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The Unofficial Guide to Buying a Home Second Edition
The inside scoop . . .for when you want more than the official line
No matter what your budget and taste, finding the perfect home is a daunting task. How do you even know where to start? Here you'll find the inside scoop on every step of the homebuying process-from calculating your budget to negotiating the deal and handling the closing.
The Unofficial Guide to Buying a Home, Second Edition gives savvy consumers like you a foolproof appraisal of which homebuying strategies work and which don't. This updated edition is perfect for first-time homebuyers and includes new information on using the Internet to find your home, buying condos, and utilizing government funding programs. It walks you through the entire homebuying from searching for a home, to making an offer, through the inspection, and on to the closing, you can be confident that your investment is sound. The guide also offers expanded coverage of the monetary issues involved in purchasing a home, including new means of determining creditworthiness and new types of available loans, as well as helping you decide how much home you can-and should-purchase.
Vital Information that other sources can't or won't reveal-from what really motivates sellers, brokers, loan officers, and other key players in the homebuying game, to how to work most effectively with your agent.
Insider Secrets on how to make real estate law work in your favor.
Money-Saving Techniques that show you how to take advantage of tax breaks and how to time your search to exploit seasonal variations in the market.
Time-Saving Tips on streamlining the homebuying process so you find the home you want as quickly as possible.
The Latest Trends in homebuying, including up-to-date tips on using the Internet to find your home, a realtor, or a mortgage.
Handy Checklists and Charts to help you determine your budget and stick to it.
No matter what your budget and taste, finding the perfect home is a daunting task. How do you even know where to start? Here you'll find the inside scoop on every step of the homebuying process-from calculating your budget to negotiating the deal and handling the closing.
The Unofficial Guide to Buying a Home, Second Edition gives savvy consumers like you a foolproof appraisal of which homebuying strategies work and which don't. This updated edition is perfect for first-time homebuyers and includes new information on using the Internet to find your home, buying condos, and utilizing government funding programs. It walks you through the entire homebuying from searching for a home, to making an offer, through the inspection, and on to the closing, you can be confident that your investment is sound. The guide also offers expanded coverage of the monetary issues involved in purchasing a home, including new means of determining creditworthiness and new types of available loans, as well as helping you decide how much home you can-and should-purchase.
Vital Information that other sources can't or won't reveal-from what really motivates sellers, brokers, loan officers, and other key players in the homebuying game, to how to work most effectively with your agent.
Insider Secrets on how to make real estate law work in your favor.
Money-Saving Techniques that show you how to take advantage of tax breaks and how to time your search to exploit seasonal variations in the market.
Time-Saving Tips on streamlining the homebuying process so you find the home you want as quickly as possible.
The Latest Trends in homebuying, including up-to-date tips on using the Internet to find your home, a realtor, or a mortgage.
Handy Checklists and Charts to help you determine your budget and stick to it.
482 pages, Paperback
First published November 25, 1998
7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 11, 2008
This book was pretty good. It has a lot of information, but is organized poorly. It begins with a lot of mortgage information that, to someone who knows little about the subject, didn't seem to clarify things much.
The book then focuses on finding a house, which is very informative. the book is written by realtors, and the authors know a lot about the ins and outs of finding a house.
By the time the book gets to the point of talking about home financing, that section is long forgotten. It then moves into a lot of information on what to do after finding a house. This includes all of the lawyers, inspectors, contracts, and companies you'll have to deal with. It's a little overwhelming.
Another issue with this book is that, although written in 2004, the authors seem to barely know of the existence of the internet. In fact, they on more than one occasion suggest you find services by turning to the Yellow Pages. It makes me wonder how on the ball they are.
However, as I mentioned, there is a lot of useful information in this book. I would suggest giving it a good reading with a highlighter at the beginning of the process. Mark all of the items that might be useful (different kinds of mortgages, people to call, forms to sign, etc.). Or, even mark them with bookmarks so that you can go back to them when you are at that part of finding a home.
The book then focuses on finding a house, which is very informative. the book is written by realtors, and the authors know a lot about the ins and outs of finding a house.
By the time the book gets to the point of talking about home financing, that section is long forgotten. It then moves into a lot of information on what to do after finding a house. This includes all of the lawyers, inspectors, contracts, and companies you'll have to deal with. It's a little overwhelming.
Another issue with this book is that, although written in 2004, the authors seem to barely know of the existence of the internet. In fact, they on more than one occasion suggest you find services by turning to the Yellow Pages. It makes me wonder how on the ball they are.
However, as I mentioned, there is a lot of useful information in this book. I would suggest giving it a good reading with a highlighter at the beginning of the process. Mark all of the items that might be useful (different kinds of mortgages, people to call, forms to sign, etc.). Or, even mark them with bookmarks so that you can go back to them when you are at that part of finding a home.
April 14, 2008
I started reading this book very intimidated about the home-buying process. From the beginning it was a page-turner (pretty good when you can't put down an informational book). I feel sufficiently confident about buying a home now. Well-organized. You trust the author. Complete.
June 30, 2008
It was OK...it gave me the basics but wasn't detailed enough I don't think. But obviously it got me through this crazy house buying process!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews