Tips and traps when buying a home

274 Pages·2004·1.337 MB·English

by  Irwin, Robert

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Tips and Traps
When Buying
a Home
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Other McGraw-Hill Books by
Robert Irwin
Tips and Traps When Selling a Home
Tips and Traps When Buying a Co-Op, Condo, or Townhouse
Tips and Traps for Making Money in Real Estate
Tips and Traps When Renovating Your Home
How to Find Hidden Real Estate Bargains
How to Buy a Home When You Can’t Afford It
How to Get Started in Real Estate Investing
Home Buyer’s Checklist
Home Closing Checklist
Home Seller’s Checklist
Home Renovation Checklist
Buy, Rent, and Sell
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Tips and Traps
When Buying
a Home
Robert Irwin
Third Edition
McGraw-Hill
New York Chicago San Francisco Lisbon London
Madrid Mexico City Milan New Delhi San Juan
Seoul Singapore Sydney Toronto
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DOI: 10.1036/007143111X
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Contents
Preface vii
1. Should I Buy a Home? 1
2. How to Get a Good Deal in Rising or Falling
Markets 9
3. Choosing Between a Single-Family Home, Condo, or
Co-op 17
4. How to Get a Lender to Put Up All or Most of the
Money 25
5. Get the Best Mortgage in Town 35
6. Get Agents Working for You Instead of the Other Way
Around 55
7. Find the Right House in the Right Area at the Right
Price 73
8. Negotiate and Get a Better Deal 85
9. How to Lowball Sellers and Get Your Offer Accepted 95
10. What You Should Worry About in the Purchase
Agreement 103
11. Finding Fixer-Uppers 129
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vi Contents
12. Buying Directly from Builders and Saving 139
13. Buying Directly from Sellers (FSBOs) and Saving 163
14. Buying a Lot, Building a Home Yourself, and Saving 171
15. What to Look For in a Home Inspection 183
16. How to Avoid Getting Gouged at Closing 199
17. Everyone’s Flipping Over Real Estate 209
18. 12 Steps to Quicker and Easier Home Buying 217
19. 12 Tips for Making Successful Counteroffers 219
20. 12 Techniques for Helping Your Credit 227
Your Internet Resources 235
Terms You Need to Understand 239
Index 255
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Preface
Welcome to the brand new, third edition of this first of the “Tips &
Traps” series. When I wrote the first edition, I had no idea how
wildly popular this book (and this series) would become (millions
have been sold). Apparently, a book with actual practical (not theo-
retical) advice on buying and investing in real estate was long
needed in the field and, I’m delighted to see, is still well received.
This new edition has been completely rewritten and updated.
While I’ve retained some of the classic examples, many are new
(such as how to flip properties) and specially suited to today’s mar-
ket. If you’re new to real estate, or are even a veteran who wants to
get up to speed, I think you’ll find this book a wise guide.
Good luck in your real estate ventures!
Robert Irwin
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