Customer Reviews

The First-Time Homeowner's Handbook: A Complete Guide and Workbook for the First-Time Home Buyer (Book & CD-ROM)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is an excellent starting point for anyone seeking a book on first-time home buying. It covers all the major topics needed (i.e., looking for agent, escrow, financing, etc.). It is simply written and can be read in about 3-4 hours. The only problem is that it is very rudimentary and should not be read alone. It needs to be supplemented with other more detailed information after being read. Highly recommend reading "100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask: With Answers from Top Brokers from Around the Country" after reading in order to get more depth of coverage of the various aspects of home buying that, basically, are only touched upon in this book.

Lets face it buying a home is a rite of passage for most adults. It is scary, nerve racking and can make anyone crack under the pressure. This book will help you and coach you through those fears by making you confident and educating you. This is a great book and a must for anyone buying a home for the first time. The only reason why I gave this a 3/5 is because they failed to give me the CD with the book. No worries still a great book and worth the investment.

This book is a must have if you are interested in purchasing your first home. The home buying process can be confusing and scary. This handbook takes the fear out of buying a home for the first time. The author takes you step by step through the process from finances to after the closing. The glossary in the back helps you become familiar with real estate and mortgage terminology.

Read this book before you start looking for a house. There is a lot of valuable information included that will save you headaches later. The advice will help you find a real estate agent and the perfect home. Worksheets and tips help you determine how much you can afford to spend on your new home and the book contains advice for cleaning up credit problems. Tips from real estate agents are located throughout the book and are very helpful.

The appendix at the back of the book has a lot of valuable information and forms. There are contracts, forms typically used in real estate transactions, a budget worksheet and a questionnaire to help you choose an agent. The forms are also on the CD ROM that is included in the back of the book.

I bought this book in preparation of buying a house - we are first time home-buyers and needed to know the basics without getting bogged down with too much jargon or poorly-written advice. I found the book easy to read and the chapters helpful without sacrificing important information that I needed to know. The book comes with a CD with useful forms and other checklists for those geeks and control freaks too who like to pay attention to detail. After reading the book, I no longer felt like an ignoramus and could carry on an intelligent, 2-way conversation with realtors. It was worth the twenty bucks I paid for the book just for the peace of mind and education in house-buying.

Buying a new home can be an overwhelming experience for anyone, but especially for first time buyers. This book is written expressly for individuals buying their first home. The entire procedure is broken down into small, sequential pieces which can be easily understood by the reader. All aspects of home buying are covered, including the next steps following the purchase of a new home.

The book also includes a wonderful CD-ROM containing over thirty different worksheets, forms, and sample contracts. Although each state has its own specific laws and regulations, these forms will help the first time buyers acquaint themselves with the process and feel more at ease with the paperwork. Included in the worksheets is a questionnaire to be used when interviewing real estate agents, arguably the most important decision when beginning to search for a house.

This book simplifies the process of home buying for the novice. I would recommend this book for people who are intimidated by the prospect of buying a home. The knowledge and presentation of the book will ease the minds of prospective buyers and empower them in the home buying process.

First off, let me say that my husband and I really appreciate the CD. It has all the forms and lists we needed to feel confident when we bought our first home. From building costs and budget worksheets, to banking support, these documents were a big help.

From why you want to own your own home, what to do when you find the one you're looking for, and what to expect at closing, this handbook walks you through the process. This step-by-step guide shows you how to fill out the attached forms and gives you confidence that is sure to eliminate any buyer's remorse you would have felt after your purchase.

Overall, the book was very helpful and will be a useful tool for anyone going through the process for the first time. Buying your first house doesn't have to be scary. This handbook makes the process an understandable and exciting experience.

This book is nothing more than an advertisement for realtors. It was written by a realtor to convince the reader that they are incompetent and needs someone to shepherd them through the house buying "experience". It gives no details or insider information or really anything that you cannot gather from any home-buying website. Don't waste your money or your time reading this. One star is too gracious, but it's the worst I can do.

Though this book's title specifies that it's for the first time buyer, my advice would be to pick it up and read it thoroughly regardless of how many times you've bought or built. It is a super compendium of all the steps a buyer needs to take, including information on motivation and emotions in home buying, taxes, paperwork, hiring a professional advocate such as a lawyer or real estate agent, and an in-depth discussion of how to find out your credit score. The section on credit also gives good advice about establishing and maintaining a good credit score that would be helpful for anyone trying to finance a large purchase. The information in this book should be available from the real estate agent you're working with, but it's good to know it yourself in case the agent isn't keeping your well-being in mind at all times.

I also appreciated the straightforward, matter-of-fact tone of this book. There were no embellishments, just the information in a logical, easy to understand format. It also includes a 15 page glossary, helpful for the novice. Five stars out of five.

We're finding out that homebuying, especially the first time around, can be quite a wild ride. This Handbook has provided great information and guidance in the process toward final first home ownership. This book is definitely recommended.

The First-Time Homeowner's Handbook: A Complete Guide and Workbook for the First-Time Home Buyer comes with 30 forms on a convenient cd-rom and covers the entire experience of buying a home, from understanding terminology and confusing points to avoiding common, expensive mistakes. Chapters cover the basics from how to look and assess to financing and closing. Even building your own house is examined in this excellent, wide-ranging guide recommended for its easy explanations.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch