The 106 Common Mistakes Homebuyers Make (and How to Avoid Them) [Paperback]

Gary W. Eldred (Author)

Book Description

Series: And How to Avoid Them | Publication Date: March 1994

Based upon scores of interviews with real estate agents, home builders, mortgage lenders and recent homebuyers, this user-friendly book guarantees a smooth and successful home purchasing experience by demonstrating the mistakes made by others. Each mistake is self-contained and includes a lesson, illustration and, when appropriate, a preventative technique.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Based upon scores of interviews with real estate agents, home builders, mortgage lenders and recent homebuyers, this user-friendly book guarantees a smooth and successful home purchasing experience by demonstrating the mistakes made by others. Each mistake is self-contained and includes a lesson, illustration and, when appropriate, a preventative technique.

From the Back Cover

Everything first-timers need to know to avoid the most common mistakes homebuyers make

Written especially for first-timers, this eye-opening guide turns you into an educated consumer, ensuring that the home or condo you buy is both a comfortable place to live and a great investment for the future. Compiled from the experience of hundreds of homebuyers, real estate agents, home builders, and mortgage lenders, it shows you the most common mistakes buyers make and illustrates them in practice so you don't fall into the same traps.

Now revised and updated for today's hot real estate market, this invaluable resource covers everything from negotiating with sellers and making the down payment to shopping for the best mortgage and handling the closing. The new Fourth Edition also includes totally up-to-date guidance on using the Internet to find properties, secure financing, and collect important data. If you're thinking about buying a home in this overheated market, don't make these mistakes:

• Researching selling prices and still overpaying
• Believing everything your agent tells you
• Buying into an upscale neighborhood that's moving downscale
• Underestimating utilities and other costs
• Allowing your agent to negotiate for you
• Letting fear get the better of you and not buying at all

Written by one of the nation's leading real estate experts and packed with hundreds of valuable tips and suggestions, The 106 Common Mistakes Homebuyers Make, Fourth Edition will give you the confidence—and the wisdom—to buy the right home at the right price. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons; 1 edition (March 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047131191X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471311911
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,768,335 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gary W. Eldred has been investing successfully in real estate for twenty-five years and has consulted on real estate issues with many Fortune 500 companies. He formerly served on the graduate business faculty of Stanford University and the University of Virginia. He is the bestselling author of Investing in Real Estate, Sixth Edition, The Beginner's Guide to Real Estate Investing, Second Edition, and The 106 Common Mistakes Homebuyers Make (and How to Avoid Them), Fourth Edition, all from Wiley.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars By far the best, October 17, 2000

By 

jay nolan (Tacoma, Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 106 Common Mistakes Homebuyers Make (& How to Avoid Them), 2nd Edition (Paperback)

Having spent several hours in B&N reading through the many different books on homebuying, we bought this one and Dummies. 106 Mistakes turned out to be the best by far. It gave us far more concrete examples concerning everything from mortgages to inspection to homeowner associations. In addition, it really helped us understand how to evaluate the appraisal as wellas the investment potential of the homes and neighborhoods we were considering. Eldred's experience and expertise seems to stand head and shoulders above the others. Plus, this book is the most entertaining to read. Don't look for a home without it.

52 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth its weight in platinum, January 28, 2001

By 

Robby (Amherst, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 106 Common Mistakes Homebuyers Make (& How to Avoid Them), 2nd Edition (Paperback)

Having read a pile of homebuying books, I would rate this one tops for six reasons:(1) The author clearly knows what he is talking about from experience--unlike too many authors who are primarily journalist or biased real estate agents.(2) It's easy and fun to read. (3) It gives dozens of ways to buy with little or even nothing down. (4) It reveals scams and tricks that real estate and mortgage "profesionals" use to fleece the unknowing. (5)The author knows real estate across the country--not just in California or other specific locales(i.e., too many HB books are written by writers who don't seem to know that Chicago or San Francisco aren't the areas where most people are buying). (6)Unbelivebly, the author lists his telephone number and email in the book so as to invite comments and questions. I queried and he called and talked 20 minutes to adress my concerns. And no, he didn't charge me or try to sell me any more books and tapes.

59 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The great equalizer plus fun to read, April 22, 2000

By 

Phil Locke (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 106 Common Mistakes Homebuyers Make (& How to Avoid Them), 2nd Edition (Paperback)

Great book, fun to read. Really gives you the inside info to make sure your realtor, mortgage lender, and lawyer aren't taking you for a ride. I read four books on homebuying (Dummies, 100 Questions, Tips and Traps) and got more down-to-earth practical advice from 106 Mistakes than all the others combined. If you like real life examples instead of vague generalities, you'll find that this book delivers the advice you need. At least it did for us!