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House of Games (1987) Starring: Lindsay Crouse , Joe Mantegna Director: David Mamet Rating: See larger image Share your own customer images List Price: $14.95 Price: $12.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. See details You Save: $1.96 (13%) Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Only 4 left in stock--order soon (more on the way). Want it delivered Friday, December 30? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. See details 57 used & new available from $6.99 Edition: Other Versions and Languages Other Versions (VHS Tape) List Price Price Other Offers: VHS Tape House of Games $7.95 18 used & new from $1.63 VHS Tape House of Games 2 used & new from $7.77 Better Together Buy this DVD with Oleanna DVD ~ William H. Macy today! Total List Price: $34.93 Buy Together Today: $30.98 Customers who bought this DVD also bought The Spanish Prisoner DVD ~ Campbell Scott Oleanna DVD ~ William H. Macy Things Change DVD ~ Don Ameche Heist DVD ~ Gene Hackman Explore Similar Items : in DVD , in Video , and in Books Storyline Genres: Crime , Mystery , Thriller Tagline: Where the game is never over. Plot Outline: A psychiatrist's patient is in desperate need of money, so she agrees to help him. But... Plot Synopsis: A famous psychologist, Margaret Ford, decides to try to help one of her patients get out of a gambling debt. She visits the bar where Mike, to whom the debt is owed, runs poker games. He convinces her to help him in a game: her assignment is to look for "tells", or give-away body language. What seems easy to her becomes much more complex. Plot Keywords: Independent Film | Con Artist | Con Trick | Twist In The End | Neo Noir | Sting Operation | Psychiatrist | Seattle Washington | (Show all plot keywords recommended by customers) Product Details Actors: Lindsay Crouse , Joe Mantegna , Mike Nussbaum , Lilia Skala , J.T. Walsh , See more Directors: David Mamet Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Widescreen, Ntsc, Full Screen, Widescreen Letterbox Region: Region 1 ( U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats. ) Number of discs: 1 Rated: (Not for sale to persons under age 18.) Studio: MGM (Video & DVD) DVD Release Date: December 19, 2000 Run Time: 101 minutes Average Customer Review: Based on 54 Reviews DVD Features: Available Subtitles: Spanish, French Available Audio Tracks: English (Unknown Format), French (Unknown Format), Spanish (Unknown Format) From IMDb: Quotes & Trivia ASIN: B00004ZBVL Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,515 in DVD Theatrical Release Information US Theatrical Release Date: October 11, 1987 MPAA: Production Company: Filmhaus USA Box Office: $3 Million Filming Locations: Seattle, Washington, USA Editorial Reviews Amazon.com David Mamet's 1987 directorial debut was this mesmerizing study of control and seduction between two kinds of detached observers: a gambler who is also a con artist, and a psychotherapist who is also an emerging pop-psych guru in the book market. The latter (played by Lindsay Crouse) meets the former (Joe Mantegna) when one of her clients is driven to despair from his debts to the card shark. Mantegna's character agrees to drop the IOUs in exchange for Crouse's attention at the seedy House of Games in Seattle, a mecca for con men to talk shop and hustle unsuspecting customers. The shrink gets so caught up in the arcane rules and world view of her guide over subsequent days that she observes--with no false rapture--various stings in progress inside and outside the club. Mamet's story finally becomes a fascinating study of two people protecting and extending their respective cosmologies the way rival predators fight for the same piece of turf. The psychological challenge is compelling; so is the stylized dialogue, with its pattern of pauses and hiccups and humming meter. Mostly shooting at night, Mamet also gave Seattle a different look from previous filmmakers, turning its familiar puddles into concentrations of liquid neon and poisonous noir. --Tom Keogh Customers who viewed this DVD also viewed Spartan DVD ~ Tia Texada Glengarry Glen Ross (Special Edition) DVD ~ Jack Lemmon State and Main DVD ~ Michael Higgins The Grifters (Miramax Collector's Series) DVD ~ Anjelica Huston Explore Similar Items : in DVD , in Books Spotlight Reviews Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers. 17 of 18 people found the following review helpful: A STUNNING PSYCHOLOGIAL THRILLER... , August 25, 2001 Reviewer: Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews This is an absolutely mesmerizing film. A wonderful addition to that genre known as "film noir", the movie is superlative in every way. In his directorial debut, David Mamet shows a keen understanding of the concept "less is more". The two main characters in the film are a well known psychiatrist with a best selling book, Dr. Margaret Ford, played with chilly determinism by Lindsay Crouse, and a slick con man, known only as Mike, brilliantly played by Joe Mantegna with a sinister, charismatic charm. She is stiff and formal. He is casual and seemingly easygoing. Each is involved in a field of endeavor that requires a keen understanding of human nature. They meet by virtue of what each of them does for a living. Dr. Ford is treating a young patient, who claims to be despondent over getting in over his head financially, while gambling at a disreputable and seedy locale known as the House of Games. She is worried about her patient's potential for suicide, so she decides to go to the House of Games to see if she can straighten out the whole mess. There, she meets Mike, the person to whom the debt is owed. From the moment they meet, there is a latent, sexual tension between them and an aura of danger and seduction that permeates the air. Intrigued by him, she is drawn into his world, where things are not always what they seem. There are many twists and turns in this most unusual film, which deftly manipulates the viewer. The film is tautly crafted, and the dialogue itself is highly stylized with its own peculiar cadence. This serves to add to the air of mystery and suspense which infuses this film. There is an excellent supporting cast whose strong performances contribute to the overall quality of this multi-layered film. There is even a small cameo by William H. Macy. It is with good reason that this film was touted by critics as one of the best films for 1987. It meets the high standards set for this genre of film by the late, great director, Alfred Hitchcock. It is simply a stunning tour de force. