Customer Reviews:
Awesome help with home buying and sales!.......2007-01-06
Vitt's book has been a tremendous help to us with the complicated and emotional process of buying and selling our homes. We knew we wanted to move, but each of us had very different ideas of what the "perfect home" would be like. Our differences sometimes seemed insurmountable. Also, it was often hard to understand why we were looking for certain characteristics in a home, and why we wouldn't compromise. Fond memories of homes that we had loved mixed and collided with current and future needs. For example, one of us wanted a wooded lot on a quiet street above all else; the other didn't care about location but wanted the home to be big enough to meet our need for interior space. We couldn't find a property that suited us both; how could we resolve this potential pitfall? Ms. Vitt gave us a structure for examining our motives and hopes, as well as a way to resolve our differences and find a home we can both love.
Also, the financial aspects of the decision-making process were important, and "10 Secrets" gave us a very clear path for avoiding potential financial disasters.
A home is so important, both emotionally and financially. "10 Secrets" gave us the tools and information we needed to navigate our way to successfully buy a home.
Also, we were so impressed with Vitt's book, that we gave a copy to our realtor, who frequently has to negotiate between couples, as well as between buyers and sellers. A Must-Buy for Realtors, too!
Have given copies to friends who are thinking about moving. Great gift.
Well-written, well-organized, an awesome book!
Yippee!! I made the decision..........2005-01-25
to stay in my house! Having recently gone through a divorce, and somewhat uncomfortable with my neighborhood, which has a very different demographic from mine, I struggled with how I could manage the house on my own, and finance numerous small and large repairs without taking on too much debt.
After taking the quiz, I realized that the financial stability of my house is the most important factor I needed to satisfy. Once I realized that...it was much easier to invest a few thousand dollars to update the furnishings and to make the house more like a home that reflected my personality. I was also able to take on additional debt to make some costly, but necessary repairs, such a new foundation and sewer line. In doing so, I found a way to restructure my entire debt load that allows me one smaller monthly payment, leaving me with a greater monthly cash flow.
I can honestly say that I wouldn't have had the courage to undertake the repairs, and take on the additional debt, if I hadn't read this book. Having a clear insight into my issues surrounding "home" and understanding more clearly my emotional profile, I was able to make my need structure work in my favor, instead of against me. Without this book, I would probably have sold the house at a discount, and made another, equally unsatisfying move.
Housing and Happiness.......2005-01-05
I purchased this book on the advice of a friend. After determining my housing profile I purchased ten additional copies as holiday gifts for colleagues. This book is the first of it's kind and will assist you in understanding how your housing decisions are made and how to make your home a place of happiness and not only financial but emotional security. I found myself highlighting passages as I went along for quick future reference. I would highly recommend this book to anyone - no matter what your living/financial situation.
Housing Decisions.......2004-12-28
At last a book that entertains you while giving solid information. I especially like the way this author uses flesh and blood real people to illustrate her points. I'm halfway through already in one day --maybe I'll write another when I finish it.
A Remarkable Effort.......2004-12-27
I have worked with Dr. Vitt for many years, and I am always amazed when the final product arrives. This book is just one of many of the remarkable things she has written, but this book alone has been the greatest help to me in deciding to refinance my home, an idea I had been toying with for a long time. After rereading it for pleasure and learning, rather than editing, I have learned a great deal more about the dynamics of buying, selling or refinancing my own home, and for this I am grateful to Dr. Vitt. This book should be a great help to anyone who is considering any kind of housing change.
V. Karen McMahon
Book Description
Michael Corbett appears regularly on national TV and print media and travels the country lecturing to crowds of 25,000 sharing his expertise, having made millions buying and selling houses during his twenty-plus years in the business. With personal tips, cost-effective techniques, and real estate insider secrets, Ready, Set, Sold! will teach readers how to:
• Add $10,000 to the value of their home in a single weekend
• Avoid the twelve costliest and most common mistakes
• Dress and stage their home to make buyers swoon and bid over the asking price
• Pay no taxes on the sale—without breaking the law
• Complete no-cost makeovers that supercharge their selling price
• Take advantage of the home-selling secrets that only real estate agents know
• Save thousands in commissions and closing costs
With before and after photos, checklists, charts, and worksheets, Ready, Set, Sold! is the book that every home seller MUST read before putting their house up for sale!
