive new guide, you will learn how to find the best opportunities, negotiating, financing, budgets, needs and wants, credit reports, home-buying timeline, the process of building a house, manufactured homes, real estate and mortgage glossaries, setting values, home warranties, homeowners insurance, creative financing, buying with little or no money down, closing, moving plans, walk-throughs, closing and settlement inspections, legal contracts, mortgages, what you can afford, deciding which neighborhood to choose, hiring a realtor, which government agencies can help, considerations for veterans, IRA use, hiring an attorney, the offer, calculating monthly payments, and escrow.

This comprehensive resource contains a wealth of modern tips and strategies for financing and closing on a property. The author shows readers how to find out how much they're really worth, how to uncover unknown assets, and how to enhance credit ratings within six months, provides information and suggestions on everything from no-down-payment mortgages to finding the right agent. It leads you down the path to home ownership, one step at a time. Though you may be relatively cash-poor or have a less-than-perfect credit rating, you can acquire a mortgage and find the house you've always wanted.

Paperback: 288 pages
Company: Atlantic Publishing Company (2006-09-12)
ISBN: 0910627703
List Price: $21.95
Amazon Price: $13.50
Used Price: $10.59

For seniors who live on a fixed income, owning a home—and keeping it—can be financially challenging. Rather than face the choice of selling your home and moving or becoming a home-owning pauper, reverse mortgage products let seniors convert part of their equity into tax-free income that can be used for anything—even mortgage payments, living expenses, or medical costs.

Reverse Mortgages For Dummies covers all the basics of reverse mortgage products so you and your adult children can understand and take full advantage of these handy loans—and keep the home you love. Covering a full range of reverse mortgage options and topics, you’ll discover how to:

• Decide if a reverse mortgage is right for you
• Shop for the best reverse mortgage products
• Find out if your home is eligible
• Find a counselor who can help you

Written by Sarah Lyons, an Assistant Editor at Mortgage Originator magazine, and John Lucas, an experienced reverse mortgage specialist, Reverse Mortgages For Dummies explains these helpful loan products in simple, easy-to-understand language free of all the jargon. Once you understand how reverse mortgages differ from other loans—and what you could do with your reverse mortgage—the book covers the specifics you need to find the right loan for you, including:

• Special advice for adult children helping their senior parents secure a loan
• How to get a reverse mortgage and keep your second home legally
• Property requirements and financing fees
• Selecting among a multitude of lenders
• Spending and estimating leftover equity
• Sharing the decision-making process with family and loved ones

If you’re a senior wondering whether a reverse mortgage can help you keep your home, this book gives you the information you need to make smart, informed decisions that are vital to you, and your family’s, security. Reverse Mortgages For Dummies will help you keep your home and live the life you want.

Author: Sarah Glendon Lyons, John E. Lucas
Paperback: 285 pages
Company: For Dummies (2005-06-24)
ISBN: 0764584464
List Price: $16.99
Amazon Price: $7.66
Used Price: $5.35

One of America's top real estate authorities explains the inside secrets of the mortgage business

Each year, more than ten million American homebuyers, homeowners, and realty investors enter the mortgage arena to finance or refinance their homes and rental properties. And each year, millions of borrowers pay more than they have to. But you won't be one of them with Gary Eldred's 106 Mortgage Secrets All Homebuyers Must Learn-But Lenders Don't Tell.

Eldred explains all of your mortgage options and gives you the inside information you need to make the most intelligent money-saving choices. He simplifies the complicated math of mortgage financing and tells you how to make sure your loan rep is being honest with you. He covers every aspect of the mortgage process and highlights the key criteria you should always consider when making your decision. With these 106 secrets, you'll have the confidence and the knowledge to:

• Increase your borrowing power
• Get the lowest interest rate
• Understand ARMs
• Cut the cost of mortgage insurance
• Save big with seller financing, foreclosures, and REOs
• Perfect your credit profile
• Avoid getting taken by the fine print
• Get maximum return on your home investment

There's no reason to get a good mortgage, when you can get the perfect one for you. Simple, concise, and comprehensive, this book covers everything mortgage hunters should know-especially the 106 secrets lenders don't want to reveal.

