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The American Dream / The American Nightmare: The Authoritative Guide to Building Your Custom Home
 
 
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The American Dream / The American Nightmare: The Authoritative Guide to Building Your Custom Home (Paperback)

~ John L. Cogdill Jr. (Author), J. J. Cogdill (Author), Kelly A. Bowman (Author), Jennifer Cogdill (Editor, Illustrator) "For more than thirty years, I have had the greatest job in the world - designing and building custom homes..." (more)
Key Phrases: Dreamland Estates, United States, Material Estimate (more...)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

Price: $17.95 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with What Your Contractor Can't Tell You: The Essential Guide to Building and Renovating by Amy Johnston

The American Dream / The American Nightmare: The Authoritative Guide to Building Your Custom Home + What Your Contractor Can't Tell You: The Essential Guide to Building and Renovating

Editorial Reviews

Review

Building a custom home is a very complex process...I think they are providing a good service to people. -- Florida Times-Union, June 22, 2000, Charlotte McKamy of Home Builder Press

For potential homebuyers,...this book is a must read. I give it 5 hammers (out of 5). -- Manning Building Supplies Update, 30th Edition, 1st Quarter 2000

I would recommend any perspective homebuyer to read this book from cover to cover before making any (homebuying) decisions. -- Tom Martinson, Chief Building Official, Clay County, Florida, December 21, 2000

I would...recommend this book as a must read for anyone who is considering building a home. -- Dr. Ronald O. Boatright, PhD, President, Florida Real Estate Institute, September 13, 2000

Whether or not you have built before, this book will be an invaluable guide for you and your family. -- Dr. Leon Wetherington, Associate Professor, University of Florida School of Building Construction


Product Description

FINALLY! A book that takes the mystery out of building a custom home, written by trained professionals who have been designing and building new homes for over 30 years. John and J.J. Cogdill are third and fourth generation home builders who have seen the mistakes homebuyers make time and time again. They have written this easy-to-read guide to help prevent the common first-time, second-time, and millionth-time homebuyer mistakes from happening to you. Inside The American Dream/The American Nightmare, you will find: Top 10 myths and monsters that plague homebuyers, How to set a budget and why taking bids almost never works, How to screen your builder and find the right one for you, What to remember while designing your home, Items to look for while finding your new homesite, Contracts and finalizing your home design, What to expect during the homebuilding process, and much more!

Product Details

  • Paperback: 311 pages
  • Publisher: Keystone Pub (December 1, 2000)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0967868432
  • ISBN-13: 978-0967868431
  • Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,659,639 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
5 star:
 (8)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Guide to Builing in a Subdivision, November 11, 2001
By "hwrobotham@earthlink.net" (Pleasant Valley, CT United States) - See all my reviews
I have read over 6 books on how to build you house recently. This was by for the least helpful because it is targeted to people building in a subdivision using a tract builder. Although the authors seem knowledgable in general contracting procedure they continually reiterate the pros of subdivisions and the cons of custom buiding on your own lot.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars HAPPY READER, HAPPY HOMEBUYER, January 14, 2002
When my husband and I started thinking about building a custom home, the idea really frightened me. I decided to tackle the process as I do everything else... read everything I can find on the subject. This book explained the process of building a custom home from start to finish in layman's terms. My husband and I both read and reread the book and felt it gave us the inside track on the entire event. We found ourselves asking the right questions. I am happy to report that this book allowed us to enjoy the home building experience and fullfill our American Dream. I would recommend this book to anyone who has even considered the idea of building. Forewarned is Forearmed!!!!
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your time or money on this one., July 21, 2001
By MM "Surf-Boy" (Allegan, MI) - See all my reviews
Poorly written book by a self-serving builder, don't waste either your time on money on this one. The information contained in the book gave very little pratical information from the buyers perspective.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy Read and a Must Read before you build a Custom Home
First of all I strongly disagree with any negative comments about the book, they must have been written by either competing non-custom homebuilders, or another author with a... Read more
Published on April 22, 2007 by Satisfied

3.0 out of 5 stars A Few Helpful Hints
This book was authored by a builder...and it reads that way. Though there are a few helpful hints (what house plans and contracts should contain, for example), overall the theme... Read more
Published on August 30, 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative
I read this book and I was very impressed by the easy reading and how easy it was to follow. There are no tricks of the trade hidden, just the best effort ever to educate the... Read more
Published on August 7, 2001 by TERRI JOHNSTON

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative
I read this book and I was very impressed by the easy reading and how easy it was to follow. There are no tricks of the trade hidden, just the best effort ever to educate the... Read more
Published on August 7, 2001 by TERRI JOHNSTON

5.0 out of 5 stars TYPE "A" AND BUILDING A HOME? READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!
When my husband and I began the building process, I was clueless. We were pre-approved for a loan and told to find a builder. RIGHT.... We looked and looked. Read more
Published on March 13, 2001 by Renee Perrotta

5.0 out of 5 stars Happy Homebuilder
When I began looking for a book regarding home building I was sure I would only find boring technical manuals. Read more
Published on February 1, 2001 by Kimberly Cole

5.0 out of 5 stars Happy Homebuilder
When I began looking for a book regarding home building I was sure I would only find boring technical manuals. Read more
Published on February 1, 2001 by Kimberly Cole

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellant book to help you build your custom home.
I found this book to be very easy to read and quite informative. It greatly improved my understanding of the home building process. Read more
Published on October 20, 2000 by Julia Broadus

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