Book Title:
How to Buy a House in California (Paperback)
by Ralph E. Warner (Author), Ira Serkes (Author), George Devine (Author), Ilona M. Bray (Author)
Editorial Reviews:
Robert Bruss, syndicated real estate columnist
Invest in this book… It’s virtually impossible to think of anything left out. They anticipated every question buyers might have.
Laurie Brian, San Francisco Chronicle
A valuable resource for California homebuyers and real estate professionals throughout its many editions.
San Francisco Examiner
This book can’t be too highly recommended for home buyers and home owners.
Book Description
The most complete guide to buying a home in the Golden State.
A thorough, practical guide to every aspect of buying a house, How to Buy a House in California will help you make informed decisions that can save you thousands of dollars. With this bestseller in hand, you’ll learn how to:
* choose a house and neighborhood
* find the right agent
* get the most up-to-date information on mortgage options and rates
* take advantage of creative financing strategies – from seller financing to government loans
* figure out how much down payment you can afford
* make an offer and negotiate with confidence for the best price
* buy a new house in a development
* inspect a house for physical problems and environmental hazards
* juggle buying and selling houses simultaneously
* successfully go through escrow
The 11th edition, completely updated, explains how to use the latest mortgage financing options – such as no-interest loans – without getting burned. It also covers how to research a home’s insurance history, deal with problems with newly built homes, and to what extent a buyer can trust inspection reports provided by a seller.
Home buyers beyond California: Even though this book provides state-specific forms and information for Californians, most of the material in it can help home buyers in the other 49 states as well. Don’t buy a house without it!
About the Author
Ralph Warner is a co-founder and e-publisher of Nolo.com and one of the pioneers of the self-help law movement. A graduate of Princeton University and the Boalt School of Law (U.C. Berkeley), he is the author of many books and articles aimed at making our legal system more accessible and democratic. He and his wife, Carol, represent Berkeley, Albany, Kensington, El Cerrito and other East Bay home buyers and sellers, and offer nationwide referrals to other buyer brokers. Both Ira and Carol have been awarded the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation by the National Association of Realtors. This is the highest professional designation of residential specialty in the industry. Co-author of How to Buy a House in California, Ira is also an Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR), one of only 4,000 in the United States.
George Devine is a licensed real estate broker and a widely respected educator in the real estate field. He holds a B.A. from the University of San Francisco, and an M.A. from Marquette University, and has pursued additional studies at San Francisco State University, Seton Hall University and other academic shrines. Currently, he teaches real estate at the McLaren School of Business at the University of San Francisco, where he was named the Outstanding Adjunct Professor in 1991. For several years, George wrote the popular Real Estate Handbook column in the weekly Real Estate Guide section of the San Francisco Progress. He is the author of For Sale By Owner and co-author of How to Buy a House in California.