Tips and Traps When Buying a Home

Rating:
Summary: Plenty of great information and advice
Review: I disagree with the people here who criticize this book for being about "buy low, sell high" and investment purposes. I have a feeling that these people are referring to some of Robert Irwin's other books aimed at real estate moguls in training; however, I took this book as being aimed at people who want to buy the house to actually live in it and to have a home of their own.

I used this book prior to buying my home and took much of the advice to heart. I interviewed several buyer's agents until I found one I liked and trusted, something that is spoken about in the book clearly. I also got some great advice from the finance sections that kept me from paying PMI and helped deal with the mortgage broker.

I bought this book for some friends who were looking at buying a house and it helped them when one deal went sour. I also loaned my copy to two friends shortly before they bought their houses... of course they didn't read it and got screwed on several points (mainly during inspection and negotiation). Oh well... you can lead a horse to water...

Buy and read this book if you're interested in looking for a house. It's well worth it.

Rating:
Summary: Buy low; sell high...
Review: I'm half way though this book and its obvious to me that much of what he suggests is unknowable. Buy when the market is going up. Don't buy on the way down. Don't wait for the absolute bottom. Ask Jean Dixon for advice....

So what is one to do? Aside from the fact that housing is something everybody needs, all I know is that people who bought houses in California for outrageously high prices...are now selling them for even higher prices.

And the same economic conditions that cause house prices to go up, also raise interest rates, making housing unaffordable.

The best time to buy a house is when you need one and can afford it. As I write this the good news is that interest rates are incredibly low; the bad news is George Junior is running this country off a cliff. Sure, its disconcerting but if you follow everything in this book the only home you'll be in the market for is a nursing home.

Rating:
Summary: Tips and Traps When Buying a Home
Review: In easy-to-understand language, Irwin has taken much of the stress and uncertainty out of home buying. A companion to Tips and Traps When Selling a Home [BKL Ja 1 90], this book provides the basic knowledge necessary to make buying a home less of a headache for the average person. The author addresses each stage of the buying process from choosing an agent, to negotiating with the seller, to closing the deal. Drawing on 25 years of experience as a real-estate broker, he explains common traps and misconceptions and offers tips on avoiding them--for instance, when the seller might be held liable for concealing defects in the house. This is one of the most accessible and thorough treatments for home buyers available; most public libraries should find it in demand, especially with the spring house-buying season well under way.

Rating:
Summary: Informative, Quick Read
Review: Page per page this book probably has more useful information in it then any other real estate book I've read to date.Useful, practical and applicable, the information contained inside can be used for a myriad of areas that you will be involved in when buying your home. The section on "How to Buy a Home" and "How to Make a Low Offer the Seller Will Accept" is worth the price of the book. It is a VERY quick read. Mr Irwin's style is such that you can pick up the meat of what he wants to say in a few sentences or a quick paragraph or two. I bought it a few days ago and I am 80% finished. It'll be done by the time you allread this review.

Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: Rather than focusing on the mechanical details of buying a house that you can get anywhere, this book gives you practical knowledge you need. Information about how agents may try to trick you, loan fees that are bogus, how to get sellers excited about your offer, etc.

Rating:
Summary: cookie cutter advice
Review: This book gives cookie cutter advice without much elaboration for those of us who don't fit into the mold of "20% down, sterling credit" home-buyers. If you've read any other books then most of the information isn't new and a lot of it is just common sense (although some of it it is outdated now). I would only recommend this book to someone who knows nothing and is ready to read other books in order to put the advice in perspective. If you're going to read anything, read "The 106 Common Mistakes Homebuyers Make". It's a lot better!

Rating:
Summary: Very Helpful, Accurate & Easy to Read!
Review: This book has helped me purchase my 1st house! I want to let EVERYONE know that this book was such an informative book that provided very helpful information that my agent & mortgage lender might not be 100% truthtful with me. Therefore, this book was a neutral source of information confirming my suspicion of the seller's intentions for selling their house & other things. Mr. Irwin has written this excellent book that I even recommended to other people in bookstores. He has laid all the aspects of buying a home into a chronological order of the necessary things that you, the buyer, need to know so you will not be mislead by the seller, your agent & other parties involved in one of the biggest & costly transaction that you'll be making in your lifetime! Overall, this book was excellent in my search for my first house & the end result was a beautiful & cozy house in a good neighborhood. But in addition, I also believed that divine intervention was also present, in other words, God was also there watching over me & others involved in this BIG transaction! =)

Rating:
Summary: Don't buy your home without it!!!
Review: This is a must have for first time home buyers. Or Even if you have been burned the first time around. This book was very informative and easy to read. I would also reccomend that you buy "The Dictionary of Real Estate Terms". This is a great book to have also. Keep both books close at hand when shopping for a loan. There are tons of loan programs out there. But remember an educated shopper ALWAYS WINS!

Rating:
Summary: Don't buy your home without it!!!
Review: This is a must have for first time home buyers. Or Even if you have been burned the first time around. This book was very informative and easy to read. I would also reccomend that you buy "The Dictionary of Real Estate Terms". This is a great book to have also. Keep both books close at hand when shopping for a loan. There are tons of loan programs out there. But remember an educated shopper ALWAYS WINS!

Rating:
Summary: Highly Informational
Review: Very easy to read, highly informational, you will like it. For those of you who feel completely in the dark (like I did), this is an excellent resource. The author covers all bases: down payments, mortgages, financing, closing costs (in detail - easy to follow), good neighborhoods, good houses, etc. The author does believe that a house is also a sound financial investment option. I do not fully agree with this view, as there might be other healthier, more liquid and profitable, investment options. Personally, I even see a house as an expense, just as the car and the groceries. But, if you are buying a house anyway, why not try to preserve and increase your capital? On page 161 they skipped the discussion about recording fees. Because of this error, now I am dying to learn about them. In a summary, the book is EXCELLENT, easy to read and you will learn.