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• Cover
• Introduction
• About This Book: The Eric Tyson/Ray Brown Difference
• Icons Used in This Book
• Beyond the Book
• Where to Go from Here
• Part 1: Getting Started with Buying a Home
• Chapter 1: Deciding Whether to Buy
• Weighing the Advantages of Owning versus Renting
• The Pitfalls of the Rent-versus-Buy Decision
• Chapter 2: Getting Your Financial House in Order
• Surveying Your Spending
• Reckoning Your Savings Requirements
• Protecting Yourself, Your Dependents, and Your Assets
• Invest in Yourself
• Chapter 3: What Can You Afford to Buy?
• Lenders Can’t Tell You What You Can Afford
• The Cost of Buying and Owning a Home
• Closing Costs
• Accumulating the Down Payment
• Chapter 4: Why Home Prices Rise and Fall
• What Drives Real Estate Markets and Prices?
• How to Get a Good Buy in Any Market
• Part 2: Financing 101
• Chapter 5: Understanding and Improving Your Credit Score
• The Record You Can’t Ignore: Your Credit Report
• The Most Popular Kid on the Block: FICO Scores
• Getting Hold of Your Report and Score
• Chapter 6: Selecting a Mortgage
• Getting a Grasp on Mortgage Basics
• Fixed or Adjustable? That Is the Interest(ing) Question
• Finding a Fixed-Rate Mortgage
• Arriving at the Absolute Best Adjustable
• Locating the Best, Lowest-Cost Lenders
• Chapter 7: Mortgage Quandaries, Conundrums, and Forms
• Overcoming Common Mortgage Problems
• Dealing with Appraisal Problems
• Those Darn Mortgage Forms
• 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
• 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
• 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 of Selling?
• Do You Know the Rules for Capital-Gains Taxes on the Sale of a House?
• Part 6: Appendixes
• Appendix A: Sample Real Estate Purchase Contract
• Appendix B: Sample Short-Sale Addendum plus Short-Sale Information and Advisory
• Appendix C: Example of a Good Inspection Report
• Appendix D: Glossary
• Index
• About the Authors
• Advertisement Page
• Connect with Dummies
• End User License Agreement