Guide Lends Clarity to Buying and Selling

If you are a serious home buyer or seller who doesn’t want to get ripped off, first read the latest edition of “Kiplinger’s Buying and Selling a Home.” This book anticipates home-selling problems that could arise for buyers and sellers.

Most of the book is about buying a home; one-third is about selling. However, whether you are buying or selling, read the entire book because the information you need might be in either section.

Especially valuable are the sidebars, with details on where to obtain more information about topics covered. For example, the home inspection chapter refers to an excellent book on home inspections as well as information on the major home warranty companies and their addresses.

This well-designed book is easy to understand. In addition to boldface headings for each new subject, the margins contain concise summaries of what is explained on that page.

The many Web site listings where readers can get more information on various topics are especially valuable. Many of the sidebars contain phone numbers too.

The cover says the book is written by the editors of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine. However, including the names of the each chapter’s author as well as their qualifications would have added credibility and authenticity. The anonymous authorship leaves readers wondering how well the writers know their topics.

The book’s weakest part is the third devoted to selling. A big portion of this section discusses alternatives to selling, such as obtaining a home equity loan. The tax angles of principal residence home sales are heavily emphasized, especially the tax exemption of $250,000 per qualified seller.

However, little attention is devoted to receiving top dollar for your home. Selecting a sharp realty agent who will market your home effectively receives inadequate coverage. And the book barely scratches the surface of how to sell your home without a professional agent.

Perhaps because there is no author who takes responsibility, the book seems bland and without a focus. It emphasizes facts but provides little enthusiasm.

The book is also long on details but short on interpreting them. It doesn’t offer much specific help for overcoming typical home-purchase or sales problems.

The writers researched their material extremely well but failed to interpret enough to make the sometimes boring facts useful to readers.

The content cannot be faulted. Topics are well covered, but what is lacking is the practical application to real-life buyer and seller situations. Readers may find it difficult to relate to the home sales facts presented because the book is so impersonal, but the checklists and valuable information make worthwhile reading.