Synopses & Reviews
Find the right house at the right price with insider tips and advice from the experts
Say goodbye to landlords and laundromats with Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home. This timely title will help you find the right place to live and invest in — and even have fun doing it.
Filled with interesting facts, real-life stories and common pitfalls to avoid, 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 your local market for the best value
- qualifying for and lining up financing
- getting the right inspections and insurance
- negotiating with sellers or new home builders
- successfully closing the deal
Read through the real-world experiences of over 20 first-time homebuyers, as well as valuable 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
Along with this step-by-step handbook, you'll get 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, and even borrow down payment money from your parents.
The brand new 3rd edition of Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home is fully updated to reflect the dramatically changed housing market, including emphasis on how to do the right kind of research before deciding on a price and the terms of your offer. It also includes a new discussion of what to expect when you're looking for financing.
Are you a California resident? Check out How to Buy a House in California
Synopsis
The start to finish guide that puts the fun back into the challenge of buying a first home, with comprehensive, timely information from a team of experts. Get valuable tips on: deciding between a house, condo, co-op or townhouse; exploring your local market for the best value; creating and managing a realistic homebuying budget; qualifying for and securing financing; getting the right inspections and insurance; negotiating with sellers or new home builders; successfully closing the deal and includes all the legal forms you need.
About the Author
Ilona Bray, J.D. is an award-winning author and legal editor at Nolo, specializing in real estate, immigration law, workplace wellness and nonprofit fundraising. Many of her books are consistent Nolo bestsellers, among them
Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits, U.S. Immigration Made Easy and
Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home. Her latest book is entitled
The Volunteers' Guide to Fundraising. She particularly enjoys interviewing people and weaving their stories into her books.
Alayna Schroeder is a coauthor of several Nolo books, including Selling Your House in a Tough Market and Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home. A Sacramento, California lawyer, she has represented employers in litigation, drafted employee handbooks and policies and counseled employers on sound employment practices. She holds a law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law.
Marcia Stewart writes and edits books on landlord-tenant law, real estate, and other consumer issues. She is the co-author of First-Time Landlord, Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home, Every Landlord's Legal Guide, Every Tenant's Legal Guide, Leases and Rental Agreements, and Renters' Rights.