The Benefits and Drawbacks of Home Ownership; The Pluses of Owning a Home; The Minuses of Owning a Home; 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; Choose Your Style of Home and Neighborhood; Your Lifestyle
Now and Down the Road; Your Style of Home; The Condition of Your Home; Find Your Neighborhood; Create a Wish List; Assemble Your Real Estate Team; Real Estate Agents; Your Mortgage Provider; Your Real Estate Attorney; Your Home Inspector; Other Real Estate Professionals.
Shop for Your HomeSelect Homes to Tour; Bargain Hunting; What to Look for on the Tour; Evaluate the Neighborhood; Compare Homes; Finance Your Down Payment; Why a Down Payment?; Calculate Your Down Payment; Alternatives to Paying 20 Percent Down; Compare Mortgages and Other Financing Options; Mortgage Basics; The Mortgage Process; Types of Mortgages; Choose the Term of Your Mortgage; Government Financing Programs; Creative Financing Options; Choose and Apply for a Mortgage; Find the Right Lender; Get the Best Mortgage; Gather Documents and Information; Do the Paperwork; Know Your Closing Costs.
Kinds of Closing CostsAdd It All Up; How Much Will You Pay?; Reduce Your Closing Costs; Make an Offer; Figure Out What the Home Is Worth; What Goes Into an Offer; Negotiating: The Art of the Deal; Prepare for the Closing; Check Off Contingencies; All About Titles and Deeds; Survey the Property; Homeowner's Insurance; Get a Home Warranty; Prepare to Move; Take the Final Walkthrough; Inspect the Property; What a Home Inspector Does; Find a Good Home Inspector; What Happens at an Inspection; Understand Your Home Inspection Report; Specialized Inspections; If Problems Turn Up; Close the Deal.
Countdown to Closing: 24 Hours to GoWhat If the Closing Gets Delayed?; What Happens at a Closing; A Mountain of Paperwork: What It All Means; Your HUD-1 Form; What If Something Goes Wrong?; After the Closing; Index.
