Atlantic Publishing Company Homeowner Reference Tiitles

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The Complete Pool Manual for Homeowners and Professionals: A Step-by-Step Maintenance Guide by Dan Hardy If you are a pool owner, you have made a major investment! So, proper swimming pool maintenance is an absolute must. Keeping your pool clean and maintained should therefore be a top priority for a clean pool is essential in many ways. First, no one wants to swim in, or look at, a dirty, green, or yellow pool. Keep in mind that although the pool may look clean, it may in fact be still contaminated with enough bacteria to cause sickness. If a pool is not maintained properly it can get very expensive to clean and/or fix at a later date. Dan Hardy has used every available resource in his 20-year career as a pool professional to add to his store of knowledge about making and keeping water safe. An untiring and dedicated "Pool Doctor," he has become the "go to" man for owners of some of the world's largest, most ornate, and expensive private swimming pools—including that of award-winning actor Mr. John Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston. Dan started working on pools as a boy in his dad's firm. Not content with doing routine maintenance, he began learning all he could about chemicals, mechanics, and safety. In this book he may just be a lifesaver to pool owners who want to save money on maintenance but need to know how to handle poisons safely. Pool maintenance business owners will want to have this book on hand as an easy guide to repairing filtration and pumps and dealing with serious pool problems. And anyone who wishes to have such a career could have no better mentor than Dan Hardy. 288 pages + color insert Item #9781601380227 $39.95 ForeWord Magazine 2007 Book of the Year Award Winner - Bronze Award: The Complete Pool Manual for Homeowners and Professionals: A Step-By-Step Maintenance Guide by Dan Hardy USA Best Books Awards 2007 Business: Home Reference Winner: *The Complete Pool Manual for Homeowners and Professionals: A Step-By-Step Maintenance Guide by Dan Hardy* *Eric Hoffer Awards 2008 Award Winner, Home Notables: The Complete Pool Manual for Homeowners and Professionals: A Step-By-Step Maintenance Guide by Dan Hardy* ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Awards 2008 Home & Garden Bronze: The Complete Pool Manual for Homeowners and Professionals by Dan Hardy
The Second Homeowner’s Handbook: A Complete Guide for Vacation, Income, Retirement, and Investment According to a study released by the National Association of Realtors, second homes accounted for more than a third of residential real estate transactions in 2004. There is no better time than now to buy that second home you’ve been thinking about for getaways, vacations, investment, or retirement. Low interest rates, tax savings, rising appreciation, and effortless financing make it simple to profit from a second home. Now is the time for that second home, before the prices climb even higher. Recent figures from the National Association of Realtors show an upward trend in the number of second homes purchased for investment purposes. Investing in a second home now will be a great way to increase your net worth when you retire, if done properly. This book explains how to invest profitably in a vacation or future retirement home. Your second home can be for living, to re-sell, or even rent. This comprehensive guide presents proven tactics to make your second home a smooth and profitable transaction. You will learn precisely what to look for in a real estate investment, buying prospects, how to rent the place for up to 14 days and pocket the income tax-free, and how to make your current home groundwork for potential real estate investments, how to find the best opportunities, negotiating, financing, budgets, needs and wants, credit reports, home-buying timeline, the process of building a house, manufactured homes, real estate and mortgage glossaries, setting values, home warranties, homeowners insurance, creative financing, buying with little or no money down, closing, moving plans, walk-throughs, closing and settlement inspections, legal contracts, mortgages, what you can afford, deciding which neighborhood to choose, hiring a realtor, which government agencies can help, considerations for veterans, IRA use, hiring an attorney, the offer, calculating monthly payments, and escrow. This book is a must-have for the investor considering a second home. ISBN-10: 0-910627-74-6 • ISBN-13: 978-0-910627-74-0 288 Pages • Item # 9780910627740 • $21.95
How to Open & Operate a Financially Successful Redesign, Redecorating, & Home Staging Business-With Companion CD-ROM Are you planning to become part of this redesign or real estate staging network? During this time of phenomenal growth, these businesses may be worth your investigation. If you can answer yes to the following questions, then the redesign or home staging business may be just right for you. Do you love decorating your home? Are you addicted to home decorating shows and magazines? Do you know exactly what someone should do to sell their home fast? Are you constantly moving your furniture around? Do you find yourself decorating for your friends and family for free? Do you have a flair for decorating? Keep in mind, however, that Redesign and Real Estate Staging are more than just having the talent and skills to do the job. The business of the business is the part that can be tricky. Readers of this book will fall into one of the following categories: Those With a Second Career: You already have a successful career and are looking for something new. In fact, the design field may be totally unrelated to anything you have ever done before Those Wishing To Be Their Own Boss: You want to have more control over your day and how it goes. Being your own boss allows you to be flexible. Those That Are Business Beginners: You have started your own business, and are finding that the small business tools that are available just do not apply to the design industry. Those That Want To Grow Their Design Business: You already are fully engaged in your own design business and need sound marketing principles to grow your business further. Those That Are Curious: You just want to know what the design industry is all about and find out if you can develop your passion into a thriving business. No matter which description fits you, this book will be instrumental in your success of the business side of redesigning and home staging. In these chapters, you will learn whether you are cut out to be an entrepreneur, what to offer as a redesigner, redecorator, and real estate stager, what to charge for your services, how to create both a simple and formal business plan, how to set up your home office, the legalities of owning a business, how to market, how to give a presentation, the day to day workings of your job, and professional design techniques. You will read expert examples and business blunders. You will receive tips, scripts, and templates. After you are finished with this book, you will be ready to start your own redesign, redecorate, and real estate staging business. More importantly, you will be ready to succeed. 978-1-60138-023-4 1-60138-023-2 $39.95 9781601380234
301 Simple Things You Can Do To Sell Your Home NOW and For More Money Than You Thought: How to Inexpensively Reorganize, Stage, and Prepare Your Home for Sale Numerous studies show that a house that is well polished on the surface and staged properly will appeal to more buyers, sell faster, and most importantly for more money. You may not be able to improve the market value of your house, but you can improve its marketability. Remember: first impressions count the most. Home Staging is the art of decorating a home to sell fast and for the highest amount. Home stage experts and consultants get thousands of dollars to do what you can easily do inexpensively, with little or no money. Keep in mind this important fact: the way you live in your home and the way you market it for sale are two very different things. In this groundbreaking new book you will learn how small color changes will increase your home’s value, minor repairs and de-cluttering tricks, how to rearrange your furniture and art work, decorating tips and ideas, how to look at your house from the buyer's viewpoint, how to add minor accessories, which items stay and what must go, which minor changes will bring you the greatest return, how to bring out a home's best features, table settings, candles, what photos must go and which ones stay, how to minimize problem areas, how to position your house for the marketplace, what music to play, what scents to spray, how to use design psychology techniques, lighting techniques, landscaping secrets, what to do with garages, basements and attics, what color you should never use, how to ensure a positive traffic flow through rooms, how to use mirrors and natural light, and much more. This brand new exhaustively researched book is the ultimate resource for novices and pros alike; it will guide you through every step of the process with hundreds of innovative ideas that you can put to use right away. This book gives you the proven strategies and innovative ideas used by the expert’s everyday that you can easily do your self. ISBN-10:0-910627-06-1 • ISBN-13:978-0-910627-06-1 • Item #9780910627061 • $24.95 USA Best Books Awards 2007 Business: Home Decorating/Interior Design Finalist: *301 Simple Things You Can Do to Sell Your Home Now and For More Money Than You Thought: How to Inexpensively Reorganize, Stage, and Prepare Your Home for Sale by Teri B. Clark* Eric Hoffer Awards 2008 Award Winner, Home First Runner Up: 301 Simple Things You Can Do to Sell Your Home Now and For More Money Than You Thought: How to Inexpensively Reorganize, Stage, and Prepare Your Home for Sale by Teri B. Clark
How to Be Your Own Contractor and Save Thousands on Your New House or Renovation While Keeping Your Day Job: With Companion CD-ROM If you're thinking about building or remodeling your house, you should consider hiring yourself as the contractor. You can save 10% to 35% of the project's cost and perhaps more important, you'll be able to monitor the quality of materials and workmanship, fine-tune the design, and make sure the result meets your needs. The best part is you can do this part time without picking up a hammer. This all sounds great, what is the catch? There really is none, except you must know what you are doing! This groundbreaking and exhaustively researched new book will provide everything you need to know to get your house or renovation completed the way you want it while saving thousands. Since your success depends on thorough preparation as well as an ability to hire and schedule subcontractors, control costs, keep work moving, and stay calm we have charted the course for you to avoid costly - even illegal - mistakes. In this easy to read, comprehensive new book you will learn step-by-step procedures for subcontracting and building your home or renovating while still working full time. You will learn how to choose a site, draw up construction time line and flow charts, apply for construction loans and financing, obtain essential insurance information, buy inexpensive plans, find and negotiate with sub contractors, and comply with building code, inspection, and permit requirements. Now you can be armed with the right information and save money and time. The ins and outs of self contracting are explained, combined with the experiences of others, and with dozens of forms and checklists at hand, you will learn all about: building materials and foundations, floors, walls, paint, windows, decks, garage doors, roofing, flashings, chimneys, plumbing: piping, fixtures, faucets, water heating and fuel storage systems, pools and equipment, wiring: main service panels, conductors, switches, receptacles, heating, air conditioning and heat pumps, ceilings, floors, railings, doors and windows, attics, walls, kitchens, and bathrooms. In addition you will gain valuable information about: septic systems, wells, water quality testing, mold, radon testing, asbestos, termites, carbon monoxide testing, and lead testing. Included in this book are hundreds of easy-to-implement tools, contracts, forms, and checklists to help you get your project organized, and easier to manage while saving thousands! Expertly organized, this unique book takes you step-by-step through the many valuable forms contained in this work which may be easily printed out and customized from the companion CD-ROM. 978-1-60138-004-3 1-60138-004-6 $24.95 Item # 9781601380043
The Home Mortgage Book: Insider Information Your Banker & Broker Don't Want You to Know Finding and arranging the best mortgage for your dream home purchase can be a confusing and daunting experience. With so many mortgage offers to choose from, you will want to be sure that you are getting the best loan and rate for your particular circumstances. Buying a new home can be an ominous process, whether it is your first or your tenth. It is definitely not something that you do everyday, but finding that perfect mortgage loan at the best rate does not have to be a difficult task. The best defense against feeling overwhelmed is to become informed, and with the help of this new book the process will become easy. You will learn how to find the best opportunities, how to negotiate, how to get the type of mortgage loan you need; how to calculate how much you can afford, understand the true cost of a mortgage and your capacity to repay, how to pre-qualify, understand the lending process, and analyze various mortgage products. With this book, you will understand financing, budgets, needs and wants, credit reports, home-buying timeline, the process of building a house, manufactured homes, negotiating with lenders, using the Internet to get the best rates, credit reports, home-buying timeline, construction loans, manufactured homes, real estate and mortgage glossaries, setting values, home warranties, homeowners insurance, creative financing, buying with little or no money down, closing and settlement inspections, legal contracts, mortgage agreements. You will know what you can afford, which government agencies can help, considerations for veterans, calculating monthly payments, and escrow. This comprehensive resource contains a wealth of modern tips and strategies for financing and closing on your house. The author shows readers how to find out how much they're really worth, how to uncover unknown assets, and how to enhance credit ratings within six months. It provides information and suggestions on everything from no-down-payment mortgages to finding the right mortgage agent. Though you may be relatively cash-poor or have a less-than-perfect credit rating, now you can find the house you've always wanted and acquire a favorable mortgage. 978-0-910627-84-9 0-910627-84-3 Item #9780910627849 $21.95
Inspect Before You Buy: Insider Secrets You Need to Know About Home Inspection—With Companion CD-ROM This book is for prospective home buyers, real estate investors, and those interested in starting their own home inspection business. Home inspections are an important step in the home-buying process. Everyone agrees that you should use a home inspection service before buying a home. Home inspectors conduct a thorough examination of your home to detect any problems before you purchase. A detailed home inspection usually takes a few hours, and you get a written report. But there are two problems: first the cost–a good home inspection can cost several hundred dollars depending on the size of the house. And who has extra money when you are trying to afford a new home? Second, they are not flawless—mistakes are made. It is difficult to test everything in a house in just a couple of hours. No one will examine a house like the prospective owner. Now you can be armed with the right information and save a lot of money and time. Through explanations, the experiences of others, and dozens of forms and checklists you will learn all about: Foundations: floors, walls, paint, windows, decks, garage doors, roofing, flashings, chimneys, Plumbing: piping, fixtures, faucets, water heating and fuel storage systems, pools and equipment, Wiring: main service panels, conductors, switches, receptacles, heating, air conditioning and heat pumps, ceilings, Floors: railings, doors and windows, attics, walls, foundations, kitchens, and bathrooms. In addition you will gain valuable information about: septic systems, wells, water quality testing, mold, radon testing, asbestos, termites, carbon monoxide testing, and lead testing. ISBN-10:1-60138-031-3 • ISBN-13:978-1-60138-031-9 • Item #9781601380319 • $29.95
