[.ca] 10 Steps to Home Ownership: A Workbook for First-Time Buyers (ISBN 0812925319)

From Amazon.com:
First-time homebuyers have a guide specifically tailored to their needs in 10 Steps to Home Ownership. Author Ilyce R. Glink writes reassuringly for those who are new to the often-confusing world of real estate. Her book is full of worksheets, allowing readers to pencil out solutions to home buying's many riddles: How big a mortgage can you qualify for? How much money will you need at closing? This book, 10 Steps to Home Ownership, can help readers who find themselves dreaming of home ownership but are too bewildered to take the first steps. --Barry Mitzman

Valuable Read for the First-Time Buyer:
I recently read Ilyce Glink's "10 Steps to Home-Ownership" and came away impressed. She has great worksheets, and an objective, no-nonsense approach to the home ownership process. I recently closed on a home in the Southern California area and used "10 Steps" to prepare me for the process. I found myself referring to Eric Tyson's "Home Buying for Dummies" more than this book once I activeley looked for a home. However, I felt "10 Steps" was a good starter for the process and the worksheets made me comfortable with what I wanted and how much I can afford. One small complaint: she includes 70 pages of interest rate amortization tables which could be easily translated on one page.

Great 'starter' book:
This is a great book for when you just begin to considere the purchase of a home. The book contained a lot of information and clearified may issues of the real estate industry. I found it was very informative but sometimes too simple. Overall it is great way to get your start in the home buying experience. I would recomend this to every first time buyer.

Good for buying homes, but not apartments...:
This book is an invaluable resource for someone looking to buy their first home: Glink takes the reader through the home buying process step by step, and the amortization tables in the appendix definitely come in handy. However, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for someone looking to buy a co-op or a condo. When I was looking to buy a co-op apartment in the city, I found the CO-OP BIBLE to be much more helpful--it was the book I turned to when I needed help with every aspect of that process.

A nice aid to figuring out how to buy that first house...:
I bought this book about a year before I started looking for my first house (when I knew ABSOLUTELY nothing beyond the fact I wanted to buy) and I found this book to be an indespensible aid. The real beauty of it, for me at least, is Ms. Glink's ability to get you thinking about all the myriad issues involved in buying a home (including the biggie - do you even want to do it) in a constructive way with language that is easy to understand. I love that she includes the emotional issues (that are so often overlooked) alongside the financial, legal and practical issues. The breakdowns of real-estate language and the worksheets are nice touches, too. I have recommended this book to everyone I know who utters that magic phrase, "I'd love to buy a house someday...".

A must have for the new homebuyer:
I am a 25 year old looking into buying a condo in Chicago. I just finished the book and it taught me so much about what to expect going into this major purchase. The author explains what you can reasonably assume a bank will loan you, different financing techniques and important emotional and financial issues you will have to resolve before choosing a home. Its easy to read and engaging. I usually have a short attention span for manuals, but I read this cover to cover in a week. I never lost interest. If you're a renter and at the point where you're starting to think you want to buy, read this book for some great tips and advice so you don't fall into any "gotchas" ahead.