Review of The First-Time Homeowner's Handbook: A Complete Guide and Workbook for the First-Time Home Buyer (Book & CD-ROM) (Paperback)

This book is a must have if you are interested in purchasing your first home. The home buying process can be confusing and scary. This handbook takes the fear out of buying a home for the first time. The author takes you step by step through the process from finances to after the closing. The glossary in the back helps you become familiar with real estate and mortgage terminology.

Read this book before you start looking for a house. There is a lot of valuable information included that will save you headaches later. The advice will help you find a real estate agent and the perfect home. Worksheets and tips help you determine how much you can afford to spend on your new home and the book contains advice for cleaning up credit problems. Tips from real estate agents are located throughout the book and are very helpful.

The appendix at the back of the book has a lot of valuable information and forms. There are contracts, forms typically used in real estate transactions, a budget worksheet and a questionnaire to help you choose an agent. The forms are also on the CD ROM that is included in the back of the book.


Product Description
The procedure of buying a home can be a scary experience. There are a lot of people to deal with, from realtors to attorneys to bankers. There's tons of paperwork with terms and vocabulary that read like a foreign language. In this new book you will find vital information and great strategies that will allow you to find your dream home faster and feel confident about the purchase. You will learn to avoid some of the most prevalent-and potentially dangerous and expensive-mistakes made by first-time home buyers.

According to Money Magazine, "Over the past five years, home values nationally have risen 65 percent while the stock market has fallen." Now is the time to get into the real estate marketplace. With the help of this comprehensive new guide, you will learn how to find the best opportunities, negotiating, financing, budgets, needs and wants, credit reports, home-buying timeline, the process of building a house, manufactured homes, real estate and mortgage glossaries, setting values, home warranties, homeowners insurance, creative financing, buying with little or no money down, closing, moving plans, walk-throughs, closing and settlement inspections, legal contracts, mortgages, what you can afford, deciding which neighborhood to choose, hiring a realtor, which government agencies can help, considerations for veterans, IRA use, hiring an attorney, the offer, calculating monthly payments, and escrow.

This comprehensive resource contains a wealth of modern tips and strategies for financing and closing on a property. The author shows readers how to find out how much they're really worth, how to uncover unknown assets, and how to enhance credit ratings within six months, provides information and suggestions on everything from no-down-payment mortgages to finding the right agent. It leads you down the path to home ownership, one step at a time. Though you may be relatively cash-poor or have a less-than-perfect credit rating, you can acquire a mortgage and find the house you've always wanted.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The First-Time Homeowner's Handbook: A Complete Guide and Workbook for the First-Time Home Buyer (Book & CD-ROM) (Paperback)

Review of Green Your Home: The Complete Guide to Making Your New or Existing Home Environmentally Healthy (Paperback)

Jeanne Roberts does a wonderful job in this book explaining how to make your home environmentally friendly, and Roberts explains why everyone should look into doing this. The book opens by telling that our fuel supplies are diminishing, particularly the fossil fuels like coal and oil. Roberts goes on to explain that our large-scale use of these supplies has caused, according to scientists, a 1.08 degree Fahrenheit increase in the earth's temperature, and tells many scientists predict that the earth's temperature may increase by 10 degrees F. by the time we hit 2100.

Because of these frightening predictions, Roberts explains in the book what efforts we as humans can make to reverse this escalating temperature. Roberts opens by describing the important basics which can reduce your energy bill like switching from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescents. In another very informative section, Roberts also describes how to fill your home with green friendly appliances.

Additionally detailed are the more expensive efforts which homeowners can take such as installing a green friendly roof. Such a roof is very beneficial because it can significantly reduce your heating and cooling costs all the while it will filter out pollutants and carbon dioxide from the air that is in your house. Roberts, also, does a great job detailing which type of roof to buy and how to go about buying and installing it. Additionally, the appropriate, energy-efficient type of refrigerator is discussed as well as dishwashers, trash compactors, and clothes washers and dryers.Every part of your home which you can make green friendly is described in this book. Also, the book is written in very clean, easily understood language that is rife with cost comparisons that show just how financially beneficial of going green can be. Therefore, all who are thinking about how they can make their home more green friendly or are contemplating building a new home, certainly need to read this book.


Product Description
This book has thousands of ways to make your home environmentally healthy and will help you make ecologically aware supply choices. From recycling to alternative cleaning materials, minor changes can add up to real benefits. Greening your home means finding things you can do to reduce your impact on the planet. We dissected your house, looking for easy (but not always obvious) ways that homeowners can conserve energy and water and money at the same time.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Green Your Home: The Complete Guide to Making Your New or Existing Home Environmentally Healthy (Paperback)

Review of How to Open & Operate a Financially Successful Redesign, Redecorating, & Home Staging Business: With Companion Cd-rom (Paperback)

This book was the most disappointing of any self help how to book I have ever purchased.I anticipated as advertised, forms to be used in the business.Yes, there are some forms, but not one was anything more than a first grader would have been able to produce in a Word document.What's your name, address, etc.I would have expected detailed information and ideas related to a good contract to protect both yourself and your client when you entered into an agreement to handle work for your client. And for supplies to start up your business, who doesn't know you need a pen or pencil,a pair of scissors, etc.The entire text of the book was at elementary level and the content of forms, etc. was the same.

Product Description
Are you planning to become part of this redesign or real estate staging network? During this time of phenomenal growth, these businesses may be worth your investigation. If you can answer yes to the following questions, then the redesign or home staging business may be just right for you. Do you love decorating your home? Are you addicted to home decorating shows and magazines? Do you know exactly what someone should do to sell their home fast? Are you constantly moving your furniture around? Do you find yourself decorating for your friends and family for free? Do you have a flair for decorating? Keep in mind, however, that Redesign and Real Estate Staging are more than just having the talent and skills to do the job. The business of the business is the part that can be tricky. Readers of this book will fall into one of the following categories: Those With a Second Career: You already have a successful career and are looking for something new. In fact, the design field may be totally unrelated to anything you have ever done before Those Wishing To Be Their Own Boss: You want to have more control over your day and how it goes. Being your own boss allows you to be flexible. Those That Are Business Beginners: You have started your own business, and are finding that the small business tools that are available just do not apply to the design industry. Those That Want To Grow Their Design Business: You already are fully engaged in your own design business and need sound marketing principles to grow your business further. Those That Are Curious: You just want to know what the design industry is all about and find out if you can develop your passion into a thriving business. No matter which description fits you, this book will be instrumental in your success of the business side of redesigning and home staging.

Click Here to see more reviews about: How to Open & Operate a Financially Successful Redesign, Redecorating, & Home Staging Business: With Companion Cd-rom (Paperback)