Buying a Home...Easy Explanations and Guidelines
348257
This book is loaded with info for the first time buyer. I am on my third home and still find many good tips in here. Included is a CD-ROM loaded with all the forms that may help in your home buying experience as well. You can download these to your PC and print them out. Helpful charts, checklists etc;. All the tips and pointers in here relate to every home buying obstacle you may encounter. Highly recommended , especially in these economic times.....for ANY first timer. Warning to First Timers: Stay away from short sales!
1016039
When people don't know how the purchasing real estate process goes, it can be very frustrating. I like this book because it is easy to read and easy to understand. It explains many detail processes and preparation of buying a property. I wish I had found this book before I bought my first house to avoid a lot of headaches.
322064
BOOK REVIEW: You've Got Home Buying Questions? Illinois Attorney Has the Answers in 'The Home Buyer's Answer Book'

Reviewed By David M. Kinchen

A well informed consumer buying a car or truck will read  Consumer Reports  to check out the best vehicle for the money. Most people wouldn't buy a vacuum cleaner or coffee maker without a similar investigation.

But millions of people make the biggest purchase of their lifetimes -- buying a house -- without adequate information. It's more than a pity -- it's a crime, considering the large number of useful real estate books on the market.

"The Home Buyer's Answer Book" by Diana Brodman Summers (Sphinx Publishing, an imprint of Sourcebooks, 288 pages, $16.95) will provide all the information any home buyer needs in a logical, readable format, with the jargon of real estate translated into very readable English.

In my four decades of covering real estate, I've read and reviewed many books on buying and selling real estate, but this book is the most up-to-date and comprehensive one I've come across in a long time. Indexed, with a glossary of real estate terms, the quality paperback takes the inquiring reader through the entire process of buying a house.  Summers, an attorney and member of the Illinois bar, also provides useful information about selling a house -- an important subject since most people have to sell their existing house to buy another one.

Summers is a woman of strong opinions, inveighing against the process of staging, making a house look better than it is with fancy furniture, drapes -- and even, horrors, on the West Coast -- actors playing homeowners. Good for her! Most home buyers like to see a house without furniture in it, so they can visualize how their own will look
in the new place.

She also states  -- correctly -- that the run-up in home prices in the early part of this new century was a bubble that increased far faster than stagnant or even declining salaries. This is a sound Midwestern approach to reality that I, as a fellow Midwesterner, heartily approve of.

The question and answer format of the book, plus its comprehensive index, makes this book easy to use. There's enough stress in buying -- and selling -- a home without wading through real estate jargon.

Topics covered include real estate law and taxes, appraisals and home inspections, working with real estate professionals, dealing with owners selling without an agent, hiring an attorney specializing in real estate (something more important than most people think), foreclosures and flipping, improving your credit rating, avoiding predatory lenders and even building a house.