The First-Time Homeowner’s Handbook—A Complete Guide and Workbook for the First-Time Home Buyer: With Companion CD-ROM The procedure of buying a home can be a scary experience. There are a lot of people to deal with, from realtors to attorneys to bankers. There’s tons of paperwork with terms and vocabulary that read like a foreign language. In this new book you will find vital information and great strategies that will allow you to find your dream home faster and feel confident about the purchase. You will learn to avoid some of the most prevalent—and potentially dangerous and expensive—mistakes made by first-time home buyers. According to Money Magazine, “Over the past five years, home values nationally have risen 65 percent while the stock market has fallen.” Now is the time to get into the real estate marketplace. With the help of this comprehensive new guide, you will learn how to find the best opportunities, negotiating, financing, budgets, needs and wants, credit reports, home-buying timeline, the process of building a house, manufactured homes, real estate and mortgage glossaries, setting values, home warranties, homeowners insurance, creative financing, buying with little or no money down, closing, moving plans, walk-throughs, closing and settlement inspections, legal contracts, mortgages, what you can afford, deciding which neighborhood to choose, hiring a realtor, which government agencies can help, considerations for veterans, IRA use, hiring an attorney, the offer, calculating monthly payments, and escrow. This comprehensive resource contains a wealth of modern tips and strategies for financing and closing on a property. The author shows readers how to find out how much they’re really worth, how to uncover unknown assets, and how to enhance credit ratings within six months, provides information and suggestions on everything from no-down-payment mortgages to finding the right agent. It leads you down the path to home ownership, one step at a time. Though you may be relatively cash-poor or have a less-than-perfect credit rating, you can acquire a mortgage and find the house you’ve always wanted. ISBN-10: 0-910627-70-3 • ISBN-13: 978-0-910627-70-2 288 Pages • Item # 9780910627702 • $21.95 ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Awards Reference Finalist: The First-Time Homeowner's Handbook by Joe Adamaitis
How to Open & Operate a Financially Successful Construction Company - With Companion CD-ROM Starting a construction company, even a small one, can be a very profitable venture. In good times and bad construction is an industry that will always be in demand, and construction is not an industry where technology will replace or undermine it. The construction field is growing rapidly. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction firms are expected to be one of the fastest growing business segments in the U.S. economy. There has never been a better time to start a construction company and get ahead of the competition. This new book is a comprehensive, detailed study of the practical side of starting and operating a construction firm. It will take you step by step through every aspect and prepare you with everything you need including sample business forms, leases, contracts; worksheets and checklists for planning, starting, and running day-to-day operations. You will get dozens of other valuable, timesaving tools of the trade that every entrepreneur should have. While providing detailed instruction and examples, the author help you find a location and business name that will bring success, take you through the process of drawing up a winning business plan (the Companion CD-ROM has the actual business plan you can use in MS Word ™), and teach you how to start and manage your construction company. You will find guidance on obtaining licenses and permits, drawing up contracts, hiring subcontractors, meeting governmental regulations, attracting new clients and referrals, applying for financing, tracking utilities, employing basic cost control systems, dealing with pricing issues, and staying ahead of the competition. You will avoid trial by error when setting up equipment layouts, meeting legal and IRS requirements, and tapping into the best sales and marketing techniques and pricing formulas. This book will even help you set up computer systems to save time and money, teach you how to hire and keep a qualified professional staff, use the best computer software, network with publishers and associations, do your own sales planning, customer service, keep your own books, compile monthly profit and loss statements, and prepare taxes. You will become adept at media planning, pricing, and public relations. You will be able to manage and train employees, motivate workers, generate high profile public relations and publicity, and learn low cost marketing ideas and low cost ways to satisfy customers and build sales. You will learn how to keep bringing customers back - and build referrals the secret of continued success as well as getting thousands of great tips and useful guidelines. The manual delivers literally hundreds of innovative demonstrated ways to operate and streamline your business. Learn new ways to make your operation run smoother and increase performance, shut down waste, reduce costs, and increase profits. The secret of continued success as well as getting thousands of great tips and useful ideas. In addition, you will appreciate the valuable CD ROM resource in your daily activities as a source of ready-to-use forms, templates, worksheets, business plan, surveys, letters, web site resources, everything you will need to get up and running. We also went the extra mile and spent an unprecedented amount of time researching, interviewing, e-mailing, and communicating with hundreds of today's most successful construction company executives. Aside from learning the basics you will be privy to their secrets and proven successful ideas. Instruction is great, but advice from experts is even better, and the construction experts chronicled in this book are earning a great deal of money for their expertise. If you are interested in learning essentially everything there is to know about starting and operating a consulting business in addition to hundreds of hints, tricks, and secrets for your own construction firm and earning enormous profits, then this book is for you. 978-1-60138-017-3 1-60138-017-8 $39.95 Item # 9781601380173
