THE NEW YORK TIMES GUIDE TO BUYING OR BUILDING A HOME

A thorough, factual guide to everything you should have thought of for yourself, but couldn't. Like how to evaluate a neighborhood's prospects (""visit the local planning commission or zoning board"") and how to select a development lot; the procedure to follow in inspecting a house (how's the drainage? the hot-water supply? will you have to rip off the old roof to put on a new one?); what percentage of the asking price to offer--and what costs you're likely to face at the closing; how to find a lawyer experienced in local real estate work; the relative merits (and demerits) of a level-payment, a graduated-payment, and a variable-interest-rate-mortgage. Plus, in equivalent detail, the pros and cons of co-ops and condominiums and of mobile homes. All presented--unlike many home deals--without puffery or frills.