Customer Reviews:
Comprehensive book with great tips.......2007-05-06
Even though we recently had a Realtor walk through the house and make suggestions on minor improvements, I bought this book in case there were some things she didn't mention. The book is easy to read and nicely organized. It explains how to target your house to the buyers it will likely attract and how to how to look at your house from a buyer's perspective. It also includes a brief section on the selling process.
The book explains that a seller should make minor structural and cosmetic repairs, which any Realtor will tell you. But it has a handy checklist of all parts of the home to go through. It then delves into how to de-clutter and how to "stage" the house for selling. It also includes a checklist of things to do before anyone sees the house. As someone who has recently looked at several houses on the market to buy, I can attest there really is an emotional hook that some of this staging provides. These truly are inexpensive or free things (such as putting a bowl of fruit out, playing soothing music, etc.) that can subliminally attract a buyer. The suggestions are tailored to people with all budgets for fixing up before selling. It does not suggest major upgrades but suggests things like repairing broken bathroom tile as opposed to retiling the entire bathroom. Some of these things are no-brainers, but it was helpful reinforcement from what the Realtor said.
There is a section on how to market the home and explains estimated costs. It also explains what happens when the house is in escrow and what needs to be done in a short timeline. It explains how to keep the buyers motivated and calm while still getting what the seller needs out of the deal.
One of the best things about this book is that it repeatedly encourages the seller to put things into perspective. Yes, the idea is to sell the house as quickly as possible and make the most profit, but this book shows the pitfalls about haggling over $100 and how it can make prospective buyers walk away from a deal.
This book doesn't contain any miracle advice and some of the advice is obvious. However, it's an easy read and an inexpensive book that will probably end up helping sellers make more money at selling time. I would recommend it for anyone who wants to understand the real estate process and maximize profit without spending an inordinate amount of time or money.
I am not sure if I trust this guy.......2007-04-17
Here is Ready Set Sold! in one sentence: Make your house look like a model home before you put it on the market. That covers chapters 6 through 12, and is heavily emphasized in all of the other chapters as well.
Of course, making your house look like a model home probably means spending thousands. I know it's going to for me, even for my modest place. Corbett's mantra is that the more you do to make your house a model home, the more money you'll get when you sell it. The amount that you put into fixing the place up, with painting, new furniture if necessary, and a zillion other details large and small, will more than be made up for by the eventual selling price that you can command.
Hmmm...but is this really true? I don't know. I'm in California and everyone I talk to, including realtors, tell me that just about the ONLY thing that will command a higher selling price is a room addition (impossible for my house). Everything else is just wasted money. That doesn't mean you shouldn't clean up clutter and make sure things look nice and spiffy, but spending thousands of dollars on new furniture, cabinetry, and so on is unnecessary.
I'm not sure I buy into the gung-ho "It will cost more up front, but it'll all pay off in the end!" mantra that this book feeds you constantly. Welcome to hear any comments from people (especially in CA) that have actually followed this book to the letter and ended up with verifiable results.
One-Stop Selling.......2007-03-07
This is the ONLY book you'll need to sell a home sucessfully. Period. Corbett's blend of humor and personal stories make for a fun read, and he's got an enormous repertoire of ideas that will help you do exactly what the book promises: sell for the most money!
Great Handbook for Selling Your Home.......2007-03-07
This book is great and an easy read! It takes the mystery out of selling your home by explaining what to do and what to expect step by step from the beginning to the end.
I'm Sold on this book.......2007-03-06
Easy and inexpensive tips from this book can help you sell your home for more money and in less time. There are so many photos that show how to stage your home to make the first few minutes a buyer comes in to your home count!
Book Description
The way you live in a home and the way you sell it are two different things. That's the premise of Staging*, a concept that teaches you to look at your home through a buyer's eyes and make adjustments to improve its appeal and value.
In any real estate market, Staged homes sell faster or sell for more money—or both. With Home Staging, you'll learn how to play up your home's strong points and improve its presentation. By rearranging furniture, trimming overgrown bushes, painting a room, and clearing out the clutter, Home Staging will help you spotlight your property for a fast, profitable sale.
Filled with organizing tips and checklists, plus before-and-Staged photographs that dramatically show how Staging can transform your home inside and out, Home Staging has all the answers you'll need when looking to increase the sale price of your home.
