Buying-the

If only for the calculators and the formulas you should pick this book up. Of all the mortgage books I've read this one has the best charts, calculators. etc. to help you figure out what you can afford and how much your monthly bill will be. It also has an incredible formula to help you compare the many fixed rates that you will be bombarded with. So if you are receiving rates of 7, 7.5, 8 3/8 plus 1, 1 1/2 and 2 points you will be able to calculate the APR for EACH of these different fixed rates. No book that I have read has included such a formula. The book paid for itself just because of this one item.

This book is great for your average Joe who is planning to buy or refinance a home. It is written in simple English with a minimum amount of technical language. As a first time home buyer looking to educate myself, I found it very helpful.

Most books about mortgages quickly lose your attention because they are written in a way that only insiders can understand. This book explains the process in a way most people can comprehend.

I used this book to train myself when I got into the mortgage industry. As a manager in a mortgage company, I use this book as a training tool for mortgage loan officers, so they learn to describe the process and loan programs in a way that the general public can understand.

The Mortgage Kit provides a detailed explanation of the entire mortgage process in every day language. It provides great inside tips for consumers about all different aspects of getting a mortgage. Including how to know whether or not your mortgage lender is treating you fairly, and important insights that will protect you from being taken for a ride.

All of the important basics are covered; from what your lender will look at when deciding whether or not to approve your loan, to the paperwork you need to pull together before going to apply for a loan and choosing the best mortgage program for your own needs.

The book is well organized in its layout. It is educational if you read it cover to cover. But more importantly, it's laidout in a way that allows you to find the topics you have questions about easily, so you can focus on learning the answers to them.

For the price, it's worth picking up. There was some pretty helpful information, particularly the 30/70 rule and some ideas on getting seller financing.

The most disappointing part to me was getting excited about the no-qualifying, assumable loans discussed in the first few chapters. The more I read, the more I realized that this was relevant in 1993 (when the book was published). Today, at least in the Chicago suburbs, there are few to zero homes on the market that meet these conditions.

That part aside, I learned some pretty useful things that will help me as I move towards buying a home with damaged credit. But it's not a miracle cure or a guaranteed thing.

Before reading this book, I knew nothing about buying a house, especially without qualifying for a mortgage. But this book showed me the way, it can do the same for you!

Having read numerous books with similar titles, I now know that I could have stopped reading after 'No Credit Required'. It covers all the bases, and it leaves out the 'motivational filler' that you need to flip through in the other books. I was surprised that the book costing 1/3 the price of the other titles turned out to be the most informative! While you may glean an additional speck of knowledge or two from similar books, "No Credit Required' is definitely the place to start for first-time homebuyers.

Just spent a wonderful week in the Okanogan Valley of British Columbia visiting the numerous wineries of this region. We had purchased Andy's book prior to leaving. By reading about all the wineries available we were able to map out how to visit as many as possible in our short visit. This book provided us with a brief description of the winery, the varieties of wine they produce, and the ones to look for. Although there are no years listed for the different varieties, one does get a good idea of what to expect. Some of the descriptions were what led us directly to the winery...For example, we had to visit Hawthorne Vineyards to try their "knee buckling" ice wine and boy was it. Lang Vineyard's Merlot Icewine was listed as a "do not miss" and one shouldn't. The price, of the ice wine, was expensive but worth every drop! I had never heard of a variety of grapes called Kerner but when reading about Hillside Vineyards I knew I had to try...excellent choice. Andy's book gave us a much better insight on the many vineyards in the Okanogan Valley; from Oliver to Kelowna, all were listed. We kept the book with us as we visited each winery and even let the staff from the various wineries read what was written about them. Many had never heard of the book and were quite amazed to know they had been recognized. This opened the door to many a good conversation about the book and the various wineries. My only complaints about the books are that there is no room to write notes about each winery and the lack of recommended vintage years. A map of each area might also be a valuable asset. I would definitely recommend this book to others and plan on using it many, many times in the future as I visit other wineries in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho

To paraphrase an old expression, "Go Northwest, young man and woman!" Indeed today many are turning to the Northwest, searching for and finding some of the planet's best wines. This book, authored by Andy Perdue in down-to-earth, easy-to-understand language, will entice you to trek to the Northwest or at least seek out Northwest wines at your local wine shop or market. Filled with tips and terminology, food pairings and bargains, this guide offers an extensive wealth of information on wineries located in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia. Wine producers from the offbeat to the sublime will be found here. Each winery is described, along with it's best bets wines. Addresses, physical and many websites, are included. If looking for a myriad of merlots, a plethora of pinots and much more from this esteemed region, I highly recommend this book as your ultimate source.

As a lover of northwest wines, this is the consummate sourcebook. Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia, they're all here. A perfect book to keep in your glove box so it's handy as you venture into your favorite wine store, or if you're lucky enough to be in the northwest in wine country itself. Living in Wisconsin, this guide is truly a blessing as I know beforehand which wines to buy from my favorite merchants or online wine stores. True, sipping and swirling all the wines Andy writes about would be a joy in itself, but since that is not possible for most of us, reading which merlot, cab, pinot, chard, sauv blanc, gewurtz, etc. hits the target in his expert opinion from any of the many northwest wineries makes me confident in my purchase. If Andy would like an assistant for the second edition, I gladly volunteer.

This book was very helpful in our tour of the Loire Valley. We used it to visit wineries in both Chinon and Vouvray. As there are quite a few places to visit, Ms. Friedrich's commentary about each vignoble and her rating system were very useful.

One place in particular we did visit was SCEA Charles Joguet in the Chinon region. We mentioned the nice write-up he received in this book, and he said that he had the book and that Ms. Friedrich only lived right around the corner, this story really brought the book and the region to life for me. His facility includes a cave towards the back of the property where we tasted several wines and purchased some as well. As a professional, he took the name and address of the English friend, who resides in France, with whom we were visiting, in order to add her to his mailing list. He then told me how to purchase his wines in Pennsylvania.

Without Ms. Friedrich's book we would never have gone to this property as it is off the beaten path, but well worth the visit.

If you're headed to the Loire and want to do more than the usual tourist visiting of the chateaux then this book is indispensable.

Do you long to travel deeper into "la France profound" than even the best package tour? Do you like exceptional wines but realize you will never have seen many of the best ones on a winelist in the U. S.? Where are those great small restaurants and country inns that don't make it into the Michelin guide? Which are the typical (and best) cheeses of the region? Where are the best places to buy local breads and specialty baked items? Jacqueline Friedrich's 1998 Wine and Food Guide to the Loire is truly enlightening on these points.

We used her book to develop our own 14 day tour of the Loire Valley and, thanks to many of her tips, it was "a trip of a lifetime". Buy and read this book; take notes; rent a car...! With this level of authentic local information, you can make magic.

We culled what appealed to us from the book and every single thing we used was "spot on" and special. As examples, we stayed at the Domaine de Mestre, an elegant farm house run by the local mayor (his wife is one of the best artisinal soap makers in France) and we felt like we knew them a bit before we arrived thanks to this book. We visited the Troglo'tap in Turquant, where dried apples are still made using time-honored hand techniques in an ancient tufa cave workshop. We never would have found places like these without the book. Without the author's honest but evocative descriptions, we would not have had the faith to look for and enjoy these or many other places we visited.

The wine information is copious and detailed: a reader can, purely by reading the text, select wines that accord with ones own preferences. Armed with notes from this book, you can find the wines you would not want to pass over on a winelist just because there were so many names and who knew which ones to pick out?

In short, this book is a tool for travel. It is beautifully written but it is not a memoir. Select the places and details that interest you. Because of the small size of the localities where some of the best things are located, it was not practical to include a map with the book. Get a specialized one for the Loire Valley and use it as a companion to the text. This book is a classic of travel reference.

I had the book along with us the weekend I proposed to my fiance, and it was absolutely phenomenal. Great background on both food and wines that are local to the area, along with plenty of suggestions for itineraries for wine tours. My only complaint is that she should have included a few more phones and addresses for some of the restaurants and vineyards she recommends, since it can be hard to find some of her marquis suggestions. Excellent book overall with a clear passion for her subject matter!

I work on a team with 2 other realtors and each week when we get together to go over our advertising we're always looking for a "unique" or "powerful" ad. This book has hundreds of great ideas and fully written ads. The best part is that you can piece together parts from different ads to get the ideal one for the property you're advertising.