For Sale By Owner: The Complete Guide to Selling Your Home By Yourself and Save Thousands-With Companion CD-ROM With the help of this new book and companion CD-ROM, selling your home without a realtor or broker will be fast and easy. In this comprehensive and easy to understand new book you will learn the entire "by owner process" from A-Z. You will learn how to set the sales price and how to save the 6 to 8 percent real estate commission, which can add up to thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in savings. You will learn how to prepare or "stage," your home, have a professional appraisal and home inspection, market, advertise, and show your home, list your home for sale on the Internet, list your home on the Realtor's Multiple Listing Service (MLS), host an open house, and develop and market a fact sheet. In addition, you will learn about mortgage lenders, home inspectors, title companies, escrow agents, the pros and cons of using a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) service, the legal issues, including the sale contract, the top five biggest mistakes FSBO sellers make and how to avoid them, contracts, legal forms, and check lists (all of which can be found on the companion CD-ROM), and when and how to use a real estate attorney. ISBN-10: 1-60138-127-1 • ISBN-13: 978-1-60138-127-9 • Item # 9781601381279 $24.95 with Companion CD-ROM PRE-ORDER ONLY - YOUR CREDIT CARD WILL NOT BE CHARGED UNTIL THE PRODUCT SHIPS. RELEASE DATE: SUMMER 2008
Cheap Insurance for Your Home, Automobile, Health, & Life: How to Save Thousands While Getting Good Coverage By several measures, insurance for you, your family, your home, and your car continues to rise at the fastest rate in our history. In 2005 (the latest year data are available), total national health expenditures rose 7.9 percent - more than three times the rate of inflation. Nearly 50 million Americans are uninsured for healthcare. According to Insurance Information Institute projections, the average annual expenditure for auto insurance in 2006 was $851. Millions of drivers have no auto insurance. The average expenditure for homeowners insurance was $729, according to a February 2007 report by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Insurance takes a huge bite out of the average American's monthly budget, and as stated above, many Americans simply forgo insurance because they consider it out of reach. Shopping for insurance requires more effort than many people want to devote to it. They simply grab the first price they come across or accept routine rate increases when it is important to compare not only the price but also coverage and exclusions among carriers. In this easy to read and comprehensive new book you will learn hundreds of ways to secure and or reduce your health, automobile, life, and home insurance costs. If you do not have or cannot afford insurance, we will show you how to get it at a price you can afford. The Internet and technology have opened up a great new way to search for low cost insurance services; we will give you the Web sites, tell you what to look for and to look out for. There is a great deal you can do right now to cut insurance costs. For example, did you know that installing a theft tracking device in your car can save you up to 35% on your auto insurance and that your credit history can dramatically affect your auto insurance premium. Recent studies have shown that more than 90% of insurers use credit information to create an "insurance risk score," which they then use as a factor to determine your insurance rate. Add a simple home security system to monitor your home, and your insurance rates may be discounted up to 30%, depending upon where you live. Your insurance could end up costing you more if you choose to make monthly payments rather than pay the entire premium annually. Notify your agent if you retire, your children go to school, or you start working from home (when you're not traveling as much your rates will go down). Have you stopped smoking? Lost weight? Started exercising? All of these efforts can have a dramatic effect on your insurance rates. Insurance topics covered in this book are How Insurance Works, Insurance Company Rating, National and Local Firms, Auto, Health, and Disability Insurance, along with work sheets and forms to assist you in your search for the best coverage at the lowest price. 978-1-60138-006-7 1-60138-006-2 $24.95 9781601380067
