By Bob Vila
Little Brown & Company, 1990
Soft cover, 6″ x 9″, 283 pages

Buying a home has always been the largest and most complicated purchase most people ever make, but with today’s fluctuating real-estate prices, housing shortages, new rules and regulations, and a host of mortgage options and rates, the prospective home or condominium buyer needs all the help he or she can get. Now, Bob Vila comes to the rescue with a complete, step-by-step guide through this complex and anxiety-provoking process. he begins by helping you decide if you are really ready to buy or whether it makes more sense for you to continue renting. Once you’ve concluded that home ownership is for you, Vila will discuss:

• How to “prequalify” yourself for a loan
• How to search successfully for a home, with or without a real-estate broker
• How to determine what kinds of houses and communities will suit your needs and lifestyle
• The unique problems and advantages of buying a condo or co-op
• The advantages and disadvantages of different houses by style and age (including a special illustrated section on house styles)
• How to choose and work with a broker, bank, and house inspector
• Strategies for making a deal and getting a mortgage
• How to make sure the closing occurs when and where you want it
• How to go about renovating, refinancing, reselling, and much, much more

Bob Vila is the popular former host of the widely acclaimed public television series This Old House.