Would it be worthwhile reading a book on mortgage financing?

[Shon Butani]

Hi how's it going,

I've been reading anything I can get my hands on lately to educate myself before making my first investment. I want to really understand the real estate market before investing - why prices go up and down, the role of banks, the government, etc.

I was looking online and found a book titled "Residential Mortgage Lending: Principals and Practices"

Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/Residential-Mortgage-Lending....

Do you think this would be a worthwhile read? It goes pretty in depth about the roles of the law, the various types of lenders, and the economy with regards to real estate.

Here are the chapters: 1. History. 2. Real Estate Law. 3. Role of Lending. 4. Mortgage Lenders. 5. Secondary Mortgage Market. Part II: PROGRAMS. 6. Conventional Mortgage Lending. 7. Government Lending. 8. Private Mortgage Insurance. 9. Construction Lending. 10. Equity Lending. Part III: PRACTICES. 11. Compliance. 12. Origination and Processing. 13. Underwriting. 14. Appraisals. 15. Closing. 16. Loan Administration. 17. Selling Loans. 18. Lending Strategies.

While it's not directly related to real estate investing, I feel like it could help a lot to really understand the real estate market.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks