The Smart Home Buying & Mortgage Guide - 2nd. Edition

Buying your first home in America shouldn't feel like a gamble - and this book makes sure it isn't. Written by Karl Chu, a California-licensed real estate broker with 33 years in the field (and a former aerospace systems engineer), The Smart Home Buying & Mortgage Guide walks first-time buyers step by step through the entire process: building a real budget, understanding credit and financing, choosing an agent and writing a strong offer, navigating inspection and appraisal, protecting yourself from wire fraud, and settling into your first 30 days of homeownership. Grounded in California practice but built on federal rules that apply in all 50 states, this Second Edition has been fully re-verified against current 2026 guidelines - loan limits, credit scoring, escrow timelines, and closing costs - so every number in the book can be trusted. Six buying skills you'll finish this book with: a real housing budget built on income and cash flow; credit, DTI, down payment, and funds preparation; the Buyer Agreement and negotiating agent compensation; offer price, contingencies, and controlling the escrow timeline; inspection, appraisal, underwriting, and wire-fraud defense; and your first 30 days after closing and long-term upkeep. Written for first-time buyers, immigrants, and young professionals navigating the U.S. housing market for the first time.