The Foreclosure Survival Guide

Facing foreclosure? You have options. The 3rd edition of the nation's bestselling book on foreclosure is updated with the latest information on federal legislation to help struggling homeowners and bank-implemented foreclosure-delay programs. Thorough and easy to understand, you will learn all your options including: how long you'll likely be able to stay in your house - and save money - if the foreclosure goes ahead how to do a short sale or deed in lieu of foreclosure how you can get free help negotiating a mortgage modification "...evaluate your options and make smart choices." -Publishers Weekly "Straightforward and timely." -Library Journal "Steve Elias's proven ability to demystify law is exactly what those facing foreclosure need." -Jim C. Turner, Former Executive Director, Halt

Solve Your Money Troubles

Repair your credit and get out of debt with the complete guide to solving your money troubles Feeling overwhelmed by your debts? If you're ready to regain your financial freedom, feeling the squeeze of the housing bust or simply get smarter about managing your money, you'll find everything you need in this complete guide. Solve Your Money Troubles shows you how to: prioritize debts create a budget negotiate with creditors stop collector harassment challenge wage attachments contend with repossessions respond to creditor lawsuits qualify for a mortgage rebuild credit decide if bankruptcy is the right option for you To make the process easier, Solve Your Money Troubles includes sample letters to creditors which reflect changing financial times, as well as worksheets and charts to calculate your debts and expenses and help you create a repayment plan. The 13th edition covers the new federal Credit CARD Act, as well as expanded information on dealing with foreclosure and the new federal government loan modification programs. LEGAL UPDATE: Chapter 15 "This book is a must-have, even for people who don't have debt problems." -Los Angeles Times "One of the best books you can buy on all aspects of personal debt." -Michael Pellecchia, Nationally Syndicated Columnist "This book will give you strength and the skills needed to respond to bill collectors and to rebuild your credit..." -New Orleans Times-Picayune

Credit Repair

Clean up your credit with the acclaimed plain-English guide to fixing your credit troubles Nearly 80 percent of credit reports contain errors. In a tough economy when credit is tight, you need to be certain that your financial records are correct and up to date. A less-than-flattering report can hurt your chances of qualifying for credit card, loans, renting an apartment -- even finding a job. But a bad credit report can almost always be improved or corrected. Credit Repair shows you how to fix your credit situation quickly and easily, explaining the necessary steps in plain English. Learn how to: avoid overspending establish a realistic budget get out of debt now build a financial cushion decipher your credit report get mistakes on your credit report fixed protect your social security number avoid credit discrimination get positive information added to your credit report plan a realistic credit repair strategy negotiate with creditors Credit Repair includes dozens of forms and letters that will help you spruce up your credit report as easily as possible! The 10th edition is completely reorganized with a focus on assessing your debt situation and then picking the best credit repair strategy for your situation. You'll also get new information on how bankruptcy and foreclosure affect your credit, how to negotiate with creditors, warnings about the latest scams, and much more. "Credit Repair is full of suggestions for restoring your good credit name." -Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Can help you distinguish helpful credit repair counselors from scam artists." -Los Angeles Times

For Sale By Owner in California

Sell your California home yourself -- and save big! Using a broker to sell your home can cost you up to six percent of the selling price -- in other words, if you sell your house for $400,000, you can lose up to $24,000. But you'll save that money if you sell the house yourself, and it's not hard to do! Thoroughly revised and scrupulously researched, For Sale by Owner in California takes you step by step through the entire selling process, from putting your house on the market to transferring the title. Find out how to: select the best time to sell prepare your house for sale price and market your home coordinate the sale of one house with the purchase of another screen buyers for financial feasibility make required disclosures working with or without real estate agents attract potential buyers with creative financing handle multiple offers write and negotiate a contract complete the escrow process The 10th edition of For Sale by Owner in California reflects the most recent changes in the housing market and laws, and now includes additional discussion of the importance of pricing a house to sell and performing a thorough vetting of potential buyers' financial conditions.  It also provides all the forms and instructions you need, including: disclosure forms offer and counteroffer sales contract contingency releases deeds second mortgage note and more Not a resident of the Golden State? Check out the Nolo books Selling Your House in a Tough Market and Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home for real estate help in your state. Nolo has dozens of products created just for California residents. Check out Nolo's list of California products."The best all-around guide for do-it-yourself home sellers." -San Jose Mercury News "Well-organized, and written in a straightforward, clear style ..." -San Diego Union-Tribune "Contains forms and instructions for the entire selling process, from deciding when to sell to closing escrow." - Los Angeles Times

