Acknowledgments

Phillip Whitt, my longtime friend, colleague, and co-author of the third edition of The Mortgage Kit, has made a major contribution to this sixth edition. There have been more changes in the mortgage industry in the past five years than in the 20 years preceding the fifth edition. Without Phil's advice and suggestions, this edition would not be as complete as it is. He gave me a long list of things that I have added to this edition and also some things that I have deleted.

Phil is an expert in advising and qualifying borrowers, and he finds the right loan for his customers. When we worked together on the third edition he wrote Chapter 3, "Overcoming Qualification Problems.”

Phil has 30 years of experience in the mortgage industry in all phases of the business: loan production, underwriting, processing, and servicing. He has worked in all levels of management including CEO of Mortgage Banking Systems.

I would also like to acknowledge Allregs.com and its CEO Glenn Ford. For 20 years, Allregs has provided the mortgage industry with online searchable regulatory material from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA, and many other industry players. I used Allregs to help me write every edition of The Mortgage Kit. It has been invaluable.

About the Author

Thomas C. Steinmetz has worked in the real estate finance industry since 1974 when he started as a commercial loan officer.

He is currently chairman of the board of Mortgage Banking Systems, which he founded in 1987 to provide the real estate finance industry with computer services and software. To date, more than one million families in all 50 states have signed mortgage documents prepared using Mortgage Banking Systems' document preparation services.

Prior to founding Mortgage Banking Systems, Steinmetz worked at PRC Loan Express, a computerized loan origination network, as director of marketing and planning. He also has served as senior strategic planner for the $2 trillion government-sponsored agency, Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae).

He has been a speaker at workshops of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America and has written articles for industry trade journals on the new uses of computers in mortgage lending. He also has appeared on local and national television and radio shows advising consumers about residential mortgages. Steinmetz received an MBA from Harvard Business School, concentrating in real estate and finance, and he received a BA from Dartmouth College in mathematics.