First Time Home Buyers Guide

Homes are an incredibly expensive investments, but well worth the effort the purchase takes. If you are a first time home buyer, however, you absolutely need to be an informed consumer and ask every question that could potentially yield important information. You do not want your first home-buying experience to leave a bad taste in your mouth. Two of the most important must reads are below, and I am confident that these books will prepare every new and experienced home buyer for a profitable real estate investment experience.

First
When you begin to look at homes, you start to think about what type of home you see yourself living or investing in. You think about the questions to ask about the home and you base these questions on your visual interpretation of the condition of the home. But what else should you ask? 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask will give you these questions that will cover all your bases. This is really too much for most people to do on their own, which is why this provides a great overview and key topics.

Questions in this book make buyers think about their decisions. If you want to buy an older home, for example, do you understand that older windows may need caulking or new sashes, that bathroom tiles may need regrouting, and that an older home may need new electrical, new appliances, or a new furnace right away? Other questions range from the routine "How much can I afford?", "How do I make an offer?" to some that are hard to anticipate "What if the seller wants to stay in the house after the closing?", "Who should attend the closing?."

Also, the author makes you think about what kind of house you want- this effort starts with a wish list and improves with a reality check, knowing what you can afford, putting together and negotiating a deal, financing your home, closing the deal, and then doing what it takes to live happily ever after. Living happily ever after, of course, requires the understanding of when it is time to move on to your next home- you may find yourself dusting off this book in the coming years.


Second
It can be incredibly confusing when buying your first home with all of the new terminology and legal documentation. From realtors to attorneys to bankers, all of these people can be very confusing if you do not have an understanding of what they are saying. With The First-Time Homeowner's Handbook you will learn to avoid some of the most expensive and mind racking mistakes made by first time home buyers.

This book is a great resource for tips and strategies for financing and closing a home purchase. You will learn how to find the true value of a home, how to uncover assets, and how to enhance credit ratings which will all save you money and time.



Real Estate Resources

• 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask: With Answers from Top Brokers from Around the Country (100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask)
• The First-Time Homeowner's Handbook: A Complete Guide and Workbook for the First-Time Home Buyer (Book & CD-ROM)

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