Author: Gary W. Eldred
Paperback: 256 pages
Company: Wiley (2003-03-21)
ISBN: 0471263958
List Price: $16.95
Amazon Price: $7.92
Used Price: $8.73

LEVERAGE THE LOANS AND FINANCING THAT CAN GIVE YOU BIG PROFITS!

You don’t have to wait for years saving up your first down payment before you start investing in real estate. Instead, you can put up a small percentage of a down payment and let a loan from the bank finance the rest. When it’s time to sell, you pay the bank for the original loan, and any profit goes right in your pocket.

But even seasoned real estate investors need a guide to help them through the maze of different loan products and financing options that banks offer. Real estate finance expert Steve Dexter takes you into the hidden world of leveraged investing-essentially using “other people's money” to earn massive profits. With simple, straightforward advice, this book…

• Offers strategies for minimizing a down payment in order to maximize investment return
• Simplifies all tax issues related to real estate debt
• Gives strategies on making yourself more creditworthy
• Provides bonus insider advice on how to find the best properties

Author: Steve Dexter
Paperback: 256 pages
Company: McGraw-Hill (2006-10-17)
ISBN: 0071472819
List Price: $21.95
Amazon Price: $11.00
Used Price: $13.00

In recent years, stock market investing has been proven unstable and not very rewarding. In fact, many people have seen their retirement and personal holding accounts dwindle. This new book provides an alternate to investors. It provides detailed information on how to put money to work in a relatively safe private mortgage investment with a high return of 12 to 15 percent (or more) in most cases. Private mortgages have grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry. This market allows investors to earn substantially higher yields�while offering the security of real property to back the loan. Private mortgages have become an important fixed income vehicle for many investors with their personal funds, equity, and self-directed IRA accounts. Private mortgage investing isn�t for the get-rich-quick type of person. However, you can comfortably double your money every 4 to 6 years. For example, should you invest in your self-directed IRA and re-invest as notes pay off? $100,000 at 12 percent grows to over $200,000 in six years, to $500,000 in 13 years and to over $1 million in 19 years. Private mortgage loans are backed by real property. Generally, you would not lend more than 55 percent on the value of the property, thus the investment is again relatively safe. Instead of concentrating on the borrower�s credit history, private mortgage lenders concentrate their investment decisions on the real property itself. However, like any business or investment, there are a lot of details to learn, and you do not need to learn them on your own. Learning them on your own can be costly. In this economic environment of very low interest rates, you can still earn high yields with virtually little or no risk to your investment.

Author: Teri B. Clark, Matthew Stewart Tabacchi
Paperback: 400 pages
Company: Atlantic Publishing Company (2006-07-10) (2006-01-30)
ISBN: 0910627622
List Price: $29.95
Amazon Price: $14.10
Used Price: $12.47

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

Author: Randy Johnson
Paperback: 288 pages
Company: Wiley (2002-07-19)
ISBN: 0471223271
List Price: $17.95
Amazon Price: $9.75
Used Price: $4.55

For every prospective homebuyer there is a unique financial situation. Some may have past or current credit issues, others lack cash-on-hand for a down payment, and many have unpredictable incomes. But this doesn't mean these folks are any less entitled to own a home.

Who Says You Can't Buy a Home! gives readers plenty of proven, powerful ways to overcome perceived obstacles to home ownership. Real estate and home-buying authority David Reed tells hopeful buyers everything they need to know about establishing credit, using government mortgage and zero money down programs, buying foreclosures, getting subprime loans, buying without a mortgage, and much more.

And for those with shaky credit, Who Says You Can't Buy a Home! offers priceless advice on managing credit scores and reports, repairing bad credit, and other crucial steps that can make the difference between owning a home and being turned down. The book also shows how to avoid predatory lenders and common mistakes, while giving readers the confidence and know-how to get the home they've always wanted.

Author: David Reed
Paperback: 229 pages
Company: AMACOM/American Management Association (2006-05-30)
ISBN: 0814473407
List Price: $17.95
Amazon Price: $5.00
Used Price: $5.00