"The Home Buyer's Answer Book" is available on Amazon or at most well stocked book stores. Publisher's web site: [...]
1316582
When I put my home in Bev. HIlls up for sale, I was told by my realtor that I "must" hire a stager in order to best present the house to make the optimal profit on the sale.  They started telling me how much it would cost to not only hire a stager (about $5,000), but as well the costs for leasing furniture, etc.  I started to feel like there was a ploy here, but understood that there would be a benefit to actually staging the home correctly.  I had heard of this book and that the woman who wrote it was the person to hire in Northern California, but my home was 350 miles away.  So I bought this book and watched the DVD...  It was amazing how it put everything together so that I could do this myself, with a LITTLE bit of help, and not have to cut into the profits of my home.  WELL, after a week worth of following the authors suggestions and preparing the house, my realtors were blown away that we didn't have to hire their expensive stager!  AND my house sold in 1 day ABOVE asking price...  The book was so easy to read and quick to understand without boring fluff, that I would recommend it to anyone looking to maximize their profits on the house.  Saving that money AND making more on the house was a win win situation for me and my realtors.
4132770
Ms. Glink has put together an excellent starting point for looking for a home. I used it a lot when I began my search, and wish I'd followed some advice that I passed over.
3169042
I read "Mortgage Free" a few months ago, and I thought it was a fantastic guide that taught me everything I had never known about the process of home-buying, so I was excited to pick up a copy of "Budget" as soon as it came out. I loved all of the budget suggestions, and the pick-your-own-budget questionnaires. Now I just have to get my husband to read it!!
474397
Save yourself lots of time, hassle and most of all money. Whether you're a first time buyer or a seasoned professional, this is an excellent source of information and experience.  Everyone can learn something from this!  I highly recommend this for anyone in the market to buy a home.
3220406
If only I had this book before buying my first piece of real estate, I would have done things much differently.  But at least I came across this book now and not 30 years from now. The book is written in plain language and is very easy to understand.  After completing your "Due Diligence" the answer to buy or pass on a piece of property is right there infront of you in black and white. [...]There you will find several easy to use spreadsheets on Cash Flows, Renting vs Owning, After Tax Cash Flows (which I found the most useful)etc. The spreadsheets do not lie and allow you to accurately forecast whether or not the property you maybe interested in is actually worth your investment! Thanks to Professor Baron and his team for arming the real estate buyer with the tools to help reduce risk!
1227149
(I purchased the Kindle version of this book- note, though the forms/documents are made available online, I have not utilized this resource, though I am fortunate they are available). Currently in the process of buying my first home, I searched a number of forums to find the right references on the topic. Nearly unanimously, Home Buying Kit for Dummies was described as the essential first-read. Having done this, I feel that the authors give a very nice overview of the entire process, particularly with initiating the major steps of seeking out a real estate agent and a mortgage lender. I believe that in terms of the mortgage process, there are better, more detailed books, however there is a limit that one can ascertain from a book, and an entire playing field that should be entrusted to an attorney. I am very glad I own this book.
496341
I'm so impressed with this book.  The author explains some basic financial, loan, and credit information as it relates to home ownership in a way that a beginner can understand.  For those of us that already have experience and knowledge of these terms, there is more detailed info. on the current real estate market, giving examples of real people and solutions for common situations homeowners and those who want to be homeowners are facing.  Highly recommended.
3198909
I won this on goodreads and what great timing to since we are looking at buying a house in the near future! This book gives you all the aspects from all angles of buying from location, style, area, etc. and all for your budget you want to remain in. Not only is it full of detailed info that one will need to keep in mind while going through this process but it even has all sorts of charts to help you along your way and make finding a home rather it be buying or renting a lot easier! Thanks again! Im sure to be looking over this book a couple more times during our process! A+
1221826
This was an excellent book, going step by step of the details of purchasing a property and managing it.
No fluff or filler material. Covers the nuances of buying a property very well with a strategy and models for every step of the real estate buy process(finding property, buying, managing).
Highly recommended.
3794662
The author's writing style makes this book an easy read, and very understandable. The financial information is concise and realistic. The graphs, charts and pictures were most helpful.

Whether Flipping, Re-selling, or just making home improvements, this book is invaluable.
281981
Finding the Uncommon Deal puts you firmly in the driver's seat when buying a home. You will come away feeling educated and better aware of what to expect at every turn.  It includes detailed explanation of what you will encounter from dealing with lenders and sellers, to how to find important information about the property you are considering.  This book covers it all!  I have given it five stars because it has the three things I look for in a book.
3773914
I am super glad this book has arrived. It gives an intense breakdown of everything you need to know about buying a home. I will be sharing this knowledge with everyone I know!!
2820318
Real Estate Math Demystified by Steven P. Mooney will help prepare you to do an ANALYSIS of your real estate investment.
The author , a university profesor with a doctorate, used to be a real estate agent, a real estate broker, and a real estate student/investor.
Right in the preface,before page 1, he says " ...find a great place, some paper, a pencil AND A FINANCIAL CALCULATOR "
He then goes on in a short description of the FIRST CHAPTER to say " the first chapter ... we close the chapter with a brief discussion of the FINANCIAL CALCULATOR and how that WILL BE USED IN FUTURE CHAPTERS."

Very practical mathematical book, no pure theory. Language easy to understand.
1179609
My husband and I were planning on buying a house until the economy went down the tubes. Once it comes back (whenever that is) this'll be one of the resources we use to help us through the process. It may not be as thorough a book as some others, but for an introductory guide, it's exactly what we need. The information is well organized, with a lot of neat side features (Cookies! Organics gardening!) for fun. While it probably won't be the only resource we utilize, it gave us some good topics for conversation.