Home Buyer’s Checklist: Everything You Need to Know–but Forget to Ask–Before You Buy a Home is a step-by-step, guide that shows you exactly how to “precheck” a house before you make an offer. It is a list of things you will need to know/ask before buying a house. It is also useful for first time buyers who have never bought a house before and do not want to be caught in a bad situation.

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The purpose of a home owners association is to keep up and manage the neighborhood including public parks, roads, and pools. If you live in a community with a homeowners association, you are obligated to pay dues – which can be anything from $100 to $10,000 a year, depending on the neighborhood and its amenities.

Homeowners are also obligated to live by the association’s rule book, also known as covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs). An elected, volunteer board of directors is responsible for enforcing these rules.

The regulations vary widely but typically cover such things as the color of your house, the kinds of trees you may plant, where you can park your car and whether you can rent out your home.

In some neighborhoods, homeowners have faced fines for such offenses as flying the American flag, decorating for unapproved holidays or putting the wrong color curtains in their windows.

Homeowners associations even have the right to foreclose on those who fail to pay their association dues.

According to a study by Sentinel Fair House, a fair housing group in California, associations were responsible for 18 percent of all foreclosure actions in five counties they studied over a 12-month period. All told, associations foreclosed on about 70 houses in five counties for amounts of less than $2,500 – including legal fees.

Before you purchase a house, spend some time researching the home owners association. Learn about their rules, conditions, and restrictions. Finally, learn if there has been any complaints filed against the home owners association.

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How to Buy a House in California is the most complete guide to buying a home in the Golden State.

This is a thorough and practical guide to every aspect of buying a house in the California. How to Buy a House in California will help you make informed decisions that can save you thousands of dollars. Continue reading →

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Are You Ready to Buy a House?: Your Action Plan to Make It Happen (The Socrates Answers).

Has anybody read this book?  I was thinking of buying this book for a friend of mine but wasn’t sure if it was any good.

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Buying a house is probably the biggest financial investment that you will make in your life.

Here are 8 things to keep in mind when buying your first house..

1.Money

The first question you need to ask yourself is how much can you afford. You will need to investigate mortgages and find the right kind to suit you. Shop around and ask for advice.

The majority of mortgages are based on two and a half times your salary and you should take an affordability test to make sure you can cope with the payments. Remember, it isn?t just the mortgage that costs. Other finances to consider are: Continue reading →

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