*Staging is a federally registered trademark of StagedHomes.com
Customer Reviews:
A trashy commercial.......2007-09-15
This book has convinced me that hiring a home stager trained by the author or her company would be a disaster. The only way this book could have 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon is if Barb Schwarz's employees and her ASP trainees are writing the good reviews.
Eighty-five percent of this book is a commercial for the author's business, 10% is common sense. The remaining 5% suggests projects, such as a headboard made of paper plates, which could only make a potential home buyer question the taste and judgement of the home owner. This book is a testament to poor taste and Barb Schwarz's ego.
Only written for the wealthy?.......2007-09-05
Books and magazines frequently choose wealthier homes to show pics of staging. Don't authors realize a lot of us live in apartments, condos, mobile homes and the like? Why purchase a book/magazine if it doesn't fit my life style?
Dont waste your time or money.......2007-09-01
This book was dreadful. More than half of the book was the author telling you over and over and over again how she is the creator of home staging. Content wise, there is very little that you dont already know. There are very few before and after photos and non would be judged to be good example of good furniture placement or design. I would suggest "Dress your house for Success" or "Using What you have Decorating".
Useless bit of self-promotion by Barb Schwarz - a waste of money.......2007-02-17
This book tells you what you already knew - clean, declutter, fix broken stuff, and clean up the yard. That's about it. The reason the book is more than ten pages long is that it is chock full of the author's stories about how wonderful she is and what a staging pioneer she is. I really wish I hadn't wasted my money on this fluffy piece of advertising.
Written Infomercial.......2007-02-11
Reading this book is like reading the script for an infomercial. The entire purpose of the book was profit for Barb Schwarz in book sales and additional customers. At least once per page, sometimes once per paragraph she re-credits herself with inventing the entire concept of Home Staging from the name to the work to the profession. The only person to take more credit for anything was Al Gore and the infamous internet issue. There are maybe 10 total ideas/concepts for actual home owners to implement themselves, but they are very general. The other 200 pages are various ways of reiterating that Barb Schwarz created the concept of Home Staging, all homes should be staged before sale, and that the home owner should hire a licensed, professional Home Stager, preferably trained by Barb Schwarz. If your purpose of buying this book is to find out the value of Home Staging, or justifying the cost of professional Home Staging to an unwilling seller (spouse, relative, client) than this is a very useful book. If you are a home owner that already believes you should stage your home and are looking for creative ideas on how to do it yourself - don't bother with this book. The book does give insight in how to choose a professional Home Stager, what to look for when interviewing Stagers for your project, what to expect from Home Staging, the value of it, and general ideas of what a Home Stager can and should do for you. I agree with the reviewer who said, "Not for Do It Yourselfers." For Do It Yourselfers The Designed To Sell book is quite a bit better for what is out there that is very current. 50 Simple Steps to Sell Your House for More Money in Any Market by Ilyse Glick is also better, but not as current.
Book Description
Have you ever wanted to sell your own home? Jennifer Wake is banking $45,000 from selling her home solo. This nurse by night, For Sale By Owner by day, says, "It really paid off."
The For Sale by Owner Handbook guides you step-by-step through the home-selling process. It gives you inside real estate trade secrets to sell your home like a pro.
A team of national leading experts-pros from: "Trading Spaces", Oprah Winfrey's magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Country Living, House Beautiful, "This Old House", Yale University, University of California-Berkeley, New York University, American University, and the Fannie Mae Foundation (just to name a few!)—take you by the hand and teach you how to:
• Sell your home for the best price
• Make your home irresistible to buyers
• Negotiate contracts with ease (sample real estate contracts included)
• Hassle-free closing
• How to make sure buyers are financially qualified to buy your home
• How to get your home listed on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service)
• And every single step along the way
In addition, there are numerous interviews with national experts, including:
• Real estate agents - successful home-selling tactics
• Attorneys -- provide legal advice and contract tips
• Interior designers -- to make your home look more spacious
• Home inspectors -- What you want to see, what you don't want to know (see the sample inspection report)
• Appraisers, mortgage lenders, title insurance pros, home warranty experts, termite inspectors, and more.
