A Survival Guide for Buying a Home [Paperback]

Sid Davis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 3, 2009

Since the publication of the first edition of A Survival Guide for Buying a Home, much has changed in the real estate market. The inventory of homes-for-sale is ballooning and prospective buyers will need new techniques to narrow their choices effectively. At the same time, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the average buyer to qualify for a loan. This newly revised edition is tailored to help. It includes updated information on credit requirements, loan qualifying ratios, lease options, buying condos and co-ops, new mortgage and loan rules, buying foreclosure and short sale properties, and much more. Readers will learn the ins and outs of: hiring the right agent * determining financial limits * working with a mortgage lender * evaluating neighborhoods * getting the best deal * arranging appraisals and inspections * avoiding common deal killers * and more There is also a checklist of the 15 costliest mistakes homebuyers make and how to avoid them. With this helpful guide in hand, readers will be ready to find the home of their dreams at a price they can afford.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Davis (Adding Value to Your Home), a real estate broker for over 25 years, offers a straightforward, no-frills volume designed to help readers navigate the tricky waters of purchasing a new home. With advice that runs the gamut from making the decision to buy, to working with a mortgage broker, to packing up and moving, Davis’s book contains an abundance of practical information; the author gives, for example, a list of the paperwork that lenders need to assess a potential buyer’s qualifications, along with calculation charts and checklists (like a set of questions to ask future neighbors when conducting a neighborhood walk-through). The appendices, which include a glossary of real estate terms and a big-picture checklist of steps to becoming a homeowner, are valuable additions to the volume. The text doesn’t always flow smoothly, but readers will get solid real estate buying advice.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“…a straightforward, no-frills volume designed to help readers navigate the tricky waters of purchasing a new home….readers will get solid real estate buying advice.”

--Publisher's Weekly

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM; Second Edition edition (June 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814414257
• ISBN-13: 978-0814414255
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #400,657 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #92 in Books > Business & Investing > Real Estate > Mortgages

More About the Author

Sid Davis (Farmington, UT) is the owner of Sid Davis & Associates, a real estate firm. He is the author of The First-Time Homeowner's Survival Guide (978-0-8144-7372-6), A Survival Guide for Buying a Home (978-0-8144-7196-8), A Survival Guide to Selling a Home (978-0-8144-7274-3), Home Makeovers that Sell (978-0-8144-7373-3), and numerous articles in Today's Homeowner , Construction Management Today, and The Los Angeles Times.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From J Eastman - Richmond, VA, May 5, 2005

By 

Jeff Eastman (Richmond, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Survival Guide for Buying a Home (Paperback)

When my wife and I decided a few months ago that we were going to buy our first home, I went to our library and took out two books on home buying. One of them was your "Survival Guide". I toted that book around for the past two months and finally turned it back in today after we closed on our house.

My wife and I are the type who want to know as much as we can about everything that we are involved in, and your book really helped us to navigate the very involved and complex road to home-buying. We left the closing this morning feeling like we had done everything right, from shopping mortgages to negotiating after the home inspection. I believe that your book has helped us to save thousands of dollars!

Thank you for writing such a fine resource!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely worth reading before purchasing, March 26, 2006

By 

D. M. Renirie (Woodbridge, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Survival Guide for Buying a Home (Paperback)

As a real estate consultant, I bought this book to see if it could serve as a reference and handbook for clients, and it certainly will. The topics are relevant, current, and accurate and expand on important issues involved in purchasing a home - your credit, mortgage options, taxes, what to look for when visiting properties, services of a realtor, and resale. Several helpful checklists are also provided.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent guide for homebuyers, March 18, 2007

By 

Carissa K. Dougherty (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Survival Guide for Buying a Home (Paperback)

This guide is one of the better ones out there -- it is up-to-date and practical, with lots of examples and checklists to follow. It has especially helpful advice for finding mortgages, dealing with agents, and preparing an offer. The author provides several links to websites that are reputable and extremely useful when preparing to by a house. Read this, if you read anything.