How To Buy Your First Home

Take the fear out of buying your first home

For many, the process of buying a home for the first time can seem intimidating and overwhelming. How to Buy Your First Home is your resource for information on the subject. This book guides you through the entire process, including:

Preliminaries-Renting versus buying, determining what you can afford, deciding where to live

Searching for Your Home-What to look for in a home, hiring a realtor

Finances-Mortgage basics, government agencies, home loans for veterans

The Buying Process-Weighing your mortgage options, hiring an attorney, making an offer, inspecting and appraising your home

The Future-Caring for your home and increasing the value of your investment

Included within the text are Attorney Tip boxes that highlight important facts. Click on This boxes will guide you to helpful websites for additional information about calculating costs, locating homes in your area and more.

Extensive appendices include a glossary of important terms, contact information for state offices of real estate regulation and sample worksheets to help you as you make your decisions.

Written by an experienced attorney, How to Buy Your First Home is the resource that will take the mystery out of buying a home.

Diana Brodman Summers received her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law and her undergraduate degree from Roosevelt University. She is an arbitrator for both the Cook and DuPage County mandatory arbitration programs and was recently appointed to the Liquor Commission for the City of Downers Grove. Ms. Summers is an active member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the American Bar Association, the DuPage County Bar Association, and the Illinois State Bar Association.

Ms. Summers has taught seminars for lawyers through several bar associations and has written articles on computerizing law offices. She volunteers with other Illinois State Bar Association attorneys in accordance with the local Judge Advocate General's office to provide low-cost legal service for returning members of the military. She currently maintains a law practice in Lisle, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.