When it comes to getting ready to choose the mortgage that makes the most sense for you, there is a key set of numbers that is important for you to know – your personal statistics if you will. You can use my kids’ friend, Hamilton, who is about 13 years old, for inspiration. Hamilton is a rabid basketball fan. We don’t see him that often, so the last time I picked him up to hang out with my kids, I asked him how his parents are – he said, “Okay.” I asked about his brother – he said, “Okay.” I asked how school was going – he said (you guessed it), “Okay.” Then, we got home, and he ran into my husband, John. John asked Hamilton who his favorite NBA player is this year. This child’s eyes lit up and he literally morphed into his alter-ego, Sir Talks-a-Lot:

“SHAQ! He is off tha hook! I mean, he’s 7-foot-1, weighs 325 pounds,
- and he’s #1 in the league in field goal percentage with a 58.9 percent average;
- and he led last year, too with 60.1 percent! Did you see that game where he scored 35 points against Charlotte? Did you know he wears a size 22 shoe?”

Now, I won’t ask you your shoe size, but I do want you to know all of the numbers on your Personal Statistics Worksheet before you even think about going in to meet with your mortgage broker or consultant.