Legal self-help best seller, Berkeley, CA-based Nolo Press is hosting a virtual house party.

The special Nolo monthly focus, "Real Estate: Houses and Neighbors", serves up party favors comprised of insightful realty information, forms and links on a menu of electronic goodies typically available only to those who purchase the publisher's real estate-related hard copy.

Why?

Buying a home is, for many, perhaps the most expensive and difficult purchase ever -- not to mention the legal implications and possibilities of legal entanglements.

The site's monthly focus helps visitors with a wide range of topics including buying affordable housing (even in California), offers: comparing mortgage rates; finding information on schools, neighborhoods, and crime; and finding a real estate agent, home inspections, taxes, disclosures. As a home owner you'll also find helpful tips about handling neighbor disputes over noise, fences or trees.

Aware on-line real estate has fundamentally changed the way millions of Americans shop for homes, Nolo would be remiss not to include in it's handy on-line primer that points to samples of just about every real estate related service available on the Internet.

Among realty services available on the Web:

• Run rent-vs-buy analyses
• Shop for homes
• Find sale prices of comparable homes
• Compare mortgage rates, apply for a loan and get preapproved
• Learn about government loans
• Determine how much home and how much mortgage you can afford
• Check your credit report before applying for a mortgage.
• Gather information on neighborhoods, schools, crime, natural hazards
• Find a real estate agent, home inspector, architect, landscaper and scores of other realty pros
• Learn about tax rules affecting home owners
• Compare homeowners insurance policies
• List your home without an agent
• Read stories about every aspect of the real estate market, from tax assessments to closing escrow.

Nolo's own content includes stories about homeowner's insurance, holding an open house, mortgage loans and options, qualifying for a loan, house Inspections, water damage, timing a house sale and how to set the right price.

While the Berkeley-based publisher often focuses on Californians' real estate needs, the site offers broad-based realty information and direction for any consumer grappling with renting, estate planning, living together or mechanics' liens.

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