Customer Reviews

Bob Vila's Guide to Buying Your Dream House

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I am extremely impressed with this book. I would recommend it to anyone planning to buy a home, even though it is intended primarily to first-timers. It is organized very effectively, making it useful as a reference for veterans. I found it more useful than books with titles like '149 questions for the homebuyer', which rarely attempt seriously to cover all the essential ground.

Chapters: 1. Do you really want to buy a house?

This is a well-balanced discussions of the pros and cons of home ownership. This is in contrast to many books I have read (and own) that unabashedly sell home ownership.

2. Prequalification - How much can you afford?

A detailed treatment of the subject, including the formulas and processes used by mortgage providers to set lending limits.

3. Study the Market

Some sensible ideas to help the buyer assess whether the market is hot or cold, and what the market conditions imply about the search.

4. What to look for in a broker

Discusses buyers agents, sellers agents and dual agents, Realtors vs. brokers, limitations of brokers, and things to look out for.

5. Narrowing the search

The first few weeks of looking. Reminds buyer to keep an open mind about style, neighborhood, new vs. old, etc. Practical considerations in choosing neighborhood and type of house/yard.

6. Recognizing the Dream I - the outside

Style, roofs, gutters, foundations, structural soundness, expansions/alterations.

7. Recognizing the Dream I - the inside

Floor plans, bathrooms and kitchens, walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows, toxic materials.

8. Recognizing the Dream I - the major systems

Heating/cooling, compares effectiveness, cost and whether to replace. Insulation, hot water heater, water service, septic/sewage, electical system.

9. The Condo and Coop alternatives

Good discussion of advantages/disadvantages of these two with respect to financing, lifestyle and value.

10. The Bottom Line: What it will cost to buy

Short chapter on last minute cost considerations before making an offer.

11. Putting it in writing

Very good treatise on the timeline and legal implications of the offer, purchase and sale contract, inspections, down payments and closing. This chapter was worth the price of the book to me.

12. Shopping for a Mortgage

Pros and cons of ARM's and other nonstandard mortgages, points, and desirable characteristics in lenders.

13. The Application Process

Credit reports, appraisals, title searches, the long wait for the approval. How many to apply for.

14. Closing

How much it will cost. The closing process and how to deal with things that go wrong.

15. Living Happily ever after

Sensible advice about mortgage payments, renovations, furnishing, refinancing and maintenance.

16. Debt and Taxes

The tax deduction on mortgages. What records you need to keep for the tax man.

As the list of chapters might imply, this is a very thoughtfully organized and written book. Easily 5 stars!

As this book was last updated in 1990, none of the comments on closing, inspection and repair costs have any meaning. About half of what I read could be put to use today - not a waste of time, but I would look for something published in the last year or two.

This is a great overview to home buying. Beware some of the tax-related info is out -of-date -- namely the information about capital gains. Other than that this is the best introduction I've seen. I highly recommend it.