Home Buying Kit For Dummies. Eric Tyson

Part 3: Property, Players, and Prices Chapter 8: Where and What to Buy Location, Location, Value Fundamental Principles for Selecting Your Home Defining Home Sweet Home Finding a Great Deal Pooling Your Resources: Ad Hoc Partnerships Chapter 9: Assembling an All-Star Real Estate Team The Team Concept Reeling in a Real Estate Agent Bagging a Broker Landing a Lender Procuring Property Inspectors Electing an Escrow Officer Finding (or Forgoing) Financial and Tax Advisors Looking for Lawyers Chapter 10: What’s It Worth? Preparing to Tour an Endless Parade of Homes The Three Elusive Components of Worth Fair Market Value Determining Fair Market Value: Comparable Market Analysis Getting a Second Opinion: Appraisals versus CMAs Why Buyers and Sellers Often Start Far Apart Chapter 11: Tapping the Internet’s Best Resources Finding Useful Information Doing Some Preliminary Shopping The Drawbacks of Searching for Houses in Cyberspace

      6  Part 4: Making the Deal Chapter 12: Negotiating Your Best Deal Understanding and Coping with Your Emotions The Art of Negotiating The Negotiating Process The Finer Points of Negotiating Chapter 13: Inspecting and Protecting Your Home Conducting Thorough Inspections Insuring Your Home Chapter 14: It Ain’t Over till the Weight-Challenged Escrow Officer Sings An Escrow Is a Good Thing How You Take Title Is Vital Getting Possessive Coping with Buyer’s Remorse

      7  Part 5: The Part of Tens Chapter 15: Ten Financial “To Do’s” After You Buy Stay on Top of Your Spending and Saving Consider Electronic Mortgage Payments Rebuild Your Emergency Reserve Ignore Solicitations for Mortgage Insurance Ignore Solicitations for Faster Payoff Consider Protesting Your Tax Assessment Refinance if Interest Rates Fall Keep Receipts for All Improvements Ignore Solicitations to Homestead Take Time to Smell the Roses Chapter 16: Ten Things to Know When Investing in Real Estate Real Estate Is a Solid Long-Term Investment Real Estate Investing Isn’t for Everyone REITs Are Good if You Loathe Being a Landlord Don’t Invest in Limited Partnerships Avoid Timeshare Condos and Vacation Homes Residential Properties Are Your Best Investment Option Consider Fixer-Upper Income Property Consider Converting Small Apartment Buildings to Condos Consider the Property’s Cash Flow Your Rental Losses Are Limited for Tax Purposes Chapter 17: Ten Things to Consider When Selling Your House Why Are You Selling? Can You Afford to Buy the Next Home? What’s It Worth? Have You Done Your Homework to Find a Good Real Estate Agent? Do You Have the Skills to Sell the House Yourself? Have You Properly Prepared the House for Sale? Do You Understand the House’s Hot Buttons? What Are the Financial Ramifications