Customer Reviews:
Conflicting information; incomplete; poor grammar -- very bad!.......2007-09-27
This book appears to have been thrown together quickly in order to satisfy a market niche. First and foremost, it is lacking in detail. There's no way you can take what you "learn" in this book and then immediately sell your home FSBO. You need a lot more information on closing, home inspection, and numerous other issues on which this book barely touches. Furthermore, the formatting of the book, which highlights the opinions of "experts," is often contradictory without any insight into or explanation of the contrary opinions. Rather, mutually exclusive opinions (and facts!) are presented side-by-side. Finally, there are tons of typos and grammatical errors in this book -- which is predominantly fluff, any way. The type face is large and the book is thin. Although there isn't a lot of material to be found on selling FSBO (for obvious reasons), would-be FSBO sellers would be smart to continue their searches rather than stopping here.
Maybe in the right market..........2007-09-23
With all due respect to the results the other reviewers may have gotten, I and my wife can say with certainty that this book, or the other FSBO book we bought, would not have gotten us through the kind of sale we faced in the turbulent California market at the end of 2007. The book had some very practical tips on prepping the house prior to sale, but would have provided little guidance in dealing with the kind of realtor & buyers that we consistently had to deal with, and who ultimately made the only decent offer on our place, but who ultimately strung us out (missing the escrow date in the disintegrating lending market), and tried to worm all kinds of preposterous conditions and discounts from us. We fell back on our very experienced realtor who knew exactly how to deal with such people and situations. I wouldn't not recommend this, or any other FSBO book (though the boiler-plate contracts in the other book were ultimately worthless), but BE PREPARED to have a GOOD realtor on your side should things go wrong. An green seller would not have the perspective to deal with sharky buyers and realtor-lender teams. Be warned.
Better than FSBO Kit (Irwin).......2007-05-31
I bought this book and the FSBO Kit book by Irwin, and this one is far superior! This book is concise and packs more useful information, especially once you've found a buyer. The other has much less on negotiating, writing contracts, the steps leading to closing, who pays for what, estimates for repairs post-inspection, and tips for packing. I'd describe the Irwin book as more of a pep-talk, but it did give me the confidence to do it myself.
Worth the money.......2007-01-14
The best one - it was very helpful in getting me through the fine details. Well worth the money.
Best Book.......2006-05-25
I went to the library and got several books on FSBO and this one was the best. Several books I had from the library were not true FBSO books for they only had one chapter talking about it. This handbook was not like that. With it recieved my full asking price and was able to understand confusing jardon and rules in selling the house. Most importantly, I felt secure at every step of the selling process that i was not getting ripped off and everything was fair.
Book Description
A PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
The first simple guide to understanding the real estate closing process
Closing and escrow are among the most importantand least understoodcomponents of a real estate transaction. The Complete Guide to Your Real Estate Closing takes the mystery out of the confusing, expensive process by giving real estate professionals, investors, and consumers a step-by-step explanation. In simple, everyday language, the book explains closing documents and paperwork, what to do when something goes wrong, mortgage options, how to save money on title insurance, problems that can occur on a title report,
and much more. With sample forms, work sheets, and more, this sophisticated but accessible book covers:
- Insider tips on how to save moneyfrom a closing professional
- Who does what: the real estate agent, lender, title company, closing officer, attorney
- State-specific information for all 50 states
Customer Reviews:
Could be better.......2006-03-22
Very good book; could have gone a little deeper into the mechanics of the closing process.
Practical, Real-World, Current Information.......2005-10-10
This book is an easy to read, step-by-step guide through that 'magical' period called 'Escrow.' Explanations are easy to understand yet thorough. I highly recommend this book.
Complete and Easy to Read........2005-01-11
Sandy Gadow's real estate closing book explained the part of the buying process which confuses most people, and where most of the costly mistakes can occur. I was able to understand the concepts and explanations which are provided, and felt confident enough to ask questions which I am sure saved me several hundreds of dollars. Before reading Sandy's book, I was intimidated by the professionals involved in a closing: for example, the attorney and closing agent, even the inspector involved. Knowing what questions to ask, I felt comfortable making lists of questions to ask, and which answers I needed. Although real estate laws vary state to state, this book does an excellent job of being all-inclusive for each state. Whether called "escrow", "closing" or "settlement", this book covers the essentials of a real estate deal.
In each chapter are "Tips" and "A Typical Misunderstanding" which lighten the reading and make the subject matter easy to follow along. The chapter on handling Tax-Deferred Exchanges was a welcome addition to the book. I was prompted to buy Sandy's book after watching her on CNN's show, "Open House."