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) 5 of 7 people found the following review helpful: 4 Stars for the FILM, 1 Star for the DVD , September 2, 2005 Reviewer: Ziad R. Hakim (Beirut Lebanon) - See all my reviews Of course the movie deserves 4 stars, however I wish I could say the same for the DVD. What does it take for DVD company to release each DVD enhanced for 16x9 TVs? Nothing! Recently I bought a laptop with widescreen display and I have a collection of over 600 Dvds. I learned now about "Enhanced for 16x9 TVs" and how important it is, I did not care about it or even know about it since I own a standard TV, however all my Dvds are Region 1 and in widescreen, I never buy fullscreen Dvds. So I did an inventory on my collection and realized the following: Out of 600+ Dvds, 42 are NOT enhanced for 16x9 TVs and they really look horrible when I played them on my PC. Anyway, according to my inventory, MGM and Touchstone are the worst! Universal, Columbia, Twentieth Century Fox and Warner are the best and Paramount ranks in between. Here is some details: - 3 of the 42 are Universal (Please note that many of my Dvds are Universal so 3 of them, included Tremors, is not a big deal) - 12 of them are from Touchstone (such as Ransom, The Rock, What about Bob, Good morning Vietnam etc) Which is a high number compared to my small Touchstone collection. - 2 out of 42 from Warner Home Video. Note that I have around 100 Warner Dvds. The only negative thing about Warner is most of the DVDs come in digipak. However, the latest "2-Disc Special Edition" rate among the best in terms of quality and extras. - 14 of them are from MGM. Sadly, some of my favorite MGM movies are among them such as "A fish called Wanda", "Misery", "Graduate", "Prizzi's Honor", "No way out" etc. MGM Europe has released all those DVDs (Region 2) 2-Disc in special edition including 5.1 surround, widscreen enhanced 16x9. I hope one day soon MGM USA releases them in Special edition like they did with "Fargo", "Rain Man" and "Usual suspects". - 6 out of the 42 are from Paramount including good movies such as "Breakdown", "Ghost and the darkness", "Primal fear", "Private parts", "Coming to America" and "48 Hrs". The reason why they don't release every DVD in widescreen enhanced for 16x9 is beyond me since soon Widescreen Tvs will replace standard ones. Amazon should add in the description if the DVD is enhanced from 16x9 Tvs. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) Customer Reviews Average Customer Review: Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers. 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: You can't bluff someone who's not paying attention. , November 27, 2005 Reviewer: A. Gyurisin "good friend, damn fool" (The Flatlands of Illinois) - See all my reviews When I first began House of Games, I hated it. I hated the language, I hated the characters, I hated the tone, but then something changed. Mamet finally took control of this film and pulled the audience in by tricking all of us into thinking this was a film about a young love and the darkness of the world, when instead it was all about something deeper. If you go into this film expecting the classic 1980s clich of woman meets man, man is a criminal, woman changes man thus leading to a sloppy wet ending, you will be utterly disappointed. This structure is initially how I envisioned this film, and with the first half an hour filmed the way it was, there was no doubt in my mind that I had been suckered into just another average crime film. Then, midway through the picture, the tones and themes dramatically change. I didn't even see it coming, but when you least expect it, like the "con" performed in this film, it will blindside you quicker than a deer on the highway. House of Games leaves you with this perfect example of just how dark David Mamet is. This is a film that most will either hate or love. The reason that I say this is because the language of the film is extremely "stagey". Before this film, David Mamet had found his success with his plays. The power of his characters, the unjustness of his plots, and the vile of his villains were key elements to packing his plays full of patrons. In House of Games he attempts to bring the stage to the screen without any changes. You can literally hear the beats between the characters when they are talking. The language that they use feel and sound as if they are acting in front of a live audience, not just for the camera. This makes the words a bit stale at times. You can visually see this film as a play because of the language that is used. Again, some will hate this about the film, while others will see it as nothing short of classic Mamet. For me, I hated it at first, but as the film developed, I began to see the logic behind it. The quickness of the conversations between the characters gave more definition to the "con" that they were trying to perform. I always felt as if they were quickly getting something by me. About the middle of the film, I began listening to every word said afraid that I would miss a key element that would unravel this tight plot. I began waiting for scenes where Margaret (Crouse) would stumble on her words, change the meaning, thus allowing us to develop the evil that was within her. Slowly and steadily this "stagey" language worked for me, and it gave just a small addition to the characters. For anyone that has ever seen most of Mamet's film versions (and some of his stage performances) you will notice that he is notorious for using the same characters throughout. I like this quite a bit. Christopher Guest uses the same technique. While I have talked to some that think that it only shows the repetition of his originality, I think that it gives Mamet definition and substance. I loved watching this early film of Mamet's and see a young William H. Macy in a scene and his use of my favorite J.T. Walsh. It is fun to watch these actors grow in Mamet's films. Many of them you can see in State & Main and Heist. Does that mean that they are necessarily good actors then? I don't think so. While I liked the continual use of the same characters, some (more than others), have trouble with the characters. For example, in House of Games, it was obvious that Lindsay Crouse did not have control over her character. She seemed fake in her scenes, and did not counter will with Mantegna (who gave a great performance). She seemed on a different beat compared to the others in this film, and I think it hurt House of Games somewhat. She wasn't the strongest actress that Mamet could have chosen. While I loved the "con" throughout the film, I did feel as if the ending was a bit on the weak side. Without giving it away, it started to feel used before it was over. I knew deep within me where it was going, but I kept waiting for the big "hurrah", but alas, there wasn't any. That is where Mamet missed his mark. The ending needed to be stronger. I loved watching this