Regulators Propose Curbs on Mortgages; The Top 10 Mortgage Mistakes Borrowers Make

From a newly-released book, "Kickback: Confessions of a Mortgage Salesman, How to Save $1,000s on Your Mortgage," the author, Ted Janusz, offers a list of the top 10 mistakes borrowers make.

Columbus, Ohio (PRWEB) December 19, 2005 -- Most loan officers make a six-figures' income (with your money). Here is the key information from a former senior loan officer that mortgage lenders don't want you to know:

The Top 10 Mortgage Mistakes Borrowers Make

1. Not knowing which mortgage fees you can - and cannot - negotiate. Or how the lender actually makes money on you. (Without this understanding you could overspend by thousands of dollars . . . in mere seconds.)

2. Choosing and trusting the first loan officer you interview.

3. Using an interest-only or "payment option" adjustable-rate loan primarily to qualify for a more expensive house. (This is the main current concern of mortgage regulators when they issued their statement on 12/20. You could be paying on your mortgage forever, eventually getting in debt over your head or, at the very least, you will pay more interest for a longer period of time.)

4. Thinking the interest rate is always the main thing. (Most "astute" mortgage shoppers think they should call around to "shop" rates. And "rate envy" is common, especially among male borrowers. But what closing costs will you need to pay to get that fabulous advertised rate?)

5. Not comparing the final fees listed on the closing documents to the up-front estimates (to avoid the lender "packing" your loan with added-on fees without your knowledge).

6. Not knowing if your mortgage has a pre-payment penalty - until it's too late.

7. Thinking that renting is always "just throwing money away." (At least in the short run, it can cost you thousands less to rent. For instance, don't buy a starter house.)

8. Not knowing if you are paying a back-end yield spread or Service Release Premium (if so, the lender has just upsold you the rate).

9. Paying for mortgage life insurance, credit insurance or other expensive lender add-ons (like the just-mentioned Service Release Premium, this sale can increase the "kickbacks" the lender will receive from various vendors).

10. Paying hundreds of dollars to have a company set up a biweekly mortgage payment plan for you, something you can generally do yourself - for free.

From a newly-released book, "Kickback: Confessions of a Mortgage Salesman, How to Save $1,000s on Your Mortgage," Insight Publishing. The author, Ted Janusz, is a former senior loan officer of a regional mortgage bank and wrote the book as part of his "penance." Janusz earned his MBA in Marketing from the University of Pittsburgh and his BS in Accounting from Slippery Rock University. He is a member of the National Speakers Association and the International Speakers Network. Janusz now conducts seminars across America for National Seminars Group and for eBay.

CONTACT:

Ted Janusz

(614) 440-7487

www.januspresentations.com

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