Plain English Series · The Baratelli Institute

Financing a Home in Plain English

The mortgage decoded for borrowers — loan types, the 4 Cs, points and PMI, reading the Loan Estimate, and the laws that protect you.

The mortgage, translated. Loan types, the 4 Cs of underwriting, points and PMI economics, reading the Loan Estimate line by line, and the borrower-protection laws (RESPA, TILA, ECOA) that keep the process fair.

What’s inside

The full arc — explained for the family, sidebars for the advisor

Every chapter uses plain language and ends with a fill-in worksheet so the reading becomes a plan by the time you finish.

Part 1

Loan types: fixed, ARM, FHA, VA

“Which loan is right for me?”

Part 2

4 Cs: credit, capacity, capital, collateral

“Do I qualify?”

Part 3

Loan Estimate: read the LE line by line

“Am I being priced fairly?”

Part 4

Points & PMI: the trade-offs

“Should I buy points? Kill PMI?”

Financing a Home in Plain English

$49 Single-user license · PDF + worksheets
  • ~130 pages, plain-English throughout
  • Fill-in worksheet in every chapter
  • Advisor sidebars alongside family text
  • The whole arc, none of the jargon
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