Insider tips and advice to help you get the right place at the right price! If you're ready to say goodbye to landlords and laundromats, Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home will help you find the right place to invest in -- and have fun doing it. Filled with interesting facts and real-life stories, this book provides everything you need to select the right house, the right mortgage, the right agent, the right inspections -- and much more. Get the inside scoop on: deciding between a house, condo, co-op or townhouse, exploring the market for the best value, lining up financing, getting inspections and insurance, negotiating with sellers or new home builders and successfully closing the deal. Read the real-life stories of over 20 first-time homebuyers, as well as the insights from a team of 13 real estate professionals, including brokers, attorneys who specialize in real estate, a home inspector, a neighborhood researcher, a mortgage specialist and more. PLUS: You'll get the The Homebuyer's Toolkit, a CD-ROM that includes dozens of forms and MP3s which will help you find the right place, crunch the numbers, interview real estate professionals, borrow down payment money from your parents -- and more.