"Special thanks to Broderick Perkins, DeadlineNews.Com, who reviewed and contributed to every chapter."

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Product Description

Insider tips and advice to help you get the right place at the right price!

If you're ready to say goodbye to landlords and laundromats, Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home will help you find the right place to invest in -- and have fun doing it.

Filled with interesting facts and real-life stories, this book provides everything you need to select the right house, the right mortgage, the right agent, the right inspections -- and much more. Get the inside scoop on:

deciding between a house, condo, co-op or townhouse

exploring the market for the best value

lining up financing

getting inspections and insurance

negotiating with sellers or new home builders

successfully closing the deal

Read the real-life stories of over 20 first-time homebuyers, as well as the insights from a team of 13 real estate professionals, including:

brokers

attorneys who specialize in real estate

a home inspector

a neighborhood researcher

a mortgage specialist

and more PLUS: You'll get the The Homebuyer's Toolkit, a CD-ROM that includes dozens of forms and MP3s which will help you find the right place, crunch the numbers, interview real estate professionals, borrow down payment money from your parents -- and more.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20896 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-15
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 380 pages

Norma Vally, host of Toolbelt Diva (Discovery Home) and author of Chix Can Fix: 100 Home Improvement Projects and True Tales From the Diva of Do-It-Yourself
" Coming from a gal that knows tools, this book is a must-have tool for any home buyer. It offers so much essential information, purchasing a home without it would be like trying to drive a nail without a hammer!"

Elisabeth DeMarse, CEO, Creditcards.com, former CEO, Bankrate.com
" Any first-time homebuyer owes it to him or herself to get this book. It's packed with information you won't find anywhere else, yet is remarkably accessible, even when covering complex financial issues."

Elizabeth Weintraub, Home Buying & Selling Guide, About.com
"Takes the guesswork out of home buying... two thumbs up!"

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Customer Reviews

essential guide
while some of the stuff is basic info, there's some really excellent advice and info that even a mortgage banker i spoke with didn't know about. definitely worth it

Worth Its Weight in Gold!
I started looking at buying my first house many months ago and realized that the conflicting and often spotty advise I would get from friends and family wasn't enough. I needed a book to guide me and fill in the gaps (of which there were many).

I figured a "Home Buying for Dummies" type book was what I needed, but I didn't stop there and thumbed through almost a dozen home buying books at the local store before finding this gem by Nolo.

This was the ONLY book that guides you through the process, taking logical, simple steps while interjecting real-world experiences from different people.

It's written in a manner that appeals to just about everyone, explaining how to find a good agent (or save yourself on closing costs by using an online broker), what you should REALLY look for when finding the house that's right for you, all the way through closing, and even what's involved afterwards!

Buying a home can be stressful and overwhelming, but this book really made things quite easy. I can't think of a single home buying related subject that it doesn't cover. If you are buying your first house, this book is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Excellent comprehensive guide, yet easy to understand
For me, because this is the only first-time buyer's guide that discusses in detail issues around getting a personal gift or personal loan towards purchasing a home, it already deserves 5 stars.

But it's more than just that. This is a very comprehensive guide with a helpful accompanying CD-ROM. The materials are organized clearly and presented in an easy-to-understand manner. I had read other guides such as the Dummies one which tended to be really verbose and confusing. This book stands out as a highly useable companion as you search and purchase your first home (and as you deal with real estate agents and lawyers).

Very highly recommended.