Average Customer Review: ( 16 customer reviews )
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34 of 34 found the following review helpful:
 Not one of Eric Tyson's better efforts Feb 04, 1999
As an investment professional and self-confessed do-it-yourselfer, I am a great fan of Eric Tyson's "Personal Finance for Dummies" and "Mutual Funds for Dummies" which empower people to manage their own finances better. It was therefore very disappointing for me to read this book and "Home Buying for Dummies", only to find that the authors (maybe through Ray Brown's influence)pound away relentlessly at the notion that the reader REALLY should hire a real estate agent rather than doing it themself. The authors clearly have a much higher opinion of real estate brokers and agents than I do.Anyone looking for a reference on how to figure out the finances of buying and selling homes and how to effectively choose and use a real estate agent will likely find these books useful. Unfortunately, the "do-it-yourself" crowd needs to look elsewhere or hope for a major revision.
47 of 49 found the following review helpful:
Don't be discouraged, all you FSBOs out there! Dec 06, 2000
By Barbara E Sabo
While I agree with a previous reviewer that it was a little discouraging that the authors thought so highly of realtors, I just ignored that part and used all the other very useful information in this book. Short story short, our house ad went in the paper on a Friday (in what the book termed "Death Valley" season, no less) and we had our buyer the next Monday!! The info on how to spruce up your house and how to negotiate the contract was a big help. We did it all without a realtor, got the price we were aiming for, and avoided that ridiculous commission.
41 of 43 found the following review helpful:
Not for "FISBO"s. Aug 16, 2004
By P. Jamison
"mortier"
This book discourages "FISBO's" (For Sale By Owner) types in favor of hiring a real estate agent. In fact, only one chapter deals with this. I'd recommend this book to those who plan to hire an agency to sell their home. It will inform them of the various machinations of the sales process. For those looking to sell their own property, I recommend "The For Sale By Owner Kit" by Robert Irwin. It's directed soley at the "FISBO" person.
31 of 32 found the following review helpful:
 Absolutely practical Apr 30, 2000
By Eric Antonow
With no other experience than this book and its sister 'House Buying for Dummies' I have done 3 transactions over the last two years. I used them as overviews, instruction manuals and reference guides. Covers the basics in straight forward language, and also goes into sufficient detail to not require buying another books. Don't be fooled or ashamed of the title. There is nothing but intelligence in this book.
25 of 26 found the following review helpful:
This book is the best investment you can make Jun 23, 2001
This book was indispensable while I was selling my house. The numerous practical tips on preparing a house for sale and the explanation of the legal ins and outs were certainly helpful, but what was absolutely invaluable was the advice on avoiding the emotional pitfalls that can make you miserable and keep you from making the best business deal. Using this book's advice, I priced my house right and staged it well, and it sold very quickly for above the asking price. This is a very small investment that will help you with a six-figure financial transaction, so it's well worth the cover price.
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