In the decade following the housing crisis, Americans remain enthusiastic about the prospect of owning a home. Homeownership is a symbol of status attainment in the United States, and for many Americans, buying a home is the most important financial investment they will ever make. We are deeply committed to an ideology of homeownership that presents homeownership as a tool for building stronger communities and crafting better citizens.However, in No Place Like Home, Brian McCabe argues that such beliefs about the public benefits of homeownership are deeply mischaracterized. As owning a home has emerged as the most important way to build wealth in the United States, it has also reshaped the way citizens become involved in their communities. Rather than engaging as public-spirited stewards of civic life, McCabe demonstrates that homeowners often engage in their communities as a way to protect their property values. This involvement contributes to the politics of exclusion, and prevents particular citizens from gaining access to high-opportunity neighborhoods, thereby reinforcing patterns of residential segregation. A thorough analysis of the politics of homeownership, No Place Like Home prompts readers to reconsider the power of homeownership to strengthen citizenship and build better communities.

Why does America have a love affair with homeownership? For many, buying a home is no longer in their best interest and may actually harm their children's educational opportunities. This book argues that U.S. leaders need to reevaluate all housing policies and develop new ones that ensure that all Americans have greater access to affordable housing whether rented or owned. After describing homeownership's most common myths, the book shows why the financial circumstances America's financial underclass now face make it impossible for them to benefit from homeownership because they cannot afford to buy homes. The book then exposes the risks of "home buying while brown or black" by discussing U.S. policies that made it easier for whites to buy homes easily and cheaply, but harder and more costly for blacks and Latinos to do so. The book argues that remaining traces of racial discrimination and certain demographic features continue to make it harder for blacks and Latinos to receive homeownership's promised benefits.

Product Description: Across America, community associations are flourishing. As a growing number of residents have discovered, these communities offer a new way of living together--one that protects and enhances property values, allows people to support their mutual interests, and promotes harmony and cooperation...read more

Product Description: Just about every month, housing values in the U.S. fall. That, in turn, increases the number of people who owe more on their houses than they are worth―either trapping them in homes they may no longer want or putting them in danger of financial catastrophe if they lose a job or are otherwise unable to meet the mortgage...read more

An incisive look at the consequences of today's costly and damaging suburban lifestyle In The Cul-de-Sac Syndrome, Bloomberg News' John Wasik exposes the economic, cultural, environmental, and health problems underlying life in suburbia. Wasik provides powerful insights into how the U.S. suburban lifestyle has become unsustainable and what can be done to salvage it. His observations are firmly grounded in exclusive on-the-ground research, interviews with thought leaders, and the latest studies and statistics. The book Exposes the untold truths about suburban home ownership: green isn't always so green, life isn't cheaper after accounting for gas, water, and taxes, and modern suburban living isn't so idyllic considering the toll it takes on our health Includes exclusive research and analysis by experts in the field that debunks the many myths associated with suburban living Explores innovative solutions being developed in cities across the country The American Dream of moving further from a city to buy a bigger house and find better schools has become a costly nightmare. The Cul-de-Sac Syndrome examines why and what can be done.

An expert in modern real estate warns of a coming crisis in the volatile housing market, examining the potential implications of rising interest rates, overleveraged consumers, inflated values, and economic uncertainty. Reprint. 10,000 first printing.

Product Description: Are you worried about your mortgage, or facing foreclosure?Starting over after losing your home?Buying a home or looking to refinance, and just don't know where to start?In Saving Your American Dream, industry veteran Jason Biro shows you step-by-step how to make it through these tough economic times -- without sacrificing the American dream of homeownership...read more

Product Description: Due to the wave of refinancing in recent years, and the fall in home values, in 2009 about 12 million homeowners and investors will be "underwater"--owing more than their property is worth. This book explains all the options for these homeowners who are trapped with houses they want to get free from, people whose property value has dropped so low that they can't sell the property, people whose mortgage payment has adjusted and now they can't afford the property...read more

Product Description: A rich narrative that blends social commentary with incisive reporting, House Lust offers an astute, funny, and sometimes disturbing portrait of the behaviors that drove the greatest real estate boom in history—and its eventual bust...read more

Product Description: The subject of two articles recently published in the New York Times and endorsed by many leading economists, the authors have developed a completely new process for accurately assessing the value of your home or a potential home...read more

A real-estate expert and host of CNN's Open House offers current and prospective homeowners essential information on how to purchase, maintain, improve, and sell one's home, offering ten key rules for making money in real estate regardless of the state of the market, as well as financial tips, worksheets, and real-world case studies. Simultaneous.

