How to Buy a House in California

An encyclopedic gathering of issues and options necessary to buying a house in California. Easy to search and understand. I've never read anything better.

This book is the only book you will need if buying a home in California. I am in my early thirties and knew nothing about the housing market in California until reading this easy and thorough guide to California home buying. It provides a detailed and easy to understand guide to preparing oneself for entering theCalifornia housing market. The book is broken down in comprehensible, step by step chapters covering a wide range of subject areas. There are plenty of worksheets designed to help in your home search (practical and financial) as well as plenty of real life examples that illustrate common inquiries, pitfalls and scenarios. I live in Los Angeles and was very intimidated by the insanely competitive housing market. This book has gotten me over these worries and am now working confidently with an amazing broker in looking for the house that's right for me. Don't bother with other guides, this is honestly the only one you will need!

I used the Nolo Press tenants' rights book in the past to (successfully) sue my deposit-greedy/law-breaking landlords. I just used this book to buy my first home in the competitive Bay Area (yes, it's still highly competitive even in these "tough times"). Nolo's book is accurate and insightful, written in a voice that's accessible and, at times, fun and tongue-in-cheek. The organization of information, as usual, is right on. And the links and helpful sidebars are fantastic! Don't waste your money on other books. I swear this one is the only book you'll need.

This book was recommended to us by a friend who bought a home in California. Since then, we've bought it for other friends and family. Nolo Press publishes excellent books, and this is no exception. If you only read one book on buying a home (in California), this should be it.

If you've bought a house before, some parts of this book may seem somewhat elementary. And, admittedly, a lot of the information about how much you can afford is available on the web on various home-buying sites. On the other hand, I found the location-specific information very helpful, and the advice in the book is solid and reliable. The real winners are those who are preparing to buy a house for the first time. This book will take you through pretty much all the steps, from thinking about what you want in a house and finding good neighborhoods, through figuring out how much you can afford. It's an excellent reference guide for somebody who's just starting to think about buying, and will be useful all the way through closing. IIf I had to choose just one book on buying a house, it would be this one.