Every Landlord's Guide to Finding Great Tenants

Searching for the perfect tenant? Get the only book devoted to the most important decision a landlord can make! Landlords face many challenges, but choosing new tenants has the greatest potential to affect your bottom line. Fortunately, Every Landlord's Guide to Finding Great Tenants can help you find the right tenant for your rental property! Let this book guide you through the process of attracting, screening and selecting the best renters available. Get timely advice on: effective advertising phone screening presenting the unit evaluating applications examining credit reports checking references discrimination basics making a rental offer rejecting applicants Every Landlord's Guide to Finding Great Tenants provides dozens of forms and checklists for every step, with easy instructions to fill them out. The 2nd edition has been fully updated to reflect the latest changes in the law in your state, including California's updated rules about checking a potential tenant's immigration status. Plus, get all the legal forms you need, as well as invaluable audio dialogues that show you how to conduct interviews and get essential information without running afoul of the law."A treasure trove of information ... a must-read." -Helene Lesel, Syndicated Columnist, Los Angeles Times "Bravo! Authoritative in an easy-to-read style." -Mark Nash, Author & Columnist, Realtytimes.comHow you choose your tenants is one of your most important decisions. Here's an extensive and helpful reference book." -Rent.com

Buying a Second Home

Second-home hunting has never been easier with everything you need to find and buy the right place at the best price!You don't have to be rich to buy a second home -- but youdo need to be smart. Buying a Second Home delivers the goods, showing you howto make the purchase of your second home a success!You'll learn how to identify an affordable price range, choose agreat location, get low-cost financing, minimize taxes and more.Explore topics you won't find in other home-buying books,including: innovative financing strategies how to rent your property profitably how to assess the investment potential of a fixer-upper choosing the right mortgage for you profiting from a second-home sale buying a home in foreclosureThis all-in-one guide includes handy checklists and custom worksheets thathelp you make sense of the entire process, from buying toownership.The new 2nd edition includes updated market and mortgageinformation, including the latest criteria you'll need to meet inorder to get a loan and how to assess the potential of a recentlyforeclosed home. Get the step-by-step information you need to besmart about your investment with Buying a Second Home.

Stopping Identity Theft

Someone's identity is stolen every four seconds -- don't be a victim! Over 8 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. Most don't find out until it's too late, only realizing their predicament once their bank accounts have been emptied or their credit rating has been destroyed. And you don't even have to be an adult to be at risk -- over half a million children are the victims of identity theft each year. Protect yourself and your children against America's fastest-growing crime with Stopping Identity Theft, written by identity protection expert and Trusted ID CEO Scott Mitic. You'll get ten simple, action-oriented protection plans for limiting the vulnerability of your personal information in any risky situation. Get the facts from a leader in identity theft protection, including: why shopping in stores can be riskier than shopping online how to spot scammers in any situation -- online or on the phone how to build a social networking profile without being the victim of fake "friends" what new techniques thieves are using to scam you, like phishing, pharming and skimming why old-fashioned checks can be the riskiest way to pay for something, and how to protect your identity while you travel. Learn how to secure your bank accounts, keep personal and public records safe, store and dispose of personal information, limit your risk of medical identity theft, and keep your children and elders' identities secure. In ten easy steps, you can reduce your chances of identity theft now -- and should you ever become a victim, you'll have all the information you need to stop the thieves and rebuild your good name.

Your Little Legal Companion

A compact, fun-filled book that features entertaining facts and insights about life, love and the law!Not many books can address quitting your job or going tosmall-claims court -- then recommend watching "Office Space" orcover how cases end up before Judge Judy.Your Little Legal Companion, our most engaging book yet,does this and much more! Covering everything from birth to deathand everything in between in an easy-to-read "Top 10 list" format,you'll find quick tips on: going to college buying a car renting an apartment dealing with an accident quitting a job starting a business dealing with identity theft becoming a landlord buying and selling on eBay moving in with a significant other (yikes!) starting a band taking your dream trip surviving a natural disaster holding the best garage sale ever fighting a traffic ticket writing a will and much, much more...Turn to Your Little Legal Companion for quick, practical and justplain friendly advice from the experts, the editors of Nolo,America's leading do-it-yourself legal publisher. A quick readthat's guaranteed to make you laugh, it makes a great gift,airplane book and -- yes, it must be said-- bathroom reader!

