Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home - 9th Edition by Ilona Bray & Ann O'Connell (Paperback)

About the Book

"This book provides everything the first-time home buyer needs to: research the local market and listings; choose a house, condo, co-op or townhouse; create a realistic budget; qualify for an affordable loan; borrow a down payment from friends or family; get protection with inspections and insurance; and negotiate and close the deal successfully. This book includes insights from numerous real estate professionals-agents, attorneys, mortgage specialists, a home inspector, and more. Also included are the real-life stories from more than 20 first-time homebuyers"--

Book Synopsis

There's no place like home!

Ready to say goodbye to your landlord? With help from Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home, you'll not only find the right house for you, you'll have fun doing it.

Learn how to:

• research the local market and listings


• choose a house, condo, co-op, or townhouse


• create a realistic budget


• qualify for a loan you can truly afford


• borrow a down payment from friends or family


• protect yourself with inspections and insurance, and


• negotiate and close the deal successfully.

You'll find insights from numerous real estate professionals--agents, attorneys, mortgage specialists, a home inspector, and more. It's like having a team of experts by your side! Plus, read real-life stories of over 20 first-time homebuyers.

Review Quotes

"32nd Annual Silver winner Benjamin Franklin Award." Independent Book Publishers Association

"Nolo's excellent guide for novice home buyers provides fresh, updated information about the whole process that even those in the know will find useful." Library Journal

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

"Coming from a gal that knows tools, this book is a must-have tool for any home buyer." Norma Valley, Host of "Toolbelt Diva" (Discovery Home Channel)

"Buying a house for the first time can be an intimidating, and sometimes overwhelming, process. This Nolo guide takes readers on the journey from understanding the benefits of buying a house and deciding what they want to sealing the deal and settling in. Along the way, readers will learn about budgeting, the market, getting a mortgage, negotiating a deal and many other crucial steps. The book takes advice from fifteen different professionals, including brokers, mortgage specialists, home inspectors and more, in to account as it advises readers. Buying the book also allows readers to access the website where they can download forms and informative podcasts and stay up to date on changing trends in house buying." Eithne O'Leyne, Editor Ringgold, Inc. ProtoView

" Attorneys and authors Bray et al. offer a guide to buying a home for the first time. They discuss the benefits of buying a house, figuring out homebuying needs and what is affordable, checking out the market, selecting a real estate team, getting a mortgage, loan alternatives, looking for a house, fixer-uppers and other types of houses, making an offer, closing, property inspection, homeowners' insurance and home warranties, sealing the deal, and settling in. Additional real estate professionals also provide advice, and other interviews are provided online, along with forms, checklists, and letters. " 6th edition review - Eithne O'Leyne, Editor, ProtoView

The ownership of a home is the largest financial investment most people will ever make. The number of homes for sale is on the rise and mortgage rates remain near historic lows. "Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home" provides everything needed to: research the local market and listings; decide between a house, condo, co-op, or townhouse; create a realistic budget; qualify for a loan you can truly afford; borrow a down payment from friends or family; protect yourself with inspections and insurance; and negotiate and close the deal successfully. "Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home" offers insights drawn from 15 real estate professionals that include brokers, attorneys, mortgage specialists, a home inspector, a neighborhood researcher, and more. Plus "Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home" is enhanced with the inclusion of real-life stories from over 20 first-time homebuyers. Readers should note that they can download from www.Nolo.com a Homebuyer's Toolkit Dozens of downloadable forms and podcasts that will help them find their dream home, crunch the numbers, interview real estate professionals, inspect the house thoroughly, and more.Comprehensive, inclusive, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home" is very highly recommended, especially for community library collections." The Midwest Book Review, Taylor's Bookshelf