Buy a home in the Golden State with the most complete guide available.

A thorough, practical guide to every aspect of buying a house, How to Buy a House in California will help you make informed decisions that can save you thousands of dollars. With this bestseller in hand, you'll learn how to:

choose a house and neighborhood

find the right agent

get the most up-to-date information on mortgage options and rates

take advantage of creative financing strategies - from seller financing to government loans

figure out how much down payment you can afford

make an offer and negotiate with confidence for the best price

buy a new house in a development

inspect a house for physical problems and environmental hazards

juggle buying and selling houses simultaneously

successfully go through escrow

The 12th edition is completely updated to reflect the changing housing market, including an updated discussion about what to look for when buying a foreclosed or bank-owned home. Plus, you'll get the most up-to-date criteria lenders now require when you're shopping for a mortgage....

Create a successful partnership!

Creating a partnership is one of the simplest, least expensive ways to start a business - and often the most rewarding. But potential pitfalls abound, so you need to be prepared with a solid partnership agreement.

Form a Partnership helps you at every step. Let it guide you through the important issues, then put everything in writing. The book covers:

* cash, property and service contributions
* financial and tax liabilities
* admitting new partners
* what happens if a partner wants out
* buying out a partner's interest
* the death of a partner
* limited partnerships
* and much more

The 8th edition - completely updated to reflect the current law and current business issues - provides the forms, worksheets and samples you need.

Includes a partnership agreement (plus all the information you need to fill it out) on CD-ROM.

List of Forms
Partnership Agreement
Short-Form Partnership Agreement
Sample Partnership Termination Agreement
...

The only guide to small claims court that provides insights from judges.

Smart preparation for your day in small claims court can make the difference between writing a check and receiving one.

Everybody's Guide to Small Claims Court provides the information, tips and strategies you need to sue someone successfully, or put up a winning defense. Find out how to:

write a demand letter

file and serve papers

prepare a winning presentation

prepare evidence

line up persuasive witnesses

figure out your damages

mediate a settlement

collect money when you win

Everybody's Guide to Small Claims Court gives you down-to-earth examples of common cases, including:

auto repair

rental deposit

auto warranty

property damage

small business disputes

The 12th edition is completely updated by a state-by-state appendix of small claims rules, including increases of limits on how much people can sue for, an expanded discussion of mediation, and more advice from real judges and commissioners....

The financial-service industry wants you to believe that in order to avoid financial destitution, you need to put aside huge amounts of money that you -- let's say it together -- "should have begun saving years ago". Not true, states Warner, the author of Get a Life. Although a sensible savings plan makes good horse sense, many other actions and decisions will determine whether you enjoy your retirement years. Get a Life shows you how to beat the anxiety surrounding retirement, and to develop a plan to make your golden years the best of your life by developing family relationships, maintaining and creating friendships, improving health, keeping active, developing a robust curiosity for the world and realistically calculating how much money you need and how to secure it. The 5th edition provides the latest research and studies that show physically and mentally active retirees live longer and enjoy happier lives....

Living together out of wedlock can mean anything, especially in court -- unlike married couples, most unmarried couples don't automatically inherit or receive protection under the law. Consequently, you must document everything from property ownership and children to wills and other estate plans.

An essential resource for any unmarried couple, Living Together explains:

the legality of living together

having and raising children

the many types of ownership agreements

relationships with a prior family

getting authorization to make medical decisions for an ill or injured partner

Living Together includes:

a complete overview of important legal documents, including a living together contract

instructions to filling out these documents

sample forms

legal agreements as tear-outs and on CD-ROM

This edition provides the latest law in readable 50-state charts, and includes many fill-in-the-blank legal forms. It also discusses the laws covering same-sex marriages and civil unions, which are often so broad, they affect unmarried heterosexual couples as well.

List of Forms

Agreement of Joint Intent Not to Have a Common Law Marriage
Agreement to Keep Property Separate
Attachment A (Separately Owned Property)
Agreement to Share Property
Attachment B (Jointly Owned Property)
Agreement for a Joint Purchase
Agreement Covering Rented Living Space
Letter Requesting Permission to Add a Roommate
Contract for Equal Ownership of a House
Promissory Note
Contract for Unequal Ownership of a House
Agreement for One Person to Move Into the Other's House and Become an Immediate Co-Owner
Agreement for One Person to Move Into the Other's House and Become a Co-Owner Gradually
Acknowledgment of Parenthood
Will
Codicil
Short-Term Agreement Regarding Separation and Housing
Agreement to Protect Property During a Split-Up
Agreement to Mediate and Arbitrate
Home Buyout Agreement...

A National Small Business Association study showed that among 500 businesses polled, 44% said they had used credit cards to meet capital needs in the previous six months. 57% said their card terms had worsened over the last year.

The tightening of credit has made it difficult for a growing number of smaller companies to meet payroll and fulfill customer orders, while still others have been forced to lay off workers.

In these tough economic times of falling demand, impatient creditors, tight credit and fierce competition, staying in the black is a constant battle, requiring that business owners be smart and decisive under pressure.

How To Save Your Small Business, written by a business owner who has survived three decades of challenges, provides 12 no- nonsense strategies for protecting personal assets from creditors and surviving the current recession. These strategies tackle such concerns as:

knowing whether or not the business can be saved

how to make the most immediate & effective cuts

how to pay bills, negotiate debts, and get everyone in the office paid on time

how to market creatively, effectively and cheaply

how to sell high margin services to get back in the black

how to protect your personal assets from creditors

and much more, including how to proceed when going out of business is inevitable....