I would recommend this book to anyone buying property, considering entering the escrow profession, or anyone interested in the investment aspect of real estate. I am now a real estate professional and am grateful for Sandy's book. I know the book helped me and I have recommended it to many of my friends and colleagues.
Good book, but...........2005-01-04
...it's the same book as her previous books - only the title has changed. If there were any minor editing done to the book, I didn't notice. If you've read or purchased one of her previous books don't waste your time or money.
Truth in Advertising.......2004-11-08
Gadow does an excellent job of providing a comprehensive view of a California Real Estate Closing. The subject matter is appropriate and well written. The illustrations, tables, charts and forms all useful. The only real problem with a volume like this is that all real estate is essentially LOCAL in nature.
Thus, many of Gadow's points and concepts are inapposite to other parts of the country. I found myself annotating my copy with local exceptions to Gadow's statements (I am a Real Estate Attorney in the Washington, DC metropolitan area). As with any volume with this much information there are certain errors that may have not been caught by the editors. For example, Gadow talks about obtaining multiple termite inspections. "Shopping for a clean termite inspection" and failing to disclose the known existence of termites is a patent violation of the Seller's duty to disclose known defects and could subject the homeseller to serious liability for any resulting damages incurred by the buyer.
Nevertheless, for the layman this book is an essential resource and I wish everyone of my clients would read it before coming to our office for their settlements.
Product Description
Sell Your Home Faster Choose from Multiple Offers Increase the Value of Your Home
A potential home buyer will walk through your home in 3-4 minutes. Let's make those moments profitable and memorable.
Make a small room feel large, an outdated bathroom look upgraded, and a boring family room look spectacular - all using your existing home furniture and accessories. These techniques work. Peggy has used them to sell thousands of homes.
Whether your dream price is $100,000 or $10,000,000, Peggy will be right at your side with her book and DVD to help you present the best home possible to all incoming buyers.
You don't need to be a decorator to stage your home for sale. Peggy makes it easy, fun and profitable. Staging five to twenty homes a week, a staggering industry number, Peggy has developed modern and inexpensive techniques for every home owner
Customer Reviews:
Very informative about staging.......2007-04-05
I was very impressed with the information within this book and CD!!! She shows you how to do it on the CD. It's a must read if you are planning to sell your home. I wished my realtor told me about staging my house. It makes a huge differences in how one presents their home for selling. You need to give your home that model home look for a quick sell and your asking price.
Home Staging or Redecorating...this is the book.......2007-01-22
I bought this off the web with little insight into the contents. I actually purchased the book with the DVD, but haven't even had time to look at the DVD yet because I'm still trying to absorb the wealth of knowledge in the book. Great photos! Awesome content (read the blurbs), I have definitely been able to absorb more knowledge from this single book than all of my decorating and home staging experience up until now. This book is a must-have for everyone who loves their home or is in the need of staging. This is a must-have for Home Stagers as well, with incredible ideas I would otherwise not have thought of that are easy and inexpensive, but look fabulous! BUY ME NOW!
Peggy's Corner: Staging Your Home for Profit.......2007-01-19
I bought this on a whim - thinking it would probably be "light." Even though it is an easy, fast read, it's actually very helpful, well organized and covers new information from other staging books I've purchased. The CD is a bit amateur but again, covers the information and has great examples. I'm glad I have it in my library and I've put the information to use, successfully, already.
The ideas in Peggy's staging book work magic.......2006-07-22
Peggy recently staged our home to get it ready to put on the market. Our home was beautifully furnished and well cared for, but dated. Peggy, using the ideas outlined in her book, made suggestions of things we should do to make our home look up to date and ready to put on the market. We were amazed at the transformation that Peggy's simple changes made to our home. As a matter of fact, we liked the new look of our home so much that we would have had second thoughts about selling it if we hadn't already bought another house.
Thanks to Peggy we sold our house in less than 2 weeks in a very slow market. Three houses of the same model as ours have been sitting on the market for many months and still haven't sold. The ideas in Peggy's book really work!
