Rating: 
Summary: Great book for anyone interested in the home buying process
Review: Eric Tyson is a savvy writer with a wealth of knowledge that is shared in this fantastic book. I am a first time home buyer and purchased numerous books about the process; this one is by far the best. It served as my "jungle guide", and I found myself referring to this book on a daily basis for information. His chapters on gathering a solid real estate team, comparable market analysis, and escrow were particularly enlightening. Tyson's wit and the easy-to-read Dummies style proved a quick read and served to give me the confidence to discern what I wanted and ask the tough questions about one of life's bigger decisions. If there is ONE book to buy regarding home buying, buy this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Good but there's a better one
Review: Having read both this volume and the Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying and Selling a Home, I recommend the idiot's guide over this one. The main reason is because the latter is better written and easier to understand. Home Buying for Dummies is very comprehensive but reminds me of my own Ph.D. dissertation: heavy on theory but little on practicalities. The idiot's guide presents information in a way that make it easier to digest and follow.In short, this is a good advice primer for first-time home buyers, but I think you get a better book and also a better value if you buy the complete idiot's guide version. (I'm not affiliated with any authors or publishers, nor do I even know or have met them in any manner.)
Rating:
Summary: Good but there's a better one
Review: Having read both this volume and the Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying and Selling a Home, I recommend the idiot's guide over this one. The main reason is because the latter is better written and easier to understand. Home Buying for Dummies is very comprehensive but reminds me of my own Ph.D. dissertation: heavy on theory but little on practicalities. The idiot's guide presents information in a way that make it easier to digest and follow. In short, this is a good advice primer for first-time home buyers, but I think you get a better book and also a better value if you buy the complete idiot's guide version. (I'm not affiliated with any authors or publishers, nor do I even know or have met them in any manner.)
Rating: 
Summary: Informative and helpful
Review: House Buying for Dummies is the reference guide you need if you are not knowledgeable of things like mortgages, escrow, etc. The authors explain things in simple, easy to follw terms, and give good advice. I'm so glad I read this book before starting the home buying process. One of the best features of the book is the sample contract in the back. It helped my husband and I with wording. Overall, a good buy.
Rating:
Summary: Best Resource Book I Have Ever Read
Review: I bought this book back in 1999 when I was thinking about investing in a townhouse. I took the book to lunch with me everyday - found a quiet place - took out my calculator and gained extreme confidence in my real estate knowledge. I bought my townhouse and then gave a copy of the book to my sister and my boss who found it invaluable. Four years later, I used the book to sell my townhouse and buy a single family house. This time around - I found the Mortgage Application section the most valuable. Thank you Eric Tyson and Ray Brown! You have been my best friends throughout the very stressful real estate process for years now! I continue to suggest your book to all my friends and family who are getting into the real estate market now.
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Summary: I bought my townhouse since i read this book - Period
Review: I got an idea of buying a townhouse, since one day found out that paying rent = mortgage payment(considering tax cuts). So I decided to read a book. I was a really dummy about buying a house. I read this book cover to cover. And my only comment -- "I bought my townhouse since i read this book - Period". If I meet Eric Tyson. I want to thank him personnaly. Now I am reading Investing for dummies by Eric, I find that book excellent. No questions asked.
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Summary: this book helped me tremendously
Review: I needed a basic introduction to the whole concept of buying real estate and this book served this purpose very well. I can recommend to anybody who is at the beginning of their quest to homeownership. Don't get started without reading through the -- for you -- relevant sections. Does it answer all question, I doubt it. Yet, it covers almost any aspect involved. If you are in NYC and shopping for Co-ops you might want to add another book on the specifics of Co-ops, the dummy book is a little thin in that area.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I read this book from cover to cover before buying my first home last year. The information is invaluable, especially the section on how to find a sound realtor (I did, and she was able to negotiate a good price for me) and how not to buy more house than you should. The author also tells you what to look for in a house and alerts you to pitfalls that the first-time home buyer might be completely unaware of, and walks you through how to obtain a mortgage and the various steps involved in bidding on a house and closing the deal.
This is a must-read for someone who has never bought a home (be it a house or a condo) before and is immensely educational and helpful.
Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Good information
Review: This book had some very good information when I wanted to buy a house. Had good tips and was written in an easy to understand language. However, I didn't have good enough credit to get a big loan, so I found did a rent to own instead. Good site: www.nkinvestments.com Nick
Rating:
Summary: A must for new buyers
Review: This book is amazing. I never considered buying a "for Dummies" series book because I thought they would be overly simplisitic, but this book proved me wrong. The authors do an awesome job of presenting just enough detail on every aspect of buying a home- I kept catching myself having a questions, then reading on to the net chapter and finding the answer. You may be tempted to skip around from chapter to chapter, but I've found that reading this book from the beginning is almost necessary since things like understanding which mortgage to get and how much of a house you want are all dependant on answers you arrive at in early chapters. I've just finished the book and feel well prepared and educated to tackle the house-hunting task now. A definite read.
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