Bond Reviews

Please DO NOT post this e-mail. It is not a review- It is a request for assistance from Amazon.com... ------------------------------------------- To whom it may concern: I work for a financial firm and deal with both consumer loans as well as real estate loans (equity lending secured by a deed of trust). I am being given a chance to become involved in aquisitions of portfolios of loans from mortgage bankers (to be purchased, following a due diligence spread and review, by my company). I am currently intensively studying 'Fabozzi's' book, "Mortgages and Mortgage Backed Securities Markets" by Harvard Business School Press. This book is a bit above me--a little bit too much, in fact. My question is this: Can you send me information on books with related subjects, which might be a bit more elementary? I need to learn this field if I'm to effectively deal with experts in the field. I've thought of writing Fabozzi directly and asking for his advice. Perhaps, short of that, however, maybe you can help? Subjects: Mortgages and the secondary markets- Securitization- FNMA, FHLMC, GNMA (agency investors), private investors and conduits- Types and structures of securities and valuation of MBS's- **Process of Due Diligence in spreading and the valuation of both individual and packaged loans and/or securities collateralized by loans-** ANY books in the field that might assist me in moving in the right direction. I'm looking for books written in theory as well as realistic practical advice, preferably for a student rather then for the expert. Please keep this in mind as I'm very new to this field. I need simpler books with which to move up. Thank you in advance for your assistance. Ron Foltz R_S_Foltz@msn.com -If the books are those that I need, I will gladly purchase them from you.

Ms. Chesler did not write a factual book. She wrote an extremely one-sided book, portraying the Sterns as disgusting, nasty people and Saint Mary Beth. Her defense for the real mother ignores such facts as Mary Beth's rejection of her son Ryan, her unfounded claims of Mr. Stern's sexual abuse against her daugher (oddly, she mentions a case where another mother's claim of such abuse against her child go unbelieved. How can anyone take these claims seriously when mothers like Mary Beth tell such lies?), and the fact the Mary Beth denied ever threatening to kill Baby M.

The book easily shows its age in its focus on standards and issues which have long ago fallen by the wayside in this dynamic market. Far worse is that the book is preciously short on quantitative and analytic methods, and long on third-grade-teacher types of admonishments. I read the whole book becasue I paid for it, there are better, more up-to-date volumes out there. Could possibly be re-named "Swaps for English Majors", although, English majors as a group might correctly be upset at this association.

This book is very much outdated and it is missing a lot of words