The Complete Guide to Working for Yourself: Everything the Self-Employed Need to Know about Taxes, Recordkeeping, and Other Laws—With Companion CD-ROM Many people dream of starting and running a business of their own but often do not know HOW to start. Entering the small business field as an independent contractor, freelancer, sole proprietor, or consultant is not a single decision but a series of steps, each one bringing you closer to the day your enterprise is up and running, competing for customers, and making money. How will you organize and register your business? What are the regulatory considerations? How will you protect your intellectual property? Is your business plan adequate? Where can you find financing? What are your obligations as an employer? Do you understand your tax responsibilities? This brand new book includes the most current tax rates and changes in IRS regulations such as, "Is it a business or a hobby?" You will learn all about business operations: selecting a business structure, licensing and permits, employer identification number (EIN), business taxes, recordkeeping, self-employment taxes, paying estimated taxes (and calculating how much to pay), dealing with independent contractors and 1099-miscellaneous forms, client agreements, insurance, workers' compensation insurance, rights and intellectual property law, accounting periods, selecting an accounting method, checklist for starting a business plan, choosing a name, business plans, forms of business structures, financing, location, marketing and advertising, In addition, new entrepreneurs will appreciate this valuable resource and reference in their daily activities and as a source of ready-to-use forms, Web sites, operating and cost cutting ideas, and mathematical formulas to apply to their operations. The Companion CD-ROM contains all the forms in the book as well as a sample business plan you can adapt for your own use. ISBN-10:1-60138-048-8 • ISBN-13:978-1-60138-048-7 • Item #9781601380487 • $29.95
The Reverse Mortgage Book: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply Recent estimates have shown that there are more than 100,000 active reverse mortgages in the United States, and that number is on the rise. Reverse mortgages allow people over the age of 62 to release the equity in their property and defer payments until the homeowner dies. As these mortgages become more and more popular, it is becoming increasingly important for senior citizens to understand the process and the features of this unique loan. The Reverse Mortgage Book does just that, explaining everything you need to know in easy to understand terms. In this new book, you will learn about the details of new legislation, payment plan options, tools that will help you calculate loan advances, financing fees, what to do with leftover equity, borrower qualifications, common mistakes people make, resources for securing reverse mortgages, and planning strategies. You will also learn about the types of reverse mortgages, including the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage, the Financial Freedom Cash Account, and the CHIP Reverse Mortgage for Seniors, and the different ways to receive payments, such as tenure, term, line of credit, modified tenure, and modified terms. In addition, you will learn about the steps involved in a reverse mortgage, from the application to processing, from underwriting to closing. This book also goes into detail about how to convert equity into tax-free income, how to determine how much money you can get, how to determine if your home qualifies, how to shop for the best products, how to find a counselor, how reverse mortgages differ from other loans, and how to minimize setup fees. This book will provide you with the answers to commonly asked questions, such as, "Is it possible for me to lose my home?" "What effect does my age have?" "What effect will my needs for long-term care have?" By reading this book, you will completely understand everything there is to know about reverse mortgages, enabling you to make wise decisions and maintain your financial independence. Item#9781601382139 $24.95 PRE-ORDER ONLY - YOUR CREDIT CARD WILL NOT BE CHARGED UNTIL THE PRODUCT SHIPS. RELEASE DATE: SPRING 2008
The Complete Guide to Renovating Older Homes: How to Make it Easy and Save Thousands Many homeowners express a preference for older homes rather than new ones because of the quality of the craftsmanship, the architectural elements, the character of the home, and the solidness of the structure. Houses can be changed - they can be made bigger or smaller according to your desires. Remodeling your home can make it come alive, fix its flaws, and enhance its interior. However, renovating can be time consuming, expensive, nerve-racking, and messy. The Complete Guide to Renovating Older Homes will help you overcome these challenges. In this new book, you will learn how to estimate costs and how to create a budget. You will learn how to select and install cabinets, countertops, flooring, sinks, faucets, appliances, bath tubs, showers, and toilets. You will learn about the unique challenges of small and large bathrooms, home offices, and home theaters. You will also learn how to overcome the challenges associated with water, foundation, cracks, lead, electricity, asbestos, windows, tanks, wells, and cesspools. Additionally, you will be presented with ideas for renovating your family room, bedrooms, attic, basement, kitchen, and bathroom, as well as a variety of floor plans. You will learn about unique architectural elements, closets, and the tools you will need. Furthermore, you will be provided with step-by-step instructions for some of the most common projects, including installing drywall, upgrading windows and doors, and installing flooring. Also included is a section on exterior renovations, which contains information on windows, skylights, finish materials, garage doors, sunrooms, porches, decks, and pools. The Complete Guide to Renovating Older Homes will inspire you to create the home of your dreams and will help save you thousands of dollars while doing so. Whether you are attempting your first renovation project or are a seasoned pro, you will be sure to find numerous tips and suggestions in this book, making it an indispensable companion for any homeowner with a project or two in mind. Item #9781601382429 $24.95 PRE-ORDER ONLY - YOUR CREDIT CARD WILL NOT BE CHARGED UNTIL THE PRODUCT SHIPS. RELEASE DATE: SPRING 2008
