Tips and Traps When Buying A Home [Paperback]

Robert Irwin (Author)

Book Description

Series: Tips & Traps | Publication Date: October 1, 1996

This guide to home buying points out tips and traps to consider when buying a home and advises on how to deal wtih brokers, inspectors and lawyers. It includes pertinent questions to ask and how to make an offer. It starts with two lists - the 15 most important buyer's tips and the 10 most significant buyers traps. This edition includes two new chapters - "New tips on home buying" and "Is now the right time to buy".

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Here's a book that's so packed with sound, practical advice for home owners, I kept saying to myself "I wish I had written that!" -- Bruss, Robert J., Detroit Free Press, 2/23/97

From the Back Cover

The ultimate guide to worry-free home buying

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Can you afford to buy a home? Should you buy a single-family home, a co-op, or a condo? Do you always need a sizable down payment? How can you be sure you're getting the best possible deal? This completely updated new edition of Robert Irwin's classic guide for homebuyers provides authoritative, often -surprising answers to these questions and many, many more.

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You'll find out how to get a great deal on a home , whether the market is rising or falling; how to get a lender to put up all (or most) of your purchase price; and how to avoid getting caught in a bidding war over your dream home. Tips and Traps When Buying a Home, Third Edition gives you practical, step-by-step information; proven home buying strategies; and indispensable advice current market conditions, new rules and regulations, and recent changes in lending practices. Whether you're buying your first home or your fifth, you'll learn plenty that you need to know, including how to:

. .

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• Boost your credit rating .
• Make successful counter offers .
• Get the best mortgage in town .
• Save money by buying direct .
• Analyze a home inspection .
• Avoid getting gouged at the closing .

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Robert Irwin is one of America's most respected experts in all areas of real estate and the author of more than 20 books, including the bestsellers in the McGraw-Hill Tips and Traps series. To date, his real estate titles have sold more than one and a half million copies.

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

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Product Details

• Paperback: 238 pages
• Publisher: Mcgraw-Hill; 2nd edition (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070328846
• ISBN-13: 978-0070328846
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,461,137 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative, Quick Read, April 6, 2000

By 

slider "slider" (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tips and Traps When Buying A Home (Paperback)

Page per page this book probably has more useful information in it then any other real estate book I've read to date.Useful, practical and applicable, the information contained inside can be used for a myriad of areas that you will be involved in when buying your home. The section on "How to Buy a Home" and "How to Make a Low Offer the Seller Will Accept" is worth the price of the book. It is a VERY quick read. Mr Irwin's style is such that you can pick up the meat of what he wants to say in a few sentences or a quick paragraph or two. I bought it a few days ago and I am 80% finished. It'll be done by the time you allread this review.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, December 7, 1999

By 

Robert M. Gary - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tips and Traps When Buying A Home (Paperback)

Rather than focusing on the mechanical details of buying a house that you can get anywhere, this book gives you practical knowledge you need. Information about how agents may try to trick you, loan fees that are bogus, how to get sellers excited about your offer, etc.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Plenty of great information and advice, December 8, 2004

By 

Larry (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tips and Traps When Buying a Home (Paperback)

I disagree with the people here who criticize this book for being about "buy low, sell high" and investment purposes. I have a feeling that these people are referring to some of Robert Irwin's other books aimed at real estate moguls in training; however, I took this book as being aimed at people who want to buy the house to actually live in it and to have a home of their own.

I used this book prior to buying my home and took much of the advice to heart. I interviewed several buyer's agents until I found one I liked and trusted, something that is spoken about in the book clearly. I also got some great advice from the finance sections that kept me from paying PMI and helped deal with the mortgage broker.

I bought this book for some friends who were looking at buying a house and it helped them when one deal went sour. I also loaned my copy to two friends shortly before they bought their houses... of course they didn't read it and got screwed on several points (mainly during inspection and negotiation). Oh well... you can lead a horse to water...

Buy and read this book if you're interested in looking for a house. It's well worth it.