The Lawsuit Survival Guide

Bridge the gap between yourself and the legal system with The Lawsuit Survival Guide. Find concise explanations of legal proceedings and clear answers to your questions, such as: "How do I find the right lawyer?" "How do attorney fees work?" "What is my lawyer doing, and why?" "What does all this legalese mean?" "What's taking so long?" "Can I cut costs by helping my lawyer?" "Can I get out of this lawsuit?" The Lawsuit Survival Guide takes you through the entire litigation process from start to finish, explaining every step along the way in language that makes sense. Save both you and your lawyer time, money and aggravation -- and get the information you need to make smart decisions.This one-of-a-kind eBook is perfect for clients, lawyers, business people, law students, paralegals, writers and anyone else with an interest in civil court cases.

Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary

Learn the language of the law, without the legalese!Open the average law dictionary and chances are you'll feel more confused than before you read a word. Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary is different. From "abrogate" to "zero tape", we've cut down on the Latin and defined common (and some not-so-common) terms you can really use to understand and access the law.Set aside those dusty, outdated law dictionaries! Written for the 21st century, this essential reference contains complete definitions of the legal terms you need today. If you're a law student, paralegal, accountant, small business owner or librarian -- anyone whose work or life touches the law -- this fully up-to-date A to Z guide puts access to the law into your hands.Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary contains 3,800 plain-English legal definitions, including many newly coined terms you'll find online and off, such as "typosquatting" and "patent troll". Of course, if you need definitions for legal standards -- even when they're in Latin -- you'll find those here too. Plus, find a copy of the Constitution of the United States of America for your reference in the pages following the complete list of definitions.�A unique combination of carefully researched legal scholarship and contemporary, real-world references.�- Sheldon Siegel, NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling Author of Judgement Day

Contracts

Understand virtually any contract and sign on the dotted line with confidenceContracts are a part of everyday life now -- you can't download a piece of software or accept an employment offer without having to click "I agree" or sign at least one piece of paper. But very few of us are able to decipher the legalese in these documents, leading most people to hesitate before committing to a contract's terms.Contracts is the first book to explain contract terms in language for the layperson. This indispensable A to Z guide covers: definitions of common terms found in contracts how to decipher the language of contracts which clauses are important and which aren't how to change contractsContracts will help you save money by coaching you on which clauses are important so that you can avoid a pricey professional review by a lawyer. Written in plain English, this book is especially useful for law students and business owners, but still contains enough detail to have a place on nearly any lawyer's bookshelf. �� helps laypeople navigate the sometimes murky waters of contractual agreements.�-Library Journal �Nolo is a pioneer in both consumer and business self-help books and software.� - Los Angeles Times

Consultant & Independent Contractor Agreements

Protect yourself and your business The independent contractor relationship has a great deal of flexibility which is why it's important both parties are in clear and mutual agreement from the beginning. Consultant & Independent Contractor Agreements is the most comprehensive guide available and will show you how to protect your rights and your business, including: define a project's scope, components and duration protect your trade secrets, trademarks, patents and copyrights getting paid on time and in full, and getting your money's worthThe 7th edition is completely updated to provide the latest rules and regulations for businesses and contractors, including all the necessary forms you'll need to draw up solid contracts.�Will show you exactly how to put your agreement together.��-Small Business Opportunities�Worth the price for the information and forms that either directly affect creative consultants or can be adapted for editorial services.�-Freelance Writer's Report�Illuminates some of the most important elements of this growing way to work��-Boston Globe

Working With Independent Contractors

If your business hires independent contractors, freelancers or consultants, this is the essential guide for youWorking with independent contractors can save you a bundle -- but the rules regarding who qualifies are complicated, and misclassifying a worker can result in serious financial penalties from your state or IRS.If you hire programmers, writers, designers, marketing consultants, nurses, janitors, telemarketers, drivers -- in a word, anyone -- on a contractual basis, you need Working With Independent Contractors.  This book shows you how to: create a valid contract assess who qualifies as an independent contractor hire ICs without risking an audit retain ownership of intellectual property when using ICs handle an IRS audit take advantage of the IRS's "Safe Harbor" law The 7th edition -- completely revised to reflect the latest laws and court rulings -- includes detailed examples of how a business should hire freelancers. Plus, this book comes with all the contracts you'll need.�Explains the proper relationship between a company and a contractor.�-San Francisco Chronicle�Comprehensive, current and savvy, this is highly recommended...�-Library Journal�A guide to the mistakes and benefits and, most importantly, tax implications of hiring people on a contractual basis.�-Orange County Register

