Home Sweet Home

Buying a new house is an exciting experience, but it’s also fraught with stress and endless complications. Option fees, earnest money, inspection fees, and commissions all eat away at your loan down payment. Just when you think you have the perfect house, a foundation or other serious structural problem emerges during the inspection. Then, when the planets align just so and everything comes together, you are still faced with the move. My own move last weekend brought trouble with the moving van, scheduling issues with the previous owners, and the clichéd story of the cable company not showing up…twice. We’ve managed to muddle through the entire process, but I wish I had checked out some of the following titles before we decided to buy a new home. Knowing more in advance about all of the real estate vocabulary and contracts would have made the experience less nerve racking. Check out some of these recent titles especially if you are taking advantage of the first-time home buyer tax credit:

Mortgage Myths: 77 Secrets That Will Save You Thousands on Home Financing by Ralph Roberts

Home Rich: How to Buy, Manage, Improve, and Sell the Most Valuable Investment of Your Life by Gerri Willis

Your Guide to VA Loans: How to Cut Through the Red Tape and Get Your Dream Home Fast by David Reed

Condo Buying & Ownership Made Simple: Tips to Save Time and Money by Kay Senay

Moving With Kids: 25 Ways to Ease Your Family's Transition to a New Home by Lori Collins Burgan

The Expert Expat: Your Guide to Successful Relocation Abroad: Moving, Living, Thriving by Melissa Brayer Hess

Moving 1-2-3: Expert Advice from the Home Depot by Home Depot