simple woman transform into evil and the entire themes that went along with that, but I needed more. I loved the anti-romantic notion of this film, but I needed more. I loved the character interactions in this film, but I needed more. That was exactly how I felt about this film. I loved House of Games, but I needed more. Mamet ended the film without giving us closure, and while the rest of the film was exciting to watch, this ending just left me soured. Overall, I loved it, but I don't think that I could watch it again. Mamet is one of the greatest writers of our generation providing us with some very "cult" anti-Hollywood cinema, but this first film was a rough-cut. It was smart, intelligent, and overall a stage version of his play onto film. A stronger transition was needed from stage to screen. The characters were somewhat developed and the plot was sensational. The darkness by the end of the film caught me unprepared. I liked this film, but a second viewing is not in my future. I love David Mamet's work and cannot wait to submerge myself into more of his films later. Grade: *** out of ***** Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) 1 of 6 people found the following review helpful: One Psychiatrist In Need Of Heavy Duty Medication And Therapy!!! , September 24, 2005 Reviewer: John Baranyai "Book Nerd And Ex High School Geek Member Of The Chess Club" - See all my reviews This is a sorry excuse for a movie which stars Lindsay Crouse in a very wooden performance playing a psychiatrist who gets involved with a con man played by Joe Mantegna.These two argue about wether they had Consentual Sex or Rape because Joe took Margaret under false pretences which is a pretty dispicable thing to do to a woman. I personally consider it to be a very cowardly rape .This should give you some idea of Mantegna's character in this movie.There are then a lot of twists and turns until Ms. Crouse becomes a Compulsive Kleptomaniac which just goes to prove my Theory that most psychiatrists are more "messed up" (that's the polite word) than their patients. I give this movie 5 stars because I have always liked Joe Mantegna even though he plays a very unlikeable character in this movie. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) Con Games Within Con Games, And Nicely Done , September 10, 2005 Reviewer: C. O. DeRiemer (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews On one level, House of Games is a fascinating con game, complex and convoluted. On another level, it's a little cold-blooded. Whether you like it or not may depend on your tolerance for having the wool pulled over your eyes and your willingness to get involved with people you probably won't care for. Margaret Ford (Lindsay Crouse) is a psychiatrist who decides to provide some direct assistance to a patient who has a big gambling debt. Late one night she goes to the House of Games, meets Mike (Joe Mantegna), who holds the markers and tries to talk him into doing the right thing. He eventually agrees, but only if she'll help him in a high stakes poker game. He wants her to keep an eye on a particular player's "tells," the give-away body language that will help Mike take the guy to the cleaners. She does...and finds herself in the world of cons within cons. We find ourselves in the same place. "The basic idea is this," Mike tells her later. "It's called a confidence game. Why...because you give me your confidence? No. Because I give you mine." She's fascinated and decides to write a book about how conning people works...the psychology of it. "Everybody gets something out of the transaction," Mike says one evening when he has demonstrated how to get a mark to give him money. "I gave that guy my confidence. I asked him for help. And what he gets...he feels that he's a good man." She's hooked despite herself, and soon finds herself drawn not only to Mike but to working with him to con a big take. But is Mike conning her? She wrote a best selling book, she's got money, and she obviously is drawn to the excitement and challenge. "I gave you my trust," Margaret says at one point. "Of course you gave me your trust," Mike replies. "That's what I do." There'll be no spoilers here. The cleverness and the fun of the movie, and the surprise of the violence, depend on the cleverness and surprise of the plot twists. Let's just say that, as Mike puts it, "you shouldn't trust nobody." This was the first movie David Mamet directed, and he did a fine job. While Lindsay Crouse may not be the most versatile of actresses, Joe Mantegna more than makes up for it with a performance that is tough, interesting and full of indirection. In small parts are a young William H. Macy and J. T. Walsh. Mike Nussbaum as Joey, an associate of Mike's in the con racket, and Ricky Jay as another, are both first-rate. This is a movie that you have to stay with for awhile before it kicks in. The last 40 minutes, however, pack a punch. The DVD picture looks fine. There are no extras. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: House of Games: another and evil purpose , April 6, 2005 Reviewer: John Galvin (Cincinnati,OH) - See all my reviews Margaret Ford is cool, detached, removed-an observer-traits that are the basis for her success as a psychologist and writer of well-paying pop-psychology. One of her patients, a gambler, is in debt to a fellow gambler and hustler named Mike. Confident in her powers to persuade others to act contrary to their immediate best interests, Margaret offers to talk to Mike. It is, of course, an act of hubris, an act of self-appraisal wanting correction--an act of pride inviting a fall. So that night, she makes her way to the House of Games, a seedy little bar in a dark, desolate corner of Seattle where Mike and his crew gather to play cards in a dark still--in an atmosphere resembling her own office. Mike is cool, detached, removed--an observer--traits that are the basis for his success as a gambler and con man. He makes a rather extraordinary offer: he will tear up the IOU's if Margaret will help him in the execution of his present hustle. Mike talks close, talks in a low knowing whisper. She's either in or she isn't. Then he gives her a glimpse of his method--he shows her how he watches for "tells"--little tics, twitches and hiccups, as it were, in the body language of his victim-unconscious signaling of what someone is thinking, what someone knows, what some had meant to hide from others. It must seem frighteningly familiar to a psychologist--but so very intriguing when applied to another and evil purpose. She accepts; and so begins a series of twists and turns that oblige you to wonder, till the very end, at which point the con actually began. The language of this film is characteristic of Mamet at his best. It is highly stylized, an endless succession of ellipses, faints, and echos. Every statement seems suspect, delivered in heavy quotes. There may only be a single additional second between sentences, but it seems so long, so otherworldly. Outwardly ordinary-looking statements seem busy with other meaning, with mystery and possible misdirection. It is a language befitting both psychologist and con man--observers who ultimately seek control over others, though admittedly for very different ends. But as the film gradually unfolds, you may find yourself laboring to discriminate between a con man who manipulates and controls and a psychologist who steers and directs. In the end, they only succeed in conning themselves, having forgotten that they are dealing with human beings who, possessed with powers of reason tempered and bent by emotions, often skid, slip and spin down unexpected, unintended and sometimes unlovely cul-de sacs. