Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home, 5th Edition

Everything a buyer needs to know to buy a first home, with insider tips and advice from the experts!

Rental prices have gone through the roof, more homes are coming up for sale, and buying a home remains a sound investment. But how do you know whether you’re ready? And what steps should you take in the weeks or months ahead to find, buy, and move into your new home? Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home will help you find the right place to live and invest in – and enjoy the process, too.

Filled with interesting facts, real-life stories and insights, and common pitfalls to avoid, this book provides everything you need to select the right type of home, the right mortgage, the right agent, the right inspections – and much more. Get the inside scoop on:

deciding between a house, condo, co-op or townhouse
exploring your local market for the best value
creating and managing a realistic homebuying budget
qualifying for and securing loan financing
getting the right inspections and insurance
negotiating with sellers or new home builders
successfully closing the deal

Read through the real-world experiences of over 20 first-time homebuyers, as well as valuable insights from a team of 13 real estate professionals, including:

real estate brokers
attorneys who specialize in real estate
a home inspector
a neighborhood researcher
a mortgage specialist
and more!