Rating: 
Summary: Half of Your Home-Buying Needs
Review: This book, when coupled with a reliable real-estate agent (and it explains to you how to FIND a reliable one) should meet the needs of most newcomers to the real estate market.I didn't have the faintest idea of how to buy a home when I purchased this book, and it at least defined for me many new terms I heard winging around (escrow, closing costs, appraisal, closing date, etc.) as well as what role those mysterious qualities would play in the homebuying odyssey and their effect on the outcome. Its explanations were sufficiently simple, yet detailed enough, to meet my needs. It also explained certain factors to consider when buying a dwelling (why certain KINDS of homes might suit some better than others -- which I had never considered in the face of my solidly middle-class upbringing, whether certain homes were actually affordable or mirages of affordability, and what emotions to anticipate and handle maturely during the entire process). I think the book was worth it. I even lent it to a friend who used it for her own home-buying experience, and she found it to be helpful. Also, I have read through it again when we considered refinancing, wondered if certain home-improvements might be tax deductible, and whether it might be time to consider moving. It's remained a dynamic part of our home library... what further recommendation could I possibly make?
Rating:
Summary: This book will save you a lot more $$$ than its sell price
Review: This is a great book and gets you thinking about topics and asking questions that your realtor or mortgage lender / broker probably wouldn't otherwise bring up for you. While it does not go into real depth on any single subject, it highlights enough to really help you become an educated buyer. It addresses everything from getting financially positioned to buy a house in the first place (e.g. pay off your bills, save some cash), to finding a good mortgage that works for you (e.g. fixed-rates versus ARMs), understanding where and what are good buys (e.g. principles of progression and regression), forming a team (e.g. realtor, mortgage lender, etc), and the offer / counter/ and escrow processes. With all the info you'll learn, you will easily save yourself the cost of this book (probably many times over). The only drawback is that this book provides general information for all of America as a whole - it does not address specific real estate hot-spots such as Southern California.
Rating: 
Summary: Only buy this book if you really are a dummy
Review: This is the first "for dummies" book I've ever bought. It's also going to be the last. They're not kidding with the title. Instead of stating their point simply and clearly, the authors patronize the readers with silly stories. For example, instead of saying something like "do not buy a house that's too far from your work," the authors spend a paragraph telling a story of some poor dummy who did buy a house too far from his work and ended up hating everything. Oh, and BTW, if you need a book to tell you that you shouldn't buy a house that's far from your work, then this book is for you. The information presented is oversimplified, incomplete, and sometimes just incorrect. Moreover, this book will not help you at all if you're dealing with an unusual market, such as SF Bay Area, NYC, LA, etc. I'm not in the real estate business, nor do I have any vested interest in anybody buying or not buying this book.
Rating:
Summary: Only buy this book if you really are a dummy
Review: This is the first "for dummies" book I've ever bought. It's also going to be the last. They're not kidding with the title. Instead of stating their point simply and clearly, the authors patronize the readers with silly stories. For example, instead of saying something like "do not buy a house that's too far from your work," the authors spend a paragraph telling a story of some poor dummy who did buy a house too far from his work and ended up hating everything. Oh, and BTW, if you need a book to tell you that you shouldn't buy a house that's far from your work, then this book is for you. The information presented is oversimplified, incomplete, and sometimes just incorrect. Moreover, this book will not help you at all if you're dealing with an unusual market, such as SF Bay Area, NYC, LA, etc. I'm not in the real estate business, nor do I have any vested interest in anybody buying or not buying this book.
Rating:
Summary: great for beginners!
Review: This is the first book I purchased on home buying or real estate. It gave me a solid introduction on home buying and has taught me all the general things I need to know to purchase a home.
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