Ilyce R. Glink

The first thing to note about this book is that it is waaaaaay out of date. It was written in 1996, so it was already ten years old when I bought it, and the information hasn't gotten any fresher. Setting that aside, there is a good foundation here and I think the book is ultimately worthwhile if you can separate the timeless advice from the 1996-specific recommendations. This isn't the most crisply written or up-to-date book out there, but if you are lazy and cheap like me and already have show more it on your shelves, it would be a worthwhile read.

[full review here: http://spacebeer.blogspot.com/2012/02/10-steps-to-home-ownership-workbook-for.ht... ] show less

A very nice reference for all steps of the home-buying process. Although the book can be extremely repetitive if read cover-to-cover. The Q&A style makes for easy skimming. Glink also does a good job providing quick-tip blocks that give great insight, while the buyer stories add little. I would suggest this book to any first time buyer as it gives a great overview and takes away the unknowns of the home-buying process.

100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask was another basic book that helped me think about what I want, what I need, and where to go next. However, I wasn't very impressed. While the subtitle claims that answers come from “brokers across the country,” I saw no evidence of that as it was all in Ilyce’s voice. I couldn’t figure out what authority she had to be writing about real estate and mortgages. It seemed she was a journalist—a columnist for a newspaper—and that show more didn’t give her much authority.

Also, I read the third edition of a book. It was originally written in the early 1990s—and it was obvious. Some parts could have done well to have a complete overhaul, rather than paragraphs that alluded to the fact that things have changed. We should read a book and not notice that it’s the third edition; we should know that everything is up-to-date. While there was some valuable information in this book, overall it’s not the best. I don’t recommend it.

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This was quite useful in our search to buy a house, but I do wish I had read at least one other book as well to get contrasting opinions.