Given the recent exposure in the media of shady and even illegal practices by unscrupulous lending companies, you might wonder how you find a lender or mortgage broker you trust. In this month's Interview with the Expert, resident expert Debbie Siegel explains the differences between independent brokers and lending companies, questions to ask perspective brokers, and which practices should set off your alarm bells.

Do you wonder if you should pay your mortgage off early? The answer, of course, is "it depends." In this month's Mortgage Minute, Debbie Siegel gives you five questions to ask yourself when considering an early payoff - and why paying off your mortgage early may not always be the best course of action.

Best regards,

Jeremy B. Shapiro		Sheila Farragher-Gemma
Co-Founders, ForeclosuresMass.com

February 2008

Keep Your Title Clean »

Did you like this article? You May Also Like:

	Interview with the Expert: Strategies for Building Your Real Estate Network Cathy Toomey, Broker / Owner, Stone Ridge Properties Real estate agents are often the first people homeowners call before their home goes into foreclosure. In this interview, Cathy Toomey, a real estate broker, tells you how to build a solid network of real estate professionals - and how to use this network to find homeowners "motivated to sell."
	Nothing Succeeds Like Success: Jeremy Cyrier Jeremy Cyrier, The Cyrier Sales Team After learning that he netted $60k on a house he owned for just six weeks, we wasted no time in scheduling an interview with Jeremy Cyrier. Read our interview and find out what he's done to be so successful.
	Success Strategies: Negative Amortization - Useful Tool or Risky Tactic - or Both?! Trish Signet, Loan Officer, Summit Mortgage With interest rates rising steadily over the last few years, it's become harder for property investors and others to make the numbers work. Negative Amortization mortgages may offer an alternative, but as Trish explains, buyer beware.
	Nothing Succeeds Like Success: Brian Jones Reveals His Marketing Strategies Brian Jones Looking for new ways to market yourself as a real estate investor? Brian Jones, who closed five deals in 2006, shares some of his strategies - including classified advertising and contacting junk removal companies!
	ForeclosuresMass Tips: Maximizing the ForeclosuresMass Website Jeremy B. Shapiro, ForeclosuresMass, Corp. "There are 142 NEW Foreclosures in your counties!" Each week, a message similar to this one appears in your inbox, notifying you of all the new foreclosures that have started in your counties. With so many new foreclosures filed each week, knowing what to do with them is as critical as knowing that there are new foreclosures...
	Nothing Succeeds Like Success: Jennifer Wilson Jennifer Wilson In just 4 short years, Jennifer Wilson has grown her real estate investment practice from a standing start to one which expects to buy and sell 25 properties in 2006. ForeclosuresMass sat down with Jennifer to understand what's worked - and what hasn't - in her quick rise to the top!
	Negotiation Skills: Developing Strong Relationships... A Key to Success with your Contractors Richard Cohen, Negotiation Coach and Consultant As a property investor, you're challenged by the sheer number of contractors with whom you must negotiate. It can be a struggle, but as Richard Cohen explains, it doesn't have to be. Build strong relationships with these folks and watch your negotiations go smoothly.
	Interview with the Expert: Don't Let Mold Become *Your* Problem Steve Goselin, EnviroTech Clean Air, Inc. Finding mold in a building can literally bring a real estate deal to a crashing halt. No matter how much or how little mold there is, as the seller you’re responsible for clean up – or selling the property “as is” with full disclosure. In his article, mold remediation expert Steve Goselin explains why mold is causing problems in the real estate industry and what you can do to ensure it doesn’t become your problem.
	Success Strategies: Blogging for Real Estate... A Primer for Starting a Blog Ted Demopoulos Blogging has definitely hit the mainstream - and with over 750 real estate blogs at last count - it's time you consider starting a blog if you haven't done so already. In his article, author and blogging expert Ted Demopoulos gives you his three success strategies for starting and maintaining a blog. The key takeaway: become familiar with the blogosphere and get to know other real estate bloggers before you jump in feet first.
	Feature Article: Keep Your Title Clean: Three Strategies for Preventing Title Problems Jacqueline Fitzgerald-Boyd Did you know you can create some serious Title problems when you transfer Title on your own? And, did you know that a Title problem can sometimes exist for more than 20 or 30 years without ever being found - and then bang, one day this hidden ticking time bomb becomes your major Title headache? It's true. Title expert Jacqueline Fitzgerald-Boyd talks about common Title issues and how you can alleviate them. (Hint: Title is more than simply a piece of paper.)