Great primer for staging your home.......2006-06-20
I loved the format of this book/DVD. The book is divided into a chapter per room, with tips on staging that room. While all of us may not have a pool house or guest quarters, the rest of the information is given in easy-to-follow checklist format. The DVD is the best part. The first part of the DVD is a little boring, but the last part (where you actually watch Peggy as she step-by-step stages a home from scratch) is extremely helpful. If you're looking for some quick and easy staging tips, this is the book/DVD combo for you. I finished the book in 30 minutes and the DVD takes 45 minutes to watch.
Book Description
For those looking to raise a family in a storybook American town, or a change of pace from hectic city life, this book is the answer.
Customer Reviews:
A Poor Offering.......2007-08-10
This is not a very good book. 50% of the book is devoted to Mr. Crampton's less than interesting observations of life in a small town. His advice is mostly extremely basic common sense stuff that any normal person should already know. He offers very few interesting insights.
The other half of the book is his list of the 120 best small towns in America. This part of the book is even more weak. It's obvious Mr. Crampton did a lot of internet travel to gather his data as the descriptions are clearly culled from the towns' chamber of commerce websites. He offers zero insight or information gained from him (or someone else) actually visiting / living in the towns and conveying what the towns are actually like.
His ruse is painfully evident as the "more info" listing for each town is merely a link to their respective chamber of commerce website! What "more info" could there be given that the author merely copied the site? Even his internet research was exceptionally lazy.
The book should be titled "A Compilation of America's Best Small Towns' Chamber of Commerce Website Info plus Non-insightful Musings of the Armchair Travelling Author."
And how do the towns qualify as being best? By Mr. Crampton's estimation they must have a highschool, and a hospital, and at least a few other businesses that aren't Walmart. Could the bar be set any lower? With that criteria one could throw 120 darts blindfolded at a map and do just as well as this book.
The book could be fodder for a Garrison Keilor Ketchup skit, "you know June, why don't we retire to the country, find a town with a highschool and live out our days..... Dear, have you been getting enough Ketchup lately..."
A very weak text that I'll be returning to Amazon post haste!
Make that 3 1/2 stars.......2005-03-28
Actually, I would have given "Making Your Move" 4 stars had I found the descriptions of the individual towns more interesting. But, what I did find was a witty style of writing, some laugh-out-loud moments, and some very down-to-earth advice on the pearls and perils of small-town life. One might apply Norm's smart and insightful guidelines to just about any sparsely populated area in the quest for new habitation. So even though his selections failed to fire me up, they did make me realize that I may not be cut out for small-town living after all. And that, in itself, is worth far more than the price of a book. Thanks, Norm, and make that four stars.
Part of the story.......2003-03-12
This book is a good place to start if you're thinking of moving to a town of 15,000 or less. It will point you to many interesting communities. However, having used his previous book to guide my last move, and as a resident of one of the towns highlighted in this book (Grinnell), I can honestly say that data only carries you so far. Crampton could provide readers with a great benefit by lengthening the amount of description and flavor for each town. In particular, one key element missing is the 'dynamic' of a town: is it progressive? conservative? excited about education? quick to vote down taxes and bonds? These elements form the 'culture' of a small town, and believe me, the culture of a small town will be *very* important to you!
A good guide to start.......2003-01-08
As a resident of one of the 120 "best small towns" recommended by Norman Crampton, I was delighted to see Silver City on the list.
While Crampton's book is a good place to start your search for small town living, it is important to realize that each small town offers a unique personality. Some generalizations simply do not apply to Silver City. For example, it is not necessary to join a church (or country club) in order to fit in here. Even a small community like ours has diverse sub-populations: recent retirees, most of whom have some affinity for the arts; old-timers, most of whom are the conservative church-goers Crampton describes; and Hispanic families, many of whom have worked in the mines.
These groups rarely interact, although we usually get along very peacefully. We also have a number of folks who teach at the university -- and we rarely see them around town.
To learn about Silver city, you won't get much information from the Chamber of Commerce or the editor of the newspaper. You'd do better to spend some time hanging out at the AIR cafe, talking to whoever comes in. The morning and afternoon groups are quite different and everyone is friendly.
The author gives some nuts and bolts about each small town. Unfortunately, with the exception of weather, much of this information will change by the time the book is printed. And your decision may well be made by factors that can't be added up.
The best part of the book is the section on economics of small town living. Here, he's right on. You have to budget for travel to a large city now and then. Air travel will be more costly and you need time to drive to a large airport. His view of housing prices seems optimistic. If you move to a desirable city (such as Silver City) expect to pay more for a house than he allows.
