If you think that Fannie and Freddieare the mortgage story of the week, I hope that you’re sitting down. OK, maybe Fannie & Freddie are the big news of the week but while the long-term impact of the fed’s takeover is up for debate, I have no doubt that Mortgages Unzipped, a new blog about mortgages, will assist borrowers.
As homeowners, we have got to get smarter about our mortgages. Yes, I mean you – and me – for many of us, our mortgage is the single largest line item on our monthly budget. And I, for one, have personally come to realize that I knew almost nothing about my mortgage when I bought my first home. I think that applies to most borrowers. Mortgages Unzipped is hosted by Zillow but the blog is authored by mortgage professionals – people we can learn from!
We’ve asked 15 mortgage pro’s to write Mortgages Unzipped. It’s a very smart and experienced group. And as you read the blog, you’ll learn that our authors each have something unique and important to say. Andy Jolls, for example, has a lot to say about your credit score – and he does it on video. Brian Brady, Todd Carpenter, Dan Melson and Rhonda Porter are trailblazers; some of the first mortgage professionals to start blogging and using social media (you can catch Brian’s mortgage rate updates on twitter, for example.) We’re very fortunate to have their support.
Zillow’s mortgage discussions have been on fire since the mortgage marketplace launched. If you ever need a second opinion on a mortgage quote, I recommend asking the lenders in Zillow Discussions. I’ve cajoled a handful of them into taking their advice to the blog. Jennifer Monastero , Rob Cochems, Andrew Adams and Martin Wareing are faces I look forward to seeing on Zillow – and who I know will thrive as writers on Mortgages Unzipped.
Mortgages have presented a new learning curve for Zillow and I would personally have been lost without the help of my mortgage mentor, Joe Dahleen. Joe can teach! While Zillow has been learning the mortgage game, mortgage brokers have been learning how to blog. I’ve learned so much from mortgage bloggers these past 6 months that selecting the dream team for Mortgages Unzipped was easy. I guarantee your that you will also learn something from Matthew Kelly, Justin McHood, Mike Mueller, Michael Taylor, Tom Vanderwall.
We will be highlighting great content from Mortgages Unzipped on this blog and throughout Zillow.com- but the best way to stay in the loop is to subscribe to the blog (via feed or e-mail.)