Home Buying: Our Favorite Books

Comprehensive guide for home buyers. Like other books in the For Dummies series, this one is an easy and even entertaining read. But it does not gloss over details in pursuit of simplicity. Home Buying for Dummies covers all the bases, providing clear explanations and reasonable judgments on how to select a mortgage, hire a real estate agent, find the right house, and negotiate a good deal. From financing, mortgages, and credit scores to closing the deal, this book walks you step by step through the entire home-buying process.

Insider tips and advice. This book is a must-have tool for any home buyer. Topics covered include: checking out neighborhoods, working with real estate agents, getting a mortgage, finding overlooked properties (fixer-uppers, FSBO's, foreclosures), working with property inspectors, and closing the deal. It offers so much essential information, purchasing a home without it would be like trying to drive a nail without a hammer!

What to do before you start house hunting. This book is full of worksheets, helping readers to pencil out solutions to home buying's many riddles: to rent or to buy, how much house you can afford, acquiring money for a down payment, and building credit. The book is full of worksheets and checklists that help make home-buying decisions easier, including a list of the five financial and emotional mistakes home buyers make and guidelines for prioritizing features you want in your dream house. All those buying their first homes would profit from this easy-to-follow book.

Sound advice for home buyers. This book offers practical, how-to information on a broad range of topics -- how to boost your credit rating, how to make successful counter offers, how to get a good mortgage, how to analyze a home inspection, how to avoid getting gouged at the closing, and more. Whether you're buying your first home or your fifth, you'll something useful in this book.

Everything you need to know about home buying. This book is absolutely necessary for anyone even thinking about building a new home or buying from the builder. The authors are new home experts and are telling all of the builder's secrets in this one-of-kind guide. The reader of this book will learn Insider information that will allow him to negotiate the lowest possible price for a new home. The book also gives complete instructions on how to find a good builder and guarantee a quality built new home.

Find the best houses and avoid the lemons. Real estate is soaring, and prospective buyers want information that is both authoritative and easy to understand. This book combines proven techniques with updated strategies, including how to use the Internet effectively, whether to buy a new or existing home, what to watch for in an older home, and more. This book arms you with the knowledge you need to get the most house for your money in today's ultra-competitive housing market.

Tips from real estate professionals. Real estate experts reveal the inside scoop on home-buying in this easy-to-read guide. The book provides practical, step-by-step advice on a variety of topics including: how to choose the right home and mortgage, how to negotiate for a desirable property, and how to make the most of your buying power with alternative mortgages.

Straightforward, no-frills advice. This book is chock full of practical information -- like the criteria that lenders use to assess a buyer qualifications, questions to ask future neighbors, a glossary of real estate terms, and a big-picture checklist of steps to becoming a homeowner. There's also a checklist of the 15 costliest mistakes homebuyers make -- and how to avoid every one of them. In short, the book offers useful strategies for finding and buying a new home -- while saving money along the way.

A comprehensive and essential guide. Buying a home can be scary. There are a lot of people to deal with, from realtors to attorneys to bankers. There’s tons of paperwork with terms and vocabulary that read like a foreign language. This book provides vital information and great strategies to help you find your dream home faster and feel confident about the purchase. You will learn to avoid dangerous and expensive—mistakes commonly made by first-time home buyers, and you will find a wealth of helpful tips for financing and closing on your property.

Take the fear out of buying your first home. The process of buying a home for the first time can seem intimidating. No worries. This book guides you through the entire process, including: renting versus buying, determining what you can afford, deciding where to live, what to look for in a home, hiring a realtor, mortgage basics, hiring an attorney, making an offer, inspecting and appraising your home, caring for your home, and increasing the value of your investment. The appendix even includes sample worksheets to help you as you make your decisions.

Home-buying primer. This introduction to real estate contains useful tips for dealing with realtors, builders, mortgage companies, and more. It includes suggestions for finding the right home and getting the best deal, as well as coverage of financing options -- which mortgage is best for you and how to get it.