And if you move to retire, your economic picture will be quite different. Many newcomers to Silver City are beginning a second career as an artist or writer. Moving without a job is scary -- and I do not recommend it unless you fit the profile I describe in my own book, Making the Big Move.
Book Description
With 200,000 copies in print since its original 1974 edition, Finding and Buying Your Place in the Country was instrumental in addressing the needs of the original "back to the land" movement. Over five updated editions and nearly 30 years, it has continued to serve those seeking a new start in a country or vacation home.
Since the publication of the first edition, dramatic technological changes have made rural living a viable option for many people seeking to leave behind urban stress. Even those committed to city living are creating a boom in the market for second homes, often rural homes, farms or ranches.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent resources if you are looking for land.......2007-07-16
I read the book, it cover a lot of the things that I haven't even think about for owning land. Anyone who is looking to buy land to invest, this book is a must read.
Great starting point for beginning land buyers.......2007-05-07
My husband and I are considering buying some undeveloped land. While we own a house, we know nothing about rural land purchases and didn't even know what questions we should be asking. This brook provided a good overview of issues to consider, and the checklist at the back of things to inspect/ask about for each property was especially helpful.
A Bible for rural real estate........2007-03-28
This guide has everything I could imagine and alot I couldn't....which is of course the point.
almost too much info.......2007-03-09
If comprehensive is what you want, this should make you happy. The problem is that if you follow every bit of advice in this book you will have to quit your job and make finding your place a full time endeavor (or spend years part time). The advice is all good, but it almost makes the task seem more daunting, not less. Still great for learning all the issues and things to look out for, then you decide how much effort to put into footwork before buying your piece in the country
Fabulous!.......2006-07-19
A wonderful delicious book for anyone who owns or is thinking about a place in the country.
Book Description
America’s bestselling real-estate expert offers a highly practical, reader-friendly guide to selling your home quickly and for the best price—in any market.
In 50 Simple Steps You Can Take to Sell Your Home Faster and for More Money in Any Market, Ilyce Glink takes home sellers through the process of readying their homes for sale, offering inside tips and expert advice about how to get the most value from any house or apartment in the shortest time possible. Inside you’ll find:
• Rules every seller should live by
• Mistakes every home seller makes—but can easily avoid
• Steps you have to take before you sell, including great ideas for keeping
your house ultraclean and organized
• Room-by-room improvements—including the basement, attic, garage,
and the exterior—that will add instant value to your home
• Information on timing your sale
• Inside advice on pricing your house
• Tips for navigating the paperwork and closing documents
Customer Reviews:
50 Simple Steps You Can Take To Sell Your Home Faster.......2007-01-19
Excellent!
Can't miss using the ideas presented.
Just What You Want.......2005-09-22
This book IS just what you want if you want to sell your house. I'm a Realtor, so I feel especially qualified to say this.
SOLD in less than 24 hours.......2005-08-08
This book tells it like it is. You want the most money out of your investment, than try to do all the things listed to prepare your house before you call a realtor or have people view it. It is a lot of work - it took me three months - but everyone who viewed my home said what a lovely home I had, how well-maintained it was, and I had an offer in less than 24 hours for more than my listing price! I also heard a lot of comments from potential buyers about how dirty and cluttered other homes they visited were - so much so that it was hard to see what the home had to offer. A very, very worthwhile investment.
selling tips.......2005-07-06
this book is great, we did everything wrong and payed for it.
this was a great help with our other properties. Highly recommend this to others.
A small gem.......2005-05-24
Invaluable! Solid, practical, up-to-date advice with no fluff, from a woman who knows the real estate market inside and out. Written in a friendly, conversational style--not "technical" at all. I followed Glink's advice, and my condo sold in three days (to the first person who looked at it) for $1,750 above the asking price.
Book Description
Take the fear out of buying your first home
For many, the process of buying a home for the first time can seem intimidating and overwhelming. How to Buy Your First Home is your resource for information on the subject. This book guides you through the entire process, including:
Preliminaries-Renting versus buying, determining what you can afford, deciding where to live
Searching for Your Home-What to look for in a home, hiring a realtor
Finances-Mortgage basics, government agencies, home loans for veterans
The Buying Process-Weighing your mortgage options, hiring an attorney, making an offer, inspecting and appraising your home
The Future-Caring for your home and increasing the value of your investment
Included within the text are Attorney Tip boxes that highlight important facts. Click on This boxes will guide you to helpful websites for additional information about calculating costs, locating homes in your area and more.