What is it about the rustic beauty of hardwood floors or the luxury of natural stone countertops that turns ordinary people into covetous friends, competitive neighbors, and shameless snoops? In House Lust, Newsweek writer Daniel McGinn takes readers inside the homes—and the psyches—of people all over the country to discover what's fueling the national fixation on where and how we live today. If eyes are the windows to our souls, then our homes are the windows into our taste, our wallets, and, arguably, our very identities. Buying a house or apartment is a rite of passage, so it's only natural that we spend a lot of time talking about our homes—and our neighbors' homes. House Lust is filled with stories of what people are not talking about: —The kitchen designer who in four years saw seven of her twenty clients' marriages end in divorce —The woman who took a sledgehammer to her kitchen while her husband was away on a fishing trip to motivate him to start remodeling —"Zillowing"—using the Web site Zillow.com to find out how much your friends (and enemies) paid for their homes In a narrative that blends comic social commentary with incisive reporting, McGinn proves what real estate agents have known all along: people are not just buying a house, they're buying an identity. House Lust is an astute, funny, and sometimes disturbing portrait of contemporary America.

Product Description: A rich narrative that blends social commentary with incisive reporting, House Lust offers an astute, funny, and sometimes disturbing portrait of the behaviors that drove the greatest real estate boom in history—and its eventual bust...read more

Thinking about owning a second home? Whether you want a relaxing getaway spot, a future retirement home, or just a place to rent out for profit, having a second home has always been a good investment. But how will you know where to look, how to invest, and what you need to avoid? Second Homes For Dummies gives you the tools you need to handle the entire second-home buying process from concept to completion! This book covers the bases and the basics of buying a second home, presenting all information in a logical and modular format so you can find just what you need on the subjects that interest you. You’ll find out everything you need to know to: Determine whether or not a second home is right for you Maximize your options for a second home Search for a home and find the money to pay for it Rent out your home for profit Renovate and maintain it to ensure its growing value Make your second home your primary home Look for and purchase a home in another country Also provided are a list of the best places in the world to buy a home, ways to improve your home and make it first rate, and rules that you should talk about with your guests. With Second Homes For Dummies, you can make your dream of having a second home come true!

Product Description: For many new homeowners, the euphoria that comes with buying the perfect new house can soon turn into total panic. First-time buyers often feel overwhelmed by the amount of maintenance their new home requires―not to mention the nasty problems and surprises that seem to be lurking around every corner (and in every wall)...read more

Product Description: Providing decent, safe, and affordable housing to low- and moderate-income families has been an important public policy goal for more than a century. In recent years there has been a clear shift of emphasis among policymakers from a focus on providing affordable rental units to providing affordable homeownership opportunities...read more

A practical handbook specifically geared to the needs of Latino readers offers straightforward, easy-to-follow guidelines on how to purchase a home, discussing such issues as how to provide essential documentation, establish good credit, and find the right real-estate agent. Original.

The best-selling author of Start Late, Finish Rich and The Automatic Millionaire shares his winning expertise and simple approach to help renters, owners, and buyers achieve financial success in the real-estate market, covering everything from how to buy a first home, even with lousy credit, to transforming a home into a powerful investment. Simultaneous.

An expert in modern real estate warns of a coming crisis in the volatile housing market, examining the potential implications of rising interest rates, overleveraged consumers, inflated values, and economic uncertainty. 35,000 first printing.

'Examines the path from basic banking services to creditmaking decisions to mortgage lending that can give low-income individuals and communities the opportunity to build assets through credit, highlighting the need for transparency in the subprime market, buyer education, and borrower safeguards'--Provided by publisher.