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) See all 54 customer reviews... Listmania! Great Movies with a great endi... : by "willrocks" 10 top-shelf thrillers, after ... : by A. C. Walter "awalter" Women Who Kill : by "reelgood" So You'd Like to... get to know the best 'conspiracy theory' movies : by Grouchy Smurf , Couch Potato Surrender to the BIZARRE!!! : by Zoogz Rift , Groovy dadaist and legendary underground rock rec... Watch Hidden Movie Gems : by jlstu9 , Movie Watcher Fun Facts from IMDb.com: Awards Click here to see more Awards London Critics Circle Film Awards: ALFS Award for Film of the Year, Screenwriter of the Year Venice Film Festival: Golden Osella for Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Nominations Click here to see more Nominations Golden Globes, USA: Golden Globe for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture Trivia Click here to see more Trivia The numeral 187 appears in the film in different instances. A license plate reads "HSX 187". Also it is the number of the airport locker used at the end. 187 is the police code for murder. The hotel room that Mike takes Margeret to is room #1138 which is yet another reference to George Lucas's THX 1138. Goofs Click here to see more Goofs Towards the end of the film, Margaret Ford returns to her private office and cuts herself. Several drops of blood fall on the cover label of a dossier lying on the desk. In subsequent shots, the blood stain jumps down the label and finally ends up on the back cover, leaving the label clean. Movie Connections Click here to see more Movie Connections Remade as: Qian wang qing ren Quotes Click here to see more Quotes Mike : I'm from the United States of kiss-my-***. Mike : Oh, you're a bad pony. And I'm not gonna bet on you. For more information about "House of Games" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) Look for similar items by category Browse similar items in: DVD > Actors & Actresses > ( C ) > Crouse, Lindsay DVD > Actors & Actresses > ( J ) > Jay, Ricky DVD > Actors & Actresses > ( M ) > Macy, William H DVD > Actors & Actresses > ( M ) > Mantegna, Joe DVD > Actors & Actresses > ( N ) > Nussbaum, Mike DVD > Actors & Actresses > ( S ) > Skala, Lilia DVD > Actors & Actresses > ( T ) > Taylor, Meshach DVD > Actors & Actresses > ( W ) > Wallace, Jack DVD > Directors > ( M ) > Mamet, David DVD > Genres > Mystery & Suspense > By Theme > Cons & Scams DVD > Genres > Mystery & Suspense > By Theme > Mind Games DVD > Genres > Mystery & Suspense > Crime > Con Artists DVD > Genres > Mystery & Suspense > General DVD > Genres > Mystery & Suspense > Mystery DVD > Genres > Mystery & Suspense > Neo-Noir DVD > Genres > Mystery & Suspense > Suspense DVD > Genres > Mystery & Suspense > Thrillers Suggestion Box Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. 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County: Pike. Touches Shawnee State Forest ( hunting property, recreational property, forest - natural) A 32 acre property with an asking price of $55,900. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Ohio. County: Adams. Quiet Country Home Site ( residential land, forest - natural, pasture) A 0.97 acre property with an asking price of $7,900. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Ohio. County: Gallia. Fish Canoe Camp Play ( recreational property) A 1.28 acre property with an asking price of $3,400. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Ohio. County: Meigs. Super Year End Sale ( residential land, recreational property, hunting property) A 69 acre property with an asking price of $99,900. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Ohio. County: Jackson. Save Save Save Save Save ( residential land, waterfront) A 5.00 acre property with an asking price of $39,900. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Ohio. County: Gallia. Prime Hunting Land ( recreational property) A 40 acre property with an asking price of $59,900. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Ohio. County: Adams. GREAT BUY CALL TODAY ( forest - natural, hunting property, recreational property) A 46 acre property with an asking price of $69,900. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Ohio. County: Gallia. Farm History to 1800's ( residential land, livestock operation, horse farm) A 8.30 acre property with an asking price of $89,900. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Ohio. County: Jackson. Recreational Paradise ( recreational property, forest - natural, hunting property) A 12.00 acre property with an asking price of $52,800. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Ohio. County: Coshocton. Total records: 61 Showing records: 1 to 20 Go to page : 1 2 3 4 For more properties in Ohio contact the sellers below. Acreage Investments - TN Mtn. JJ Detweiler Enterprises, Inc. 2814 Edison St NW Uniontown, OHIO 44685-7210 Belmont County ad In Rpb On Internet Swiss Lands Realty 45325 State Route 78 Woodsfield, OHIO 43793-9440 affordable Country Acreage... JJ Detweiler Enterprises, Inc. 2814 Edison St NW Uniontown, OHIO 44685-7210 bruner Land Co. Bruner Land Company P.O. Box 98 Byesville, OHIO 43723-0098 These are the latest display ads from Rural Property Bulletin . Subscribe here. SPONSORED RESULTS 1. Looking For OHIO? Find Ohio and more at Lycos Search. No clutter, just answers. Lycos ? Go Get It! http://www.lycos.com 2. Find OHIO at eBay Looking for Ohio? eBay has great deals on new and used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods and more. If you can?t find it on eBay, it probably doesn?t exist. http://www.ebay.com 3. Shop for OHIO Looking for Ohio? MonsterMarketplace shopping directory has Ohio and everything else you?re looking for at one secure online location. Click to view top selling Ohio. http://www.monstermarketplace.com 4. Research OHIO at HighBeam. View free full-text articles and free premium archive previews at HighBeam Research. Find, organize and share information from 1,000s of trusted business, consumer and reference publications. http://www.highbeam.com ©1998-2005 - LandAndFarm.com - Contact Us - Privacy Notice - Disclaimer - UserAgreement - Advertise With Us

