Description
The top choice among home buyers in need of assistance
Home Buying Kit For Dummies is your one-stop guide to navigating the housing market and buying a home. This updated book helps you through the largest—and most complex—purchase you're likely to make, offering a map to navigating the occasionally choppy waters of home buying. Get insight on evaluating your financial readiness to buy a house, securing a mortgage, building a team of advisors, negotiating a deal, and getting your new home ready after you buy. A small investment in know-how will make a big difference, making every step of the home buying process smoother.
- Understand interest rates and determine your budget for buying a new home
- Learn how to get approved for a mortgage and recognize fair house prices
- Get a real estate agent and find the home that fits your needs
- Survive the inspection and appraisal stage, then seal the deal
This book is a perfect choice for first-time and inexperienced home buyers who need advice on the steps in buying a home.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Part 1: Getting Started with Buying a Home 5
Chapter 1: Deciding Whether to Buy 7
Chapter 2: Getting Your Financial House in Order 23
Chapter 3: What Can You Afford to Buy? 39
Chapter 4: Why Home Prices Rise and Fall. 69
Part 2: Financing 101 83
Chapter 5: Understanding and Improving Your Credit Score 85
Chapter 6: Selecting a Mortgage 103
Chapter 7: Mortgage Quandaries, Conundrums, and Forms 133
Part 3: Property, Players, and Prices 161
Chapter 8: Where and What to Buy 163
Chapter 9: Assembling an All-Star Real Estate Team 207
Chapter 10: What’s It Worth? 239
Chapter 11: Tapping the Internet’s Best Resources 261
Part 4: Making the Deal 271
Chapter 12: Negotiating Your Best Deal 273
Chapter 13: Inspecting and Protecting Your Home 301
Chapter 14: It Ain’t Over till the Escrow Officer Says So 325
Part 5: The Part of Tens 341
Chapter 15: Ten Financial “To Dos” After You Buy 343
Chapter 16: Ten Things to Know When Investing in Real Estate 351
Chapter 17: Nearly Ten Things to Consider When Selling Your House 359
Part 6: Appendixes 367
Appendix A: Example of a Good Inspection Report 369
Appendix B: Glossary 387
Index 407