Extensive appendices include a glossary of important terms, contact information for state offices of real estate regulation and sample worksheets to help you as you make your decisions.
Written by an experienced attorney, How to Buy Your First Home is the resource that will take the mystery out of buying a home.
Customer Reviews:
GREAT guide for a first-time buyer.......2006-07-31
My roommate works at the library and brought me home a dozen different books on how to go about buying your first home and what you would need to know (including the dummy/idiot books which I normally love). After taking a look at this one, I sent all the other ones back and ordered it from amazon because it is by far the easiest, most comprehensive, and overall helpful guide for a first-time buyer. It answers all questions and can just be used as a good reference. It's questions and answer format makes the book very easy to pick-up and less daunting-- some of the books seems like a giant boring novel!! I even gave this book as a gift to a friend considering buying a place of his own.
Good first book on buying a home.......2005-02-26
This is a basic book on home buying intended for the first time buyer. It's' fairly brief, only about 130 pages (minus the appendices), so it's a quick read. If you're a second time buyer it would probably be too basic for you, but I was looking for a quick primer before starting to read more technical books on investing in real estate.
It covers the essentials of mortgages, the bidding and negotiation process, working with agents and inspectors, the major government agencies that participate in the mortgage market, such as HUD, VA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and so on. Although you don't need to understand it to purchase a house, the secondary market is briefly discussed so you'll know what that is when you hear real estate professionals mention the term.
Most of the information is quite practical, such as how to deal with real estate agents (don't let them act like mothers-in-law and let them decide what's best for you in the way of a house, no matter how well-meaning their intentions), and inspectors (don't insist on being present during the inspection, it'll just distract them).
After the chapters devoted to the mechanics of buying the house, there's a chapter basically on "What now?" After the happy glow of buying your first house wears off, you'll now have to face the reality of doing the required maintenance and repairs, keeping up the lawn and landscaping, making sure you save enough to pay taxes, and so on. There are even useful hints on how to conserve energy and how much you can save by having old furnaces and air conditioners replaced, and the author says hers paid for itself in about 18 months, although the initial cost was daunting (about $2500). But it was worth it over the long run.
Finally, there's a chapter on foreclosure and what to do if you find yourself in that situation. There's help available in that many cities or state government agencies can help with either grants, money or advice. The book also has a glossary, and two appendices of useful worksheets such as comparing house features and mortgage lenders, a HUD-1 worksheet, and a VA guaranteed loan application form.
The book is clearly and concisely written and should give anyone a basic understanding of the home buying process. After this I went on to reading more advanced books on investing in real estate and it was useful for getting the basic knowledge quickly and easily.
Books:
- 202 Things You Can Buy and Sell For Big Profits! (202 Things You Can Buy & Sell for Big Profits)
- Alloway Remembers: Tales of Town and Township (A Publication of the Alloway Township Bicentennial Committee 1978)
- America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money: Your Guide to Living Better, Spending Less, and Cashing in on Your Dreams
- An Introduction to Coastal Zone Management
- Apollo for Adobe Flex Developers Pocket Guide
- Architectural Graphic Standards, Tenth Edition (Book only)
- At Home in the Muddy Water: A Guide to Finding Peace Within Everyday Chaos
- Bordering on Madness: An American Land Use Tale
- Borrowed Time: An AIDS Memoir
- Building with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs): Strength and Energy Efficiency Through Structural Panel Construction
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Journey to the Impossible: Designing an Extraordinary Life
- A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
- Peterson's Portfolio Power: The New Way to Showcase All Your Job Skills and Experiences
- Ruminant Nitrogen Usage
- The Seventeen Traditions
- American Government
- Whale Done! : The Power of Positive Relationships
- On the Down Low: A Journey into the Lives of 'Straight' Black Men Who Sleep with Men
- Re-Inventing Realities, Volume 10
- The Obeah Man
General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
1001 Tips for Buying & Selling a Home
The Home Buyer's Question and Answer Book
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)
Tips and Traps When Selling a Home
Home Closing Checklist