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The Real Estate Library - An educational site offering, articles, tips andinformational reports for realtors, buyers and sellers! REAL ESTATE - FIND IT HERE! The Real Estate Library contains essential resources for buyers, sellers, home owners, real estate professionals, and anyone investing or seeking to connect with the world of real estate. REAL ESTATE WEB SITE DESIGN Are you a real estate agent with website questions? Ask our expert. Click Here PURE GOLD AWARD It has been said that "Success leaves clues" . Nowhere is that more apparent than on the Internet. Click Here to apply! The Nations MOST ENDORSED Real Estate School Get your CA, TX, VA, or WA Real Estate License from an ACCREDITED & NATIONALLY ENDORSED school. 110% Money Back Promise! Quick & Convenient programs!! VA MORTGAGE CENTER Need assistance getting through the Loan process? Need some direction on where to find assistance? Apply for a VA Loan AMERICA'S FAVORITE ONLINE REAL ESTATE SCHOOL Get your Real Estate License in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Virginia, Alabama, Missouri, Washington, Iowa or Kansas. Fast, Easy and Enjoyable. Nationally Approved by ARELLO (The Association of Real Estate Law Officials). Click Here to Go to Real Estate School BRIO REALTY: REAL ESTATE LISTINGS View photos of over 30,000 MLS listings in California, Washington, Virginia, and Maryland. Foreclosureworld.net Recommended pages: Mortgage Lenders by State Real Estate Agents by State Home Buying & Home Selling Tools Add Your Link Don't forget to bookmark this page! Quick links to popular pages: Commercial Real Estate Lenders Florida Real Estate Agents Utah Real Estate Agents Real Estate Investment Vacation Rentals by State (New!) Index | Advertising Info | Add Your Link | Contact RELibrary.com RELibrary.com Click To Apply For This Award For Your Site

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Looking for the Best Mortgage ESPAÑOL Shopping around for a home loan or mortgage will help you to get the best financing deal. A mortgage--whether it’s a home purchase, a refinancing, or a home equity loan--is a product, just like a car, so the price and terms may be negotiable. You’ll want to compare all the costs involved in obtaining a mortgage. Shopping, comparing, and negotiating may save you thousands of dollars. Skip to content Obtain information from several lenders Obtain all important cost information Obtain the best deal that you can Remember: Shop, compare, negotiate Fair lending is required by law Credit problems? Glossary Mortgage shopping worksheet For more information Obtain Information from Several Lenders Home loans are available from several types of lenders-- thrift institutions , commercial banks, mortgage companies, and credit unions. Different lenders may quote you different prices, so you should contact several lenders to make sure you’re getting the best price. You can also get a home loan through a mortgage broker . Brokers arrange transactions rather than lending money directly; in other words, they find a lender for you. A broker’s access to several lenders can mean a wider selection of loan products and terms from which you can choose. Brokers will generally contact several lenders regarding your application, but they are not obligated to find the best deal for you unless they have contracted with you to act as your agent. Consequently, you should consider contacting more than one broker, just as you should with banks or thrift institutions. Whether you are dealing with a lender or a broker may not always be clear. Some financial institutions operate as both lenders and brokers. And most brokers’ advertisements do not use the word "broker." Therefore, be sure to ask whether a broker is involved. This information is important because brokers are usually paid a fee for their services that may be separate from and in addition to the lender’s origination or other fees. A broker’s compensation may be in the form of "points" paid at closing or as an add-on to your interest rate , or both. You should ask each broker you work with how he or she will be compensated so that you can compare the different fees. Be prepared to negotiate with the brokers as well as the lenders. Obtain All Important Cost Information Be sure to get information about mortgages from several lenders or brokers. Know how much of a down payment you can afford, and find out all the costs involved in the loan. Knowing just the amount of the monthly payment or the interest rate is not enough. Ask for information about the same loan amount, loan term, and type of loan so that you can compare the information. The following information is important to get from each lender and broker: Rates Ask each lender and broker for a list of its current mortgage interest rates and whether the rates being quoted are the lowest for that day or week. Ask whether the rate is fixed or adjustable . Keep in mind that when interest rates for adjustable-rate loans go up, generally so does the monthly payment. If the rate quoted is for an adjustable-rate loan, ask how your rate and loan payment will vary, including whether your loan payment will be reduced when rates go down. Ask about the loan’s annual percentage rate (APR) . The APR takes into account not only the interest rate but also points, broker fees, and certain other credit charges that you may be required to pay, expressed as a yearly rate. Points Points are fees paid to the lender or broker for the loan and are often linked to the interest rate; usually the more points you pay, the lower the rate. Check your local newspaper for information about rates and points currently being offered. Ask for points to be quoted to you as a dollar amount--rather than just as the number of points--so that you will actually know how much you will have to pay. Fees A home loan often involves many fees, such as loan origination or underwriting fees , broker fees, and transaction, settlement, and closing costs . Every lender or broker should be able to give you an estimate of its fees. Many of these fees are negotiable. Some fees are paid when you apply for a loan (such as application and appraisal fees), and others are paid at closing. In some cases, you can borrow the money needed to pay these fees, but doing so will increase your loan amount and total costs. "No cost" loans are sometimes available, but they usually involve higher rates. Ask what each fee