Buy Your First Home! (Paperback)

by Robert Irwin (Author) "Are you buying your first home?..." (more)
Key Phrases: buy your first home, anticipated sales price, preapproval letter, Fannie Mae, United States, Yellow Pages (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
With more than 25,000 copies in print, Robert Irwin's classic continues to answer the questions for an increasingly large share of the population ready to buy their first home. First time home buyers, many young and computer savvy, will find the guidance they need to successfully navigate the home buying process, combined with the best online resources available to make that process easier.

From the first homeownership glimmer through the closing--including a discussion of the nearly universal problem of "buyer's remorse" when the deal is done--Irwin coaches people into achieving the American dream of owning a home for the first time.

He addresses every issue required to experience the most trouble-free first time home buying experience possible, including:

* determining whether it's better to buy or rent
* identifying "must have" features and affordable price range
* scoping out the available properties using the internet
* investigating credit history using online resources
* finding the best mortgage and arranging pre-approval of financing
* dealing with the issues of disclosures and inspections

From the Publisher
"First-time home buyers can't go wrong studying this book to gain confidence and avoid making costly mistakes." --Robert Bruss, Tribune Syndicate

Achieve the Dream of Home Ownership!

Updated with the best online resources available, the second edition of Robert Irwin's bestselling book, Buy Your First Home!, will help first-time homebuyers navigate the homebuying process. From selecting a property to closing, Irwin answers your questions and coaches you every step of the way.

Buy Your First Home! addresses all the potential roadblocks a first-time homebuyer might encounter, including how to:

* Determine whether it's better to buy or rent.
* Identify "must have" features and an affordable price range.
* Scope out available properties using the Internet.
* Obtain your credit history using online resources.
* Find the best mortgage and arrange preapproval of financing.
* Deal with disclosures and inspections.

Complete with up-to-date information on everything from taxes to technology, Irwin equips first-timers with the knowledge necessary to move forward into the homebuying process as informed consumers.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Dearborn Trade, a Kaplan Professional Company; 2nd edition (March 13, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0793136008
• ISBN-13: 978-0793136001
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #826,375 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great primer for the first-time home buyer, November 3, 2000

By	twisesq - See all my reviews

I'm buying my first home, unfortunately in the ultra-expensive Bay Area. I read a few of the Dummies books, which were adequate, and then came across this book. Irwin's book is a fairly easy read - you can skim the parts you already know (i.e. if you're not buying a fixer-uper, skip that part), and concentrate on what you don't know. He doesn't go very far in depth into any one subject - the book is only 180 pages - but he gives a layman's explanation of almost every part of the home buying process, from offers, to financing, to inspections, to repairs. And I don't think you need anything more in depth than this to buy a home. I actually read this book half-way through my own home buying process, and I still found it very valuable and useful. I can't claim that it saved me any money - it didn't. But it did reassure me that what I was doing was right - and that is well worth the cost of the book.

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful, Helpful Book!, June 7, 2000

By A Customer

This book was extremely helpful to my husband and myself when we were trying to look for a new house. The book gives you step by step guides on what to do when buying..a plus for us first time home buyers. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is planning on buying a house or condo. Clear and understandable language. A very useful book! A++++

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This helped me understand the homebuying process, July 8, 2001

By	B. Bishop (SALT LAKE CITY, UT United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book along with "The 106 Common Mistakes Homebuyers Make (& How to Avoid Them)" (Gary W. Eldred, Ph.D.) and enjoyed both. Irwin's book neatly describes the complete homebuying process and is extremely easy to read. Included in the book are several checklists that I found useful, and discussions on financing options, home remodeling considerations, and tax impacts that owning a home will create. I read the book in a couple days' time and often referred back to it as I was going through the homebuying process; I'm sure you will, too.