The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Home and Saving Thousands on Your New House Buying a new home can be an expensive endeavor. Many people dream of building their own home but mistakenly believe that doing so is not cost effective. However, by building your own home you can save 20 to 40 percent or more. By reading The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Home and Saving Thousands on Your New House you will discover that your dream can become reality. From basic planning to construction methods, this new book will take you through all the steps of building your own home. You will learn how to choose a site, draw up a construction time line, apply for construction loans and financing, obtain essential insurance information, buy inexpensive plans, find and negotiate with subcontractors, comply with building codes, select features and fixtures, choose the style of the house, decide on the size of the rooms, prepare plans, and get permits. You will learn about building materials and foundations, floors, walls, paint, windows, decks, garage doors, roofing, flashings, chimneys, plumbing, wiring, ceilings, floors, railings, and attics. In addition, you will learn how to design a home that will meet your needs, perform constructions tasks safely, and build amenities. We will inform you about common problems to watch for, including foundation, roofing, walls, stairs, sidewalks, driveways, heating and cooling, electrical capacity, and wiring. This book will detail money-saving options and environmentally friendly techniques, while at the same time allowing you to monitor the quality of the materials and the workmanship, fine-tune the design, and make sure the results are exactly what you had envisioned. Item #9781601382436 $24.95 PRE-ORDER ONLY - YOUR CREDIT CARD WILL NOT BE CHARGED UNTIL THE PRODUCT SHIPS. RELEASE DATE: SPRING 2008
The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Tree House: For Parents, Kids, and Adults Who are Kids at Heart As children, many people dreamed of having a tree house, a place where they could go to get away, to play, and to relax. Today, more and more people, especially in the United States, England, Germany, France, and Brazil, are making this dream a reality. This dream, however, is not just for children; in fact, Corbin Dunn, a 26-year-old, lives in his tree house in Santa Cruz, California, full-time. The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Tree House will show you how to create one of these sky-high getaways, whether it is a child's play area or an adult hideaway. The oldest documented tree house still in existence is located in England on the grounds of Pitchford Hall and dates back to the 17th century. This proves that a tree house can be a lasting investment, especially if you choose the right tree and the right materials. This book will show you how to select a tree, prepare the tree, price materials, purchase the best materials, use the right tools, and buy lumber. You will learn about all the tree house basics and the anatomy of a tree house, including the four corners, the diagonal support, the floor, the ladder, the railing, and the roof. In this book you will also learn about waterproofing, safety precautions, and building regulations and restrictions. You will be provided with design, building, and decorating tips, as well as non-technical drawings to aid you in the building process. You will learn about supports, windows, skylights, and tree house designs, such as shingled, two trees and two posts, and perch. Also included is an additional section on all the accessories you can add on to your house, like a ladder hoist, a fire pole, swings, a zip line, a trash box, a pulley and basket, a drawbridge, a crow's nest, a rope bridge, slides, and a trap door. Whether you are building a tree house for your child or for yourself, The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Tree House will provide you with dozens of helpful tips, tricks, and suggestions from people who have already undertaken this endeavor. With the help of this book, your treetop hideaway will quickly become a reality. Item #9781601382443 $24.95 PRE-ORDER ONLY - YOUR CREDIT CARD WILL NOT BE CHARGED UNTIL THE PRODUCT SHIPS. RELEASE DATE: SPRING 2008
The Complete Guide to Preventing Foreclosure on Your Home: Legal Secrets to Beat Foreclosure and Protect Your Home NOW When a homeowner can no longer make payments on the house, the lender or bank will attempt to seize the property. This process, known as foreclosure, is becoming more and more common, even for those with good credit. In fact, it has been estimated that 1.5 million homes will be foreclosed in 2007. Find out how you can prevent foreclosure by reading this book and discovering the legal ways to protect your home. How to Prevent Your Home's Foreclosure Now will provide you with strategies for getting legal advice, keeping current on your mortgage payments, negotiating temporary delays in payments, restructuring loans, refinancing, filing for bankruptcy, and creating and sticking to a budget. You will learn about debt counseling and income maintenance, tax abatement, and public assistance programs. In addition, this book will show you how to decide if your property is worth saving, how to figure out how much time you have to act, how to use the courts to stop foreclosure, how to decide whether bankruptcy is your best option, and how to use your military status to prevent foreclosure. You will also learn about foreclosure rescue scams, nonjudicial foreclosure, judicial foreclosure, and notice of default. Also included is an explanation of the alternatives to foreclosure, such as special forbearance, mortgage modification, partial claim, pre-foreclosure, and deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. With foreclosures on the rise, it makes sense to know how to protect your home. How to Prevent Your Home's Foreclosure will provide you with tips, tricks, strategies, and secrets to prevent your home's foreclosure now before it is too late. Item #9781601382306 $24.95 PRE-ORDER ONLY - YOUR CREDIT CARD WILL NOT BE CHARGED UNTIL THE PRODUCT SHIPS. RELEASE DATE: SPRING 2008
The Real Estate Encyclopedia: A Complete Guide for Real Estate Investors and Professionals With Companion CD-ROM The Encyclopedia of Real Estate and Real Estate Investing is a 1,000 page compilation of some of the most important subjects related to real estate and real estate investing. Investing in real estate is one of the safest and smartest investments you can make, as it appreciates at a rate far greater than the rate of inflation, builds equity, provides a steady return on investment, provides cash flow, and offers substantial tax benefits. This new book, which will serve as a comprehensive resource for beginning investors, real estate veterans, commercial brokers, sellers, and buyers alike, will teach you the ins and outs of all things real estate and real estate investing. You will learn how to avoid headaches, hassles, and lawsuits by learning how to manage rental properties professionally. You will read about such important topics as property selection, inspection, marketing, advertising, lease agreements, depreciation, housing regulations, and more. This book will show you how to make money investing in commercial buildings, warehouses, mobile home parks, shopping centers, and hotels; how to find the home that is right for you; and how to creatively finance your real estate investments. In these pages, you will find thousands of tips, methods, and insider secrets for investing, saving money, paying fewer taxes, and much, much more. Furthermore, you will learn how to establish a real estate development firm, how to be a successful manager, how to avoid common mistakes, and how to increase your chances of success in this field. Also included are some of the most important math formulas real estate investors need to know, including real estate investment analysis, valuation of income property, pay back period, cash flow, and option pricing. You will also find charts, tables, graphs, and financial tools to help you analyze and finance your investments while simultaneously building your personal fortune. Whether you are buying a home, renting an apartment, purchasing a condo, or investing in lots and land, this book will become an indispensable resource. It is packed with valuable information that no real estate investor should be without. If you have a question about real estate or real estate investing, consult this encyclopedic book and find the answer. Item #9781601382603 $79.95 PRE-ORDER ONLY - YOUR CREDIT CARD WILL NOT BE CHARGED UNTIL THE PRODUCT SHIPS. RELEASE DATE: SPRING 2008
The Complete Spa Manual for Homeowners: A Step-by-Step Maintenance and Therapy Guide Hot tubs and spas are a multimillion dollar business in the United States. As these amenities increase their appeal, they are becoming more and more common in health spas, locker rooms, hotels, cruise ships, and especially in the home. The Spa Book will provide you with all the information you need to know about hot tubs and spas, whether you are looking to buy one or already own one. In this book, you will learn how to determine what you want and what you need, how to clean your spa, how to install your spa, and how to control the settings on your spa. You will learn about the health benefits of hot water, including hydrotherapy, aromatherapy, reflexology, chromotherapy, and Watsu. You will also learn about soft sided spas, acrylic spas, cabinets, pumps, flow rate, skimmers, suction ports and drains, jets, special waters, covers, ozonators, heaters, permanent spas, blowers, spa packs, plumbing issues, alkalinity, water hardness, temperature, sanitizers, oxidizers, water analysis, the PH scale, and test kits. Also included is a discussion of cartridges, including sand and diatomaceous earth (DE), and water chemistry. Additionally, The Spa Book will provide you with tips for buying, realistic cost estimates, winterizing, and upgrade options. You will also find countless tricks and tools of the trade, as well as a directory of Web sites and manufacturers that sell low-cost replacement parts. This book is a source for easy-to-understand instructions for installation and repair and much, much more. Whether you have a spa or hot tub for personal use or you are a business in the health care industry, this book will be your ultimate resource for buying, installing, and caring for your spa. The author's vast knowledge on the topic makes this book an engaging read that will simultaneously teach you everything you need to know. Item #9781601382634 $24.95 PRE-ORDER ONLY - YOUR CREDIT CARD WILL NOT BE CHARGED UNTIL THE PRODUCT SHIPS. RELEASE DATE: SPRING 2008