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| Tips and Traps When Buying a Home | 
 enlarge | Author: Robert Irwin
Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Category: Book
List Price: $18.95
Buy New: $12.89
You Save: $6.06 (32%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  (13 reviews)
Sales Rank: 2855379
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: 4
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
ISBN: 0071508414
Dewey Decimal Number: 643.12
EAN: 9780071508414
ASIN: 0071508414
Publication Date: January 2, 2009 (In 40 Days)
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Not yet published
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The classic guide to getting the best deal when buying a home--from America?s #1 real estate expert Featuring fully revised facts and figures that reflect the most recent changes in the real estate market, Tips & Traps When Buying a Home, Fourth Edition is helpful whether you're a first-time or experienced home buyer. It gives you practical, step-by-step information on a broad range of proven home buying strategies, along with indispensable advice and guidance on buying in an "up" market, flipping, buying with options, bidding wars, and other important facets of real estate deals.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 Mr. Irwin, first do your homework February 20, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Mr. Irwin states in this book that a real estate agent taking a commission on his own purchase can get sued on the grounds that he is effectively acting as an agent for the seller, and this creates a conflict of interest. This is based on the antiquated notion that a buyer's agent is construed to be a subagent of a seller's agent. Today, a buyer's agent is construed to act independently of a seller's agent, and is thus free to take a commission on his own purchase. The matter is simply one of an agreement between agents to share the commission.
informative, easy to read, slightly flawed August 3, 2007
This book is very easy to read, well organized, and contains a LOT of essential information for anyone looking to purchase a home. I recommend it without any reservations.
One issue: I'm not sure if there's a newer edition of this book than I received last year, but it's a bit out of date. For better or worse, a lot of mortgages floating around out there today - especially for first time homeowners - are not your standard 30 year fixed. The financing section of the book needs an update detailing the pros and cons of the newer and more complicated types of financing that are more common today. It does this to an extent, but it's insufficient. Also, the figures used in the book are completely unrealistic. Mortgage rates are very different and so are housing prices. Not a problem if you can handle the math on your own, but certain tables are completely obsolete at this point in time.
Just one point on a personal note: This book really tells you about all the BAD things going on in real estate today. This isn't a fault - it's good to know about the million different potential pitfalls when buying a home - but it never tells you to put things into perspective. In other words, you can come away from reading this feeling very pessimistic and cynical about the entire process, which doesn't have to be the case. If you arm yourself with knowledge, a good attitude, and surround yourself with good people - namely the best real estate attorney and home inspector you can find - you'll find the experience isn't as bad as the book can make it seem.
Best of luck!
Worth a read; small investment for some reasonable insights November 10, 2006
Not every page is enlightening, but overall builds confidence in the daunting process.
details November 5, 2006
Found in useful but not vital when buying our NC home. May be more details than you need to worry about.
Plenty of great information and advice December 8, 2004
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
I disagree with the people here who criticize this book for being about "buy low, sell high" and investment purposes. I have a feeling that these people are referring to some of Robert Irwin's other books aimed at real estate moguls in training; however, I took this book as being aimed at people who want to buy the house to actually live in it and to have a home of their own.
I used this book prior to buying my home and took much of the advice to heart. I interviewed several buyer's agents until I found one I liked and trusted, something that is spoken about in the book clearly. I also got some great advice from the finance sections that kept me from paying PMI and helped deal with the mortgage broker.
I bought this book for some friends who were looking at buying a house and it helped them when one deal went sour. I also loaned my copy to two friends shortly before they bought their houses... of course they didn't read it and got screwed on several points (mainly during inspection and negotiation). Oh well... you can lead a horse to water...
Buy and read this book if you're interested in looking for a house. It's well worth it.
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