New Homes For Today

Through hundreds of inspiring photos and engaging text, the author describes what gives traditional homes their enduring appeal, and illustrates the creative work of builders who are forging the movement toward building new homes that capture old-home sensibility.

A stunning, full-color showcase of the latest innovations in sustainable architecture and eco-friendly design, featuring thirty-five diverse homes. Today’s architects, designers, building craftsman, and homeowners are becoming more environmentally conscious, choosing eco-friendly living spaces with small carbon footprints that are built with sustainable materials. New Eco Homes explores various aspects of modern eco design, from its environmental and economical benefits, to factors considered when choosing materials: how much energy went into manufacturing the product, whether it is long lasting, and whether it can be recycled or safely disposed of as it eventually breaks down. It also examines important details involved in building, such as climate regulation, drainage systems, and regional planning. Each of the thirty-five projects contain photographs, floor plans, and detailed drawings that illustrate certain sustainable features, revealing how much the parameters of ecological design have expanded in just a few short years. New Eco Homes includes an introductory interview with an international specialist in green building, site plans, architectural drawings, and a complete directory of resources. Combining concern for the environmental with aesthetic sensibility, it is an essential resource for architects, designers, and homeowners interested in creating warm and inviting homes that are not only beautiful to inhabit, but help protect and conserve our natural environment as well.

Though fun and exciting, buying a home can also be complicated and confusing—and most people learn the hard way that a wrong move can cost dearly. In order to find the perfect home at the best price, you must have skill, foresight, and a little guidance from experienced professionals. Home Buying for Dummies, Third Edition provides just that! Packed with invaluable advice in an objective, down-to-earth style that will have you sitting in your dream home in no time, this friendly guide contains everything you need to know to play the home buying game. It has the tools you need to: Improve your credit score and select a mortgage Choose a time and place to buy Determine the price you want to pay Assemble an all-star real estate team Make use of the wonderful world of the Internet Negotiate your best deal Inspect and protect your home Handle and become responsible for the title Cope with buyer’s remorse Featured in this guide are tips and tricks on things you should do after you seal the deal, as well as things you ought to know about real estate investing. Also included is advice on how to sell your house, as well as a sample real estate purchase contract and a good inspection report. Don’t get chewed up by the real estate market—Home Buying for Dummies, Third Edition will lead you to the home you want!

Buying Your First Home: whether a condominium, townhouse, single family dwelling, or other type of abode, is often the single largest purchase in a person’s life. But just how confident do you feel that you know what you’re getting into? When you're looking to buy your first home, who can you trust? Brokers, bankers, realtors ... everyone's biased in their own way. How do you understand what you should look for in these professionals, and what you can or should do yourself? How do you understand how much a mortgage will actually cost, how it works, and how to pay it off quickly? Why do you need a notary or a lawyer? Is mortgage insurance worth it? This multitude of questions can be overwhelming for first-time purchasers, even for people who’ve purchased property in the past. Your First Home: A Buyer’s Kit alleviates some of the stress of buying a home by explaining what you need to know about buying your first (or second) place.