Book description
Home ownership is a cornerstone of the American dream, but it's a complex process that, without the right guidance, can seem like a nightmare. This Missing Manual takes you through the process of buying a home, from start to finish. Along the way, you'll use the book's expert advice and fill-in forms to identify the house you want, figure out what kind of neighborhood you want to live in, determine what a target home is really worth, make an offer, and close the deal. Throughout the process, this book helps you:
- Realistically determine how much house you can afford
- Assemble a real estate team that's looking after your interests and not the seller's
- Understand the different ways to finance your house, and which is best for you
- Create an attractive offer with the best chance of acceptance
- Learn what lenders look for so you can get your mortgage approved
- Inspect your new home to uncover potential problems
- Prepare all the right paperwork for a smooth closing
Publisher resources
Table of contents
- A Note Regarding Supplemental Files
- The Missing Credits
- Introduction
-
I. Preparing for Home Ownership
- 1. The Benefits and Drawbacks of Home Ownership
-
2. How Much Home Can You Afford?
- How Much Can You Invest in a Home?
- Get Prequalified or Preapproved
- What Lenders Look For
- Improve Your Chances of Getting a Loan
-
II. Finding Your Home
- 3. Choose Your Style of Home and Neighborhood
-
4. Assemble Your Real Estate Team
- Real Estate Agents
- Your Mortgage Provider
- Your Real Estate Attorney
- Your Home Inspector
- Other Real Estate Professionals
- 5. Shop for Your Home
-
III. Financing Your Home
- 6. Finance Your Down Payment
- 7. Compare Mortgages and Other Financing Options
-
8. Choose and Apply for a Mortgage
- Find the Right Lender
- Get the Best Mortgage
- Gather Documents and Information
-
Do the Paperwork
-
Uniform Residential Loan Application
- Section I: Type of Mortgage and Terms of Loan
- Section II: Property Information and Purpose of Loan
- Section III: Borrower Information
- Section IV: Employment Information
- Section V: Monthly Income and Combined Housing Expense Information
- Section VI: Assets and Liabilities
- Section VII: Details of Transaction
- Section VIII: Declarations
- Section IX: Acknowledgment and Agreement
- Section X: Information for Government Monitoring Purposes
- Authorization to Verify Your Information
- HUD Settlement Cost Booklet
- Truth-in-Lending Disclosure Statement
- ARM Disclosure Statement
- Good Faith Estimate
- Mortgage Servicing Disclosure Statement
-
Uniform Residential Loan Application
- 9. Know Your Closing Costs
-
IV. Negotiating and Closing the Deal
- 10. Make an Offer
- 11. Prepare for the Closing
- 12. Inspect the Property
- 13. Close the Deal
- Index
- About the Author
- Copyright
Product information
- Title: Buying a Home: The Missing Manual
- Author(s):
- Release date: April 2010
- Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
- ISBN: 9781449379773
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