includes. Several items may be lumped into one fee. Ask for an explanation of any fee you do not understand. Some common fees associated with a home loan closing are listed on the Mortgage Shopping Worksheet in this brochure. Down Payments and Private Mortgage Insurance Some lenders require 20 percent of the home’s purchase price as a down payment. However, many lenders now offer loans that require less than 20 percent down--sometimes as little as 5 percent on conventional loans . If a 20 percent down payment is not made, lenders usually require the home buyer to purchase private mortgage insurance (PMI) to protect the lender in case the home buyer fails to pay. When government-assisted programs such as FHA (Federal Housing Administration), VA (Veterans Administration), or Rural Development Services are available, the down payment requirements may be substantially smaller. Ask about the lender’s requirements for a down payment, including what you need to do to verify that funds for your down payment are available. Ask your lender about special programs it may offer. If PMI is required for your loan, Ask what the total cost of the insurance will be. Ask how much your monthly payment will be when including the PMI premium. Ask how long you will be required to carry PMI. Obtain the Best Deal That You Can Once you know what each lender has to offer, negotiate for the best deal that you can. On any given day, lenders and brokers may offer different prices for the same loan terms to different consumers, even if those consumers have the same loan qualifications. The most likely reason for this difference in price is that loan officers and brokers are often allowed to keep some or all of this difference as extra compensation. Generally, the difference between the lowest available price for a loan product and any higher price that the borrower agrees to pay is an overage . When overages occur, they are built into the prices quoted to consumers. They can occur in both fixed and variable-rate loans and can be in the form of points, fees, or the interest rate. Whether quoted to you by a loan officer or a broker, the price of any loan may contain overages. Have the lender or broker write down all the costs associated with the loan. Then ask if the lender or broker will waive or reduce one or more of its fees or agree to a lower rate or fewer points. You’ll want to make sure that the lender or broker is not agreeing to lower one fee while raising another or to lower the rate while raising points. There’s no harm in asking lenders or brokers if they can give better terms than the original ones they quoted or than those you have found elsewhere. Once you are satisfied with the terms you have negotiated, you may want to obtain a written lock-in from the lender or broker. The lock-in should include the rate that you have agreed upon, the period the lock-in lasts, and the number of points to be paid. A fee may be charged for locking in the loan rate. This fee may be refundable at closing. Lock-ins can protect you from rate increases while your loan is being processed; if rates fall, however, you could end up with a less favorable rate. Should that happen, try to negotiate a compromise with the lender or broker. Remember: Shop, Compare, Negotiate When buying a home, remember to shop around, to compare costs and terms, and to negotiate for the best deal. Your local newspaper and the Internet are good places to start shopping for a loan. You can usually find information both on interest rates and on points for several lenders. Since rates and points can change daily, you’ll want to check your newspaper often when shopping for a home loan. But the newspaper does not list the fees, so be sure to ask the lenders about them. The Mortgage Shopping Worksheet that follows may also help you. Take it with you when you speak to each lender or broker and write down the information you obtain. Don’t be afraid to make lenders and brokers compete with each other for your business by letting them know that you are shopping for the best deal. Fair Lending Is Required by Law The Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits lenders from discriminating against credit applicants in any aspect of a credit transaction on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, whether all or part of the applicant’s income comes from a public assistance program, or whether the applicant has in good faith exercised a right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in residential real estate transactions on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. Under these laws, a consumer cannot be refused a loan based on these characteristics nor be charged more for a loan or offered less favorable terms based on such characteristics. Credit Problems? Still Shop, Compare, and Negotiate Don’t assume that minor credit problems or difficulties stemming from unique circumstances, such as illness or temporary loss of income, will limit your loan choices to only high-cost lenders.If your credit report contains negative information that is accurate, but there are good reasons for trusting you to repay a loan, be sure to explain your situation to the lender or broker. If your credit problems cannot be explained, you will probably have to pay more than borrowers who have good credit histories. But don’t assume that the only way to get credit is to pay a high price. Ask how your past credit history affects the price of your loan and what you would need to do to get a better price. Take the time to shop around and negotiate the best deal that you can. Whether you have credit problems or not, it’s a good idea to review your credit report for accuracy and completeness before you apply for a loan. To order a copy of your credit report, contact: Equifax: (800) 685-1111 TransUnion: (800) 888-4213 Experian: (888) 397-3742 Glossary Adjustable-rate loans , also known as variable-rate loans, usually offer a lower initial interest rate than fixed-rate loans. The interest rate fluctuates over the life of the loan based on market conditions, but the loan agreement generally sets maximum and minimum rates. When interest rates rise, generally so do your loan payments; and when interest rates fall, your monthly payments may be lowered. Annual percentage rate (APR) is the cost of credit expressed as a yearly rate. The APR includes the interest rate, points, broker fees, and certain other credit charges that the borrower is required to pay. Conventional loans are mortgage loans other than those insured or guaranteed by a government agency such as the FHA (Federal Housing Administration), the VA (Veterans Administration), or the Rural Development Services (formerly know as Farmers Home Administration, or FmHA). Escrow is the holding of money