Breach of Contract Notice

Take the first step toward resolving a breached contract with this formal noticeYou've already attempted to work out a dispute over a breached contract informally to no avail -- now it's time to start the process of legally notifying the other party of its obligations. In order to compel the other side to fulfill its duties under the terms of the contract, you need to send a notice to this effect. Use Nolo's Breach of Contract legal form to begin the process of resolving the breached contract. The form comes with complete instructions for filling it out and explains: the difference between material and non-material breaches how to fill out a breach of contract notice for each of these types of breaches what to do when you receive a response steps to take when you receive no responseThis form contains plain-English explanations of the sections included in the notice and comprehensive instructions for filling it out.

How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

File bankruptcy and find debt relief with this all-in-one-book! When you have more debt than you can possibly pay off, the bankruptcy system is there to help -- and with  How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, you'll find the clear and user-friendly information, advice and forms you need to get through the entire process. If you're considering bankruptcy but can't afford to hire an attorney, the reliable, up-to-date information in How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy will help you successfully complete your bankruptcy claim without breaking the bank. First, you'll find out how to determine whether you qualify for Chapter 7 -- and whether it's the best way to deal with your debts. Then you'll find out how to: stop wage garnishments and attachments fill out and file all the forms cancel as much debt as possible deal with secured debts keep the maximum amount of property keep your home, if possible rebuild credit after bankruptcy The 17th edition has been revised to reflect changes to state exemption laws, which determine what property you'd get to keep in bankruptcy, and the latest court decisions. You'll also get up-to-date legal forms, including the line-by-line instructions you need to fill them out. Plus, easy-to-use charts make looking up your state's laws a snap. Please note: This book does not cover business bankruptcies, farm reorganizations or individual repayment plans (Chapter 13). For Chapter 13 bankruptcy, see Nolo's  Chapter 13 Bankruptcy: Keep Your Property & Repay Debts Over Time. "Clear instructions on when and how to fill out the necessary forms." -Forbes "Exceptionally clear..." -The New York Times "A do-it-yourself bankruptcy book for people who can't afford expensive lawyers."-Newsweek

Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

Reduce your debts, save your property -- and start over! Are you considering Chapter 13 bankruptcy? Use this plain-English guide to decide if Chapter 13 is right for you and to learn how to keep valuable property and discharge your unsecured debts. Chapter 13 legal concepts, procedures, and monetary calculations can be tricky. Nolo's Chapter 13 Bankruptcy breaks down the Chapter 13 process and provides clear explanations of the law so you can: consider non bankruptcy alternatives decide which is better for you -- Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 determine if you qualify for Chapter 13 understand bankruptcy's automatic stay learn how Chapter 13 can help avoid foreclosure find out if you can reduce your car loan balance, or the balance on other secured debts determine if you can strip second mortgages or home equity lines from your home calculate (with forms and step-by-step instructions) whether you have enough income to propose a repayment plan that will meet legal requirements calculate the amount of your monthly plan payment find and work effectively with an excellent lawyer, and rebuild your credit after bankruptcy This newest edition includes new information on hiring and working with a lawyer, recent U.S. Supreme Court and other federal court decisions interpreting bankruptcy law, the latest bankruptcy exemption laws in your state, and recent IRS standard expense amounts (which play a role in plan payments). If you are considering or have decided to file Chapter 13 bankruptcy, Nolo's Chapter 13 Bankruptcy is the essential guide you need to understand the procedures and law. Please note: This book does not cover business bankruptcies, farm reorganizations, or Chapter 7 personal bankruptcy. For Chapter 7 bankruptcy, see Nolo's  How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. If you own your own business and are considering Chapter 7 bankruptcy, see Nolo's Bankruptcy for Small Business Owners. "An excellent book that can guide you through the process." -Forbes "This is the best book going if you choose to file alone or if you want background on the Chapter 13 process." -Attorney Gary Klein, Co-Author of Consumer Bankruptcy Law and Practice "An excellent resource ..." -Consumers Digest