How to Buy a House in California (How to Buy a House in California, 7th ed) [Paperback]

Ralph E. Warner (Author), Ira Serkes (Author), George Devine (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0873377117 | ISBN-13: 978-0873377119 | Publication Date: September 2001 | Edition: 7th

Buying a house is one of the largest and most important investments you’ll ever make, and you need to make sure you get the best house for your money. In How to Buy a House in California, Attorney Ralph Warner and realtors Ira Serkes and George Devine lay out effective strategies for buying a house in California’s changing market. They show you how to:

• choose a house and a neighborhood • find the right agent • get the most up-to-date information on the latest mortgage options and rates • take advantage of creative financing strategies • figure out how much down payment you can afford • make an offer and negotiate with confidence for the best possible price • buy a new house in a development or condominium • inspect a house for physical problems, as well as environmental and earthquake hazards • juggle simultaneously buying and selling a house • successfully go through escrow • find out how to get information about schools, safety, traffic, earthquakes, weather, pollution and more to help you find the new location that’s best for you and your family.

You also get all the necessary real estate forms and worksheets and clear information on how to use them.

Whether you’re looking with a real estate agent or going it alone, this thorough, practical guide to every aspect of buying a house will save you thousands of dollars and help you get the house you want at a price you can afford.

A note to those outside California:

Even though How to Buy a House in California provides state-specific forms and information for Californians, there's plenty of material in the book that can help home sellers in the other 49 states as well. Don't buy a house without it!

Editorial Reviews

Review

Invest in this book...it's virtually impossible to think of anything left out...they anticipated every question buyers might have. -- Robert Bruss, syndicated real estate columnist

This book can’t be too highly recommended for home buyers and home owners. -- San Francisco Examiner

About the Author

Ralph Warner is a co-founder of Nolo and one of the pioneers of the self-help law movement. A graduate of Princeton University and the Boalt School of Law (U.C. Berkeley), he is the author of many books and articles aimed at making our legal system more accessible and democratic.He and his wife, Carol, represent Berkeley, Albany, Kensington, El Cerrito and other East Bay home buyers and sellers, and offer nationwide referrals to other buyer brokers. Both Ira and Carol have been awarded the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation by the National Association of Realtors. This is the highest professional designation of residential specialty in the industry. Co-author of How to Buy a House in California, Ira is also an Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR), one of only 4,000 in the United States.

George Devine is a licensed real estate broker and a widely respected educator in the real estate field. He holds a B.A. from the University of San Francisco, and an M.A. from Marquette University, and has pursued additional studies at San Francisco State University, Steton Hall University and other academic shrines. Currently, he teaches real estate at the McLaren School of Business at the University of San Francisco, where he was named the Outstanding Adjunct Professor in 1991. For several years, George wrote the popular “Real Estate Handbook” column in the weekly Real Estate Guide section of the San Francisco Progress. He is the author of For Sale By Owner and co-author of How to Buy a House in California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 367 pages
• Publisher: Nolo; 7th edition (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873377117
• ISBN-13: 978-0873377119
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,818,313 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As usual, the only book you'll need., January 18, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Buy a House in California (How to Buy a House in California, 7th ed) (Paperback)

I used the Nolo Press tenants' rights book in the past to (successfully) sue my deposit-greedy/law-breaking landlords. I just used this book to buy my first home in the competitive Bay Area (yes, it's still highly competitive even in these "tough times"). Nolo's book is accurate and insightful, written in a voice that's accessible and, at times, fun and tongue-in-cheek. The organization of information, as usual, is right on. And the links and helpful sidebars are fantastic! Don't waste your money on other books. I swear this one is the only book you'll need.