I would have given it five stars, but some of the categories of property types they give ads for I never see, let alone list, and some of the ones I do list are not included (for example Planned Unit Developments).

Overall a super reference and well worth the investment.

I write over 60 ads a month and this has really helped in streamlining and getting the calls to come in.

Very basic outline of the home buying process. The information on the financial aspects (mortages, etc) is too brief so this can't be the only book you rely on if you really want to understand the process before you jump in. A good starting place though. This book made me aware of all the things I still need to learn about...but I'm a pro compared to where I was before reading it!

Found the book informative and provides "nuts and bolts" about buying a first home. Reduces stress level considering all information bombarded with, at rapid rate. Anything that will facilitate the "big" purchase is a ++++.

This book provided an easy way of finding out the review of an item before even buying it. The reviews were easy to find because they were well organized. They were also very objective in there descriptions.

If you are planning on buying a stereo or an appliance, it's worth looking at it just so you know what you are buying into.

I used it to buy a stereo.

The newly available and always invaluable ConsumerGuide's Best Buy Book: 2001 Edition offers a complete shopping guide to the "best of" in a variety of consumer goods including televisions, VCRs, DVDs, camcorders, stereo components and systems, cameras, telephones, computers, home office products, safety equipment, food preparation equipment, refrigerators and freezers, dishwashers, floor care equipment, laundry equipments, baby equipment, and more. Each item surveyed includes specifications information, warranty offers, manufacturer's suggested retail price, and an approximate "low price". Of special interest are the check marked "Best Buy" connotations within each category of equipment. An indispensable and very highly recommended addition to any personal consumer reference colleciton Best Buy Book: 2001 Edition truly lives up to its title with a wealth of knowledgeable and authoritative citations of the best products and best prices.

a good reference book for making a car purchase decision. we utilized a non-profit organization listed in this book to guide us through a safe car purchase

I read this entire book and when it was time to go and buy my first car it helped me a tonm it was defanitly worth every cent that i payed for it.

BUY IT!

This is a comprehensive high-level book for someone who is familiar with, but needs more information on supply chain. It covers the major areas with a good level of detail.

HOWEVER, there are numerous typos and misspellings. For example, a major table on p.36 has its headings transposed, which leaves the readers trying to guess what the author had in mind. If I'm paying $40-50 for a book, I expect that it would be well-edited.

This book simply rules the subject area! If you are a practitioner looking for hands-on advice and solid methodology, this is your blueprint. It will jump-start and carry through your Supply Chain/Logistics activities. One of the best Supply Chain books I have encountered. It has a spot on my desk (as opposed to the library).

Academicians, people wanting to broaden horizons, and undergrad students will find this too technical/practical, hard-to-relate, and difficult to pad out their term papers.

The classes at Georgia Tech were fantastic and I have been reading the book since I have returned home.
It is the best book on the subject that I have ever read and I will keep it on my book shelf right next to Gordon Garham's Inventory Management for future reference. I don't want to sound stupid but I like tech books that have a lot of pictures. Dr. Ed Frazelle is a great teacher and I give both the classes and the book my most enthusiastic recommendation.

Don't let the lighthearted, chatty tone of the book fool you -- this book has real, solid information. Yes, it talks about varietals, fermentation, and has some technical wine info, but it also talks about integrating wine into your lifestyle, something that many books overlook. It's written for regular people, not just for people with fat bank accounts. Wine and popcorn, pizza, Chinese take-out -- why not? It's delicious!

I loved the *practical* suggestions on how to start a wine collection -- e.g. skip buying a few lattes each week and buy a bottle of wine instead. The winemaker's diary was also a treat to read -- it made me appreciate wine a whole lot more.

The only tiny problem I had with the book -- no index! Oh well, the fresh, fun and informative content in this book more than makes up for it.

This book encompasses the love and adoration of wine drinking with a passion

This book has great stuff. Ignore the fact that GenXers are the authors -- they have experience with wine and it shows (they are also excellent writers). Their material is presented in an easy-to-read non-pretentious informative manner. There are many things that are not covered in most other wine books that I have read. Not to mention that it is one of the few books that are up-to-date. Subjects are handled like large family picnics -- lots of information passed on the by-the-by and quaffed like liquid manna. Definitely a must-read for wine lovers.