Product Description

From the most trusted name in real estate, here is the latest edition of the indispensable guide that helps first-time buyers land the home of their dreams.

Ilyce R. Glink has established herself as America’s most trusted real estate expert. In this new, fully revised and updated edition of the book that made her a household name, Glink offers more than 100 pages of new material addressing all of the current trends home buyers need to stay on top of, including:

• The new construction housing boom and how home buyers can make the most of it

• Mortgage lending innovations, such as interest-only financing and the ability to finance 103 percent of the purchase price

• The changing habits of first-time home buyers (purchasing without a broker, using discount Internet-based services, and buying first homes as investments)

• The latest information on asbestos, mold, radon, and other bio-environmental hazards and new, inexpensive testing methods any home buyer can use

In this third edition of 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask, Glink presents new stories of real people who have gone through the home-buying process for the first time and once again offers her trademark friendly advice on how to avoid common home-buyer mistakes.


Also available as an eBook

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #50714 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-24
• Released on: 2005-05-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

Amazon.com
Buying a home requires skill in a variety of areas. There's negotiating, financing, inspecting a home, and understanding legal contracts. It's really too much for most people to do by themselves, which, as you know by now, is why most of us pay good money to hire real estate agents, mortgage brokers, home inspectors, and other professionals to help with the process. But that doesn't remove the buyer from the role of project manager, whose job is to understand what each specialist is meant to do and recognize when one of those key players is not doing his or her job right. Books such as 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask help the novice gain a solid understanding of the basics involved in this often complex process. The questions in this second edition of author Ilyce R. Glink's book also make buyers think about their decisions. If you want to buy an older home, for example, do you understand that older windows may need caulking or new sashes, that bathroom tiles may need regrouting, and that an older home may need rewiring, a new hot water heater, or a new furnace right away? Other questions range from the routine (How much can I afford? How do I make an offer?) to some that are hard to anticipate (What if the seller wants to stay in the house after the closing? Who should attend the closing?). Chapters are devoted to key topics, including figuring out what kind of house you want (this effort starts with a "wish list" and improves with a "reality check"), knowing what you can afford, putting together and negotiating a deal, financing your home, closing on the deal, and then doing what it takes to live happily ever after. Of course, living happily ever after requires understanding when it's time to move on to your next home, a process that may find you dusting off this book in the coming years. --John Russell

From The WomanSource Catalog & Review: Tools for Connecting the Community for Women; review by FGP
Discrimination is still a factor in the marketplace and women home buyers, especially single women, can be susceptible to being taken advantage of by sellers who think they can pull one over on you because you're a woman. Additionally, real estate brokers and lenders are sometimes wary of women purchasing homes by themselves. Your best defense is to know what you're talking about and this book covers virtually everything a first-time home buyer should know: what to look for in a home, how to prequalify for a mortgage, financing, house inspections, closing procedures-all presented in a question and answer format. Owning a home does take a certain amount of responsibility, but it's fun and it's a good investment. The stuff you need to know isn't difficult, and if you know what to expect and what questions to ask, it will remove a lot of anxiety from your first purchase.

Inside Flap Copy
The best friend a prospective buyer ever had- a book that deciphers the jargon, matches desires with means, keeps an eye on details and helps first-timers land the home of their dreams.

Customer Reviews

Great book to get you started
This book basically points out that you NEED a real estate agent. And preferably a buyer's agent to purchase your home. Very informative, but really what it all comes down to is that you need a good honest agent to do the asking for you.

thorough yet easy to browse -- a great resource
This book has been a tremendous resource in my search for a new home. It covers virtually every topic related to home-buying, and it only begins to "drone" in a few areas regarding finances. But, because of the book's organization, it is very easy to browse for information on a specific topic. I full-heartedly recommend the book, and I recommend reading it all the way through at least once.

great expert on buying and selling
i read this book and the counterpart for selling. only wish i had read them before i began the process. both are wonderful resources! she even has a syndicated column in the home section of most newspapers. highly recommended!