or documents by a neutral third party prior to closing. It can also be an account held by the lender (or servicer) into which a homeowner pays money for taxes and insurance. Fixed-rate loans generally have repayment terms of 15, 20, or 30 years. Both the interest rate and the monthly payments (for principal and interest) stay the same during the life of the loan. The interest rate is the cost of borrowing money expressed as a percentage rate. Interest rates can change because of market conditions. Loan origination fees are fees charged by the lender for processing the loan and are often expressed as a percentage of the loan amount. Lock-in refers to a written agreement guaranteeing a home buyer a specific interest rate on a home loan provided that the loan is closed within a certain period of time, such as 60 or 90 days. Often the agreement also specifies the number of points to be paid at closing. A mortgage is a document signed by a borrower when a home loan is made that gives the lender a right to take possession of the property if the borrower fails to pay off the loan. Overages are the difference between the lowest available price and any higher price that the home buyer agrees to pay for the loan. Loan officers and brokers are often allowed to keep some or all of this difference as extra compensation. Points are fees paid to the lender for the loan. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount. Points are usually paid in cash at closing. In some cases, the money needed to pay points can be borrowed, but doing so will increase the loan amount and the total costs. Private mortgage insurance (PMI) protects the lender against a loss if a borrower defaults on the loan. It is usually required for loans in which the down payment is less than 20 percent of the sales price or, in a refinancing, when the amount financed is greater than 80 percent of the appraised value. Thrift institution is a general term for savings banks and savings and loan associations. Transaction, settlement, or closing costs may include application fees; title examination, abstract of title, title insurance, and property survey fees; fees for preparing deeds, mortgages, and settlement documents; attorneys’ fees; recording fees; and notary, appraisal, and credit report fees. Under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the borrower receives a good faith estimate of closing costs at the time of application or within three days of application. The good faith estimate lists each expected cost either as an amount or a range. Mortgage Shopping Worksheet File for Printing Worksheet (12KB PDF) Lender 1 Lender 2 Name of Lender: ___ ___ Name of Contact: ___ ___ Date of Contact: ___ ___ Mortgage Amount: ___ ___ mortgage 1 mortgage 2 mortgage 1 mortgage 2 Basic Information on the Loans Type of Mortgage: fixed rate, adjustable rate, conventional, FHA, other? If adjustable, see below ___ ___ ___ ___ Minimum down payment required ___ ___ ___ ___ Loan term (length of loan) ___ ___ ___ ___ Contract interest rate ___ ___ ___ ___ Annual percentage rate (APR) ___ ___ ___ ___ Points (may be called loan discount points) ___ ___ ___ ___ Monthly Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) premiums ___ ___ ___ ___ How long must you keep PMI? ___ ___ ___ ___ Estimated monthly escrow for taxes and hazard insurance ___ ___ ___ ___ Estimated monthly payment (Principal, Interest, Taxes, Insurance, PMI) ___ ___ ___ ___ Fees Different institutions may have different names for somefees and may charge different fees. We have listed some typical fees you may see on loan documents. Application fee or Loan processing fee ___ ___ ___ ___ Origination fee or Underwriting fee ___ ___ ___ ___ Lender fee or Funding fee ___ ___ ___ ___ Appraisal fee ___ ___ ___ ___ Attorney fees ___ ___ ___ ___ Document preparation and recording fees ___ ___ ___ ___ Broker fees (may be quoted as points, origination fees, or interest rate add-on) ___ ___ ___ ___ Credit report fee ___ ___ ___ ___ Other fees ___ ___ ___ ___ Other Costs at Closing/Settlement Title search/Title insurance For lender ___ ___ ___ ___ For you ___ ___ ___ ___ Estimated prepaid amounts for interest, taxes, hazard insurance, payments to escrow ___ ___ ___ ___ State and local taxes, stamp taxes, transfer taxes ___ ___ ___ ___ Flood determination ___ ___ ___ ___ Prepaid Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) ___ ___ ___ ___ Surveys and home inspections ___ ___ ___ ___ Total Fees and Other Closing/Settlement Cost Estimates ___ ___ ___ ___ Lender 1 Lender 2 Name of Lender: mortgage 1 mortgage 2 mortgage 1 mortgage 2 Other Questions and Considerations about the Loan Are any of the fees or costs waivable? ___ ___ ___ ___ Prepayment penalties Is there a prepayment penalty? ___ ___ ___ ___ If so, how much is it? ___ ___ ___ ___ How long does the penalty period last? (for example, 3 years? 5 years?) ___ ___ ___ ___ Are extra principal payments allowed? ___ ___ ___ ___ Lock-ins Is the lock-in agreement in writing? ___ ___ ___ ___ Is there a fee to lock-in? ___ ___ ___ ___ When does the lock-in occur—at application, approval, or another time? ___ ___ ___ ___ How long will the lock-in last? ___ ___ ___ ___ If the rate drops before closing, can you lock-in at a lower rate? ___ ___ ___ ___ If the loan is an adjustable rate mortgage: What is the initial rate? ___ ___ ___ ___ What is the maximum the rate could be next year? ___ ___ ___ ___ What are the rate and payment caps each year and over the life of the loan? ___ ___ ___ ___ What is the frequency of rate change and of any changes to the monthly payment? ___ ___ ___ ___ What is the index that the lender will use? ___ ___ ___ ___ What margin will the lender add to the index? ___ ___ ___ ___ Credit life insurance Does the monthly amount quoted to you include a charge for credit life insurance? ___ ___ ___ ___ If so, does the lender require credit life insurance as a condition of the loan? ___ ___ ___ ___ How much does the credit life insurance cost? ___ ___ ___ ___ How much lower would your monthly payment be without the credit life insurance? ___ ___ ___ ___ If the lender does not require credit life insurance, and you still want to buy it, what rates can you get from other insurance providers? ___ ___ ___ ___ This brochure was prepared by the following agencies: Department of Housing and Urban Development Department of Justice Department of the Treasury Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Federal Housing Finance Board Federal Reserve Board Federal Trade Commission National Credit Union Administration Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Office of Thrift Supervision These agencies (except the Department of the Treasury) enforce compliance with laws that prohibit discrimination in lending. If you feel that you have been discriminated against in the home financing process, you may want to contact one of the agencies listed above about your rights under these laws. For more information on home lending issues, visit ( http://www.consumer.gov ), write to the Federal Citizen Information Center, Pueblo, CO 81009 or visit the Center’s Web site at ( http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov ). The following brochures are available from the Center: A Consumer’s Guide to Mortgage Lock-Ins A Consumer’s Guide to Mortgage Refinancing Buying Your Home: Settlement Costs and Helpful Information Consumer Handbook on Adjustable Rate Mortgages Guide to Single Family Home Mortgage Insurance Home Buyer’s Vocabulary Home Mortgages: Understanding the Process and Your Rights to Fair Lending How to Buy a Home with a Low Down Payment How to Dispute Credit Report Errors The HUD Home Buying Guide What You Should Know About Home Equity Lines of Credit Home | Consumer information | Publications | Brochures | Accessibility | Contact Us Last update: January 22, 2004

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Real Estate Agent Printer-friendly version ( HTML ) Real Estate Agent What is this job like? | How do you get ready? | How much does this job pay? | How many jobs are there? | What about the future? | Are there other jobs like this? | Where can you find more information? What is this job like? Back to Top Real estate agents help people buy and sell houses. They must be able to say approximately how much money a house is worth. They need to know what the neighborhoods in their towns are like. They must know the laws that have to do with buying or selling a house. They also can tell home buyers where to get a loan if they need more money to buy a house. In return for selling a house, real estate agents get to keep a small part of the money that the buyer paid for it. Real estate agents work for real estate brokers. Real estate brokers manage real estate offices. People who want to buy a house often ask a real estate agent to help them. They meet with the agent to tell him or her what kind of house they want. They must also discuss how much money they can afford to spend. The agent then takes them to see houses for sale. Buying a house is a very important decision because houses cost a lot of money. This means that buyers often want to look at many houses before they decide to buy one. Real estate agents also sell houses for people. They help the seller set the price for the house. To do this, they must know what the house is like. They must also figure out what people would be willing to pay for the house so that it will sell quickly. They make sure that people see ads for the house so that they can think about buying it. Once a person agrees to buy a house, real estate agents still have work to do. They must fill out special forms that let everyone know that the house has a new owner. Both the buyer and the seller of the house must sign these forms for the sale of the house to be legal. Often, the agents must help the buyer to get a loan from the bank to pay for the house. Real estate agents generally work in offices. Since much information about properties is available over the Internet, some agents can work out of their own homes. In either case, however, much of their time is spent outside the office showing houses to buyers. Sometimes they must leave the office to meet with people who have houses to sell. Good real estate agents also spend time away from the office finding out more about the houses in their town that might one day be up for sale. Agents often work more than 40 hours a week. They often must work in the evening or on weekends. This is because most buyers and sellers are free only at those times. How do you get ready? Back to Top Real estate agents must have a license from the State in which they work. To get a license, a person must have graduated from high school. The person must be at least 18 years old and pass a written test. In some States, a person who wants to be a real estate agent must go to a special school for a few months. Sometimes it helps to take some college courses about real estate. This is because the process of selling a house can be hard to understand. Good real estate agents must get along well with buyers and sellers. It helps if real estate agents are pleasant and dress neatly. They should be well organized and be able to remember people's names. They should deal honestly with people and have good manners. They must also be very eager to sell houses, which is sometimes a lot of hard work. How much does this job pay? Back to Top Most real estate agents do not get a regular paycheck. Instead, they get part of the money that the home buyer pays to the home seller when a house is sold. This means that agents who sell more houses earn more money. It also means that agents who sell more expensive houses earn more. The middle half of all real estate agents earned between $21,010 and $52,860 a year in 2002. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $15,480. The highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $83,780 a year. The middle half of all real estate brokers earned between $29,240 and $90,170 a year in 2002. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $17,290. The highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $145,600 a year. How many jobs are there? Back to Top Real estate agents and brokers held about 407,000 jobs in 2002. Many work part time, and have other jobs as well. Most real estate agents work in large cities. Many also work in smaller cities that are growing quickly. This is because there are more houses being bought and sold in such places. What about the future? Back to Top The number of jobs for real estate agents is expected to grow more slowly than the average for all occupations through the year 2012. This is partly because more information about real estate is available on the Internet. This allows agents to conduct more business in less time, so fewer agents are needed. It should be rather easy to find a job as a real estate agent. This is because many agents find that they cannot sell enough houses to be successful, so they quit their jobs. Only people who enjoy selling, and are good at it, should try to become real estate agents. Are there other jobs like this? Back to Top Insurance sales agents Retail salespersons (car salespersons, etc.) Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents Travel agents Where can you find more information? Back to Top More BLS information about real estate brokers and sales agents can be found in the Occupational Outlook Handbook . The Handbook also shows where to find out even more about this job. Last Modified Date: October 21, 2004