Skip to main content

Mind Your Own Mortgage

By Robert J. Bernabe

I picked this book from the Booksneeze collection because we are always contemplating buying a house or condo. We haven’t up till now because of moving, finances and currently debt reduction. It was interesting to read through this Mind Your Own Mortgage (MYOM) concept of turning shopping for mortgages into the equivalent of shopping for gas.


There is a cost associated with a mortgage: lender's fees, points, third party fees, to name a few. They have always kind of frightened me, because I was like “I have to come up with a down payment AND closing costs, wow.” But this helped me see that I can control those costs and know what they are before entering into the loan process itself.

One of the main things that Bernabe is trying to break away from is shopping for mortgages based on monthly payment. He gives clear examples of why this type of mortgage shopping works against you and how you can correct it. It’s actually quite exciting to think about payoff solutions that he has put forth in this book. He refers to them not only as a snowball but also as an avalanche pay off process, cutting down a 30-year loan to 18 or 20 through refinances and smart money management. That is a considerable savings.

My one complaint is the constant referral to the MYOM website, which is referred to as an appendix. As of this posting that “appendix” has a thirty-dollar yearly fee to access it! And the forms that he refers to are not available in the book at all.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Stories from the Kitchen: Taste and See

I celebrated my birthday last weekend. It was wonderful and the leftovers left me with a question or two. Find out what they are and how I'm currently answering them in this week's podcast. Stories from the Kitchen Season 2, Episode 2: Taste and See Notes from the episode: Taste and See by Margaret Feinberg Dad’s New York Cheesecake (from the back of a Philidelphia Cream Cheese package) 1 ⅞ cups graham cracker crumbs ¼ to ½ cup butter, melted 1 cup sugar, divided 2 lbs cream cheese (4 packs) 2 large eggs (lightly beaten) 1 tsp vanilla 2 tbsp cornstarch 1 cup sour cream Preheat oven to 450F Mix well graham crackers, 2 tbsp sugar, and enough butter that the mixture holds together. Reserve 2 tbsp for garnish. Press mixture onto bottom and sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Chill in the freezer while preparing the filling. Mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth and light. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and cornstarch until just blended. S

Tasty Tuesday: Roasted Broccoli

I ran across this recipe on Pinterest the other day that was labeled " The Best Broccoli Of Your Life. " I normally either steam our broccoli in the microwave or saute it with olive oil and red pepper flakes on the stove top. I decided this would be something to try. I did the salt, pepper and olive oil part of the recipe. I didn't have the majority of the other ingredients. In fact, all I had was a little bit of Parmesan  It was wonderful. Not the best broccoli of my life, but honestly, it was pretty close. And if I had the lemon juice and all that jazz, it may very well be the best. What have you been eating lately?

Sweet Caroline by Kelda Poynot

  First off, my copy of Sweet Caroline  (aff link) is not a gifted review book, I spent my well earned Amazon No-Rush Rewards money on this book. Second of all, this is not my standard close door kind of romance. Third of all, this is a really fun read. Caroline is a hard working young lady that is doing all that she can to make ends meet and to get her graduate degree. Part of that work is renting out the room above her garage. When she answers the phone of an unknown number, believing it's a future tenant, she has no idea how much her life is about to change.  The young man on the other end of that call, Hashim, is tall, dark, and mysterious in all the right ways. The story quickly moves from the girl next door falling for a stranger to a fight for their lives. And in true real life fashion, those fights aren't just with external enemies but the ones we carry within.  It's an entertaining story of Caroline and Hashim, discovering their love for each other and fighting to