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Finding the Uncommon Deal: A Top New York Lawyer Explains How to Buy a Home for the Lowest Possible Price
Take advantage of today's real estate market to find great properties at incredible pricesOur recent economic meltdown transformed real estate from a popular investment to financial kryptonite. Too many people purchased homes with mortgages they simply could never afford. The good Great deals are out there for the taking. Finding the Uncommon Deal gives you the secrets to discovering and successfully negotiating the lowest prices for the most prized properties available.Discover how to go beyond Internet listings to get on-the-ground intelligence on the best deals Get proven negotiating skills to close the deal at a rock-bottom price The author has assisted thousands in purchasing homes as a lawyer, broker, and investor; has been ranked by internationally esteemed publication Chambers and Partners as one of the leading real estate lawyers; and regularly appears as a real estate authority in the New York Times and the Wall Street JournalIf you're successful enough to afford a home, then you probably have the skills needed to get a great deal in today's market. Finding the Uncommon Deal gives you the keys to leverage your skills for success and savings, opening the door to today's best properties and lowest prices.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 16, 2011
12 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
About the author
Adam Leitman Bailey
3 books12 followersAdam Leitman Bailey, has, during his career, assisted thousands of property owners in buying homes and is ranked as one of the nation’s most prominent real estate attorneys. Besides being named a 'Super Lawyer' and ‘ Best Lawyer’, as well as being selected as one of the "nation's leading real estate lawyers" by Chambers & Partners, Bailey owns investment properties. For the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and several other national media outlets, Adam Leitman Bailey frequently contributes his real estate expertise and advice. As a real estate attorney, owner of several properties, and parent of two children, Adam Leitman Bailey was inspired – and uniquely placed – to write about homes in a way that is relatable to young minds in Home. In 2017, he was also named Humanitarian of the Year by a local high school for his charitable efforts.
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Adam Leitman Bailey Articles:
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Adam Leitman Bailey's Charity:
buildingfoundationsanddreams.com/port...
Adam Leitman Bailey's Personal Website:
www.adamleitmanbailey.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AdamLeitmanB...
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamleitm...
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Adam Leitman Bailey Articles:
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 20, 2013
Very informative and helpful; a must-read for anyone looking to buy a new home!
February 25, 2023
Some good advice and some entertaining stories from his career.
I will add: He says to have a home inspection. I say have 2. I have had two home inspections on two different homes, and both times the two reports looked like they were not for the same house. What one thought was important, the other missed and visa versa. They only cost a few hundred dollars, and are well worth it.
And do attend with the inspector, because what does not go into the report is also important. A good inspector will tell you things as you walk around, like "Be sure to oil this doodad every year and it will last forever." That would not go into the report, but will save you money in the long run and pay for the inspection.
I will add: He says to have a home inspection. I say have 2. I have had two home inspections on two different homes, and both times the two reports looked like they were not for the same house. What one thought was important, the other missed and visa versa. They only cost a few hundred dollars, and are well worth it.
And do attend with the inspector, because what does not go into the report is also important. A good inspector will tell you things as you walk around, like "Be sure to oil this doodad every year and it will last forever." That would not go into the report, but will save you money in the long run and pay for the inspection.
February 21, 2025
This book is a practical and insightful guide for anyone looking to navigate the real estate market wisely. Must read for anyone looking to buy a home
February 21, 2025
Great and informative way to learn how to enter the real estate market as a newbie. Definitely would recommend!
June 25, 2025
Great information and advice - perfect for first-time home buyers!
December 14, 2012
"How to Buy a Home (and Influence People)"
One of New York City's most successful, visible and aggressive real estate lawyers takes you gently by the hand and leads you through the entire process of making the most important investment of your life: buying a home. But beyond being a detailed account of every step along the way, all of the preparation you should take as you consider buying--including deciding exactly how much you can afford to spend--and all of the traps and pitfalls that lay in wait for you in making a purchase, from unforeseen horrors to stiff closing costs, "Finding the Uncommon Deal" is also a "How to Win Friends and Influence People" for the 21st Century. Aside from his thoroughly and straightforwardly presented advice, the urgings to explore with due diligence every aspect of your future investment, be it a house, condominium, coop, or condop, and the neighborhood where you're buying, Adam Leitman Bailey's book is a sterling primer on how to negotiate effectively. Structured like Dale Carnegie's book, each chapter, after giving a thorough account of every step toward making the purchase and the deal itself, is illustrated with exciting episodes from Bailey and his clients' own lives --including the nightmare of the sociopathic millionaire tax evader who tried to make off with Mr. Bailey's downpayment; and the suspenseful story of the woman who bought, along with a building, the shady, alcoholic seller who made a handshake deal to live as her tenant rent free, without mentioning that he'd already sold the property to someone else: the ensuing early-morning race to the title office to file first leads Mr. Bailey *face* first into the fist of the irate, competing purchaser (even here he demonstrates his street smarts, by hitting the deck in order to cool the temper of his attacker: a good ploy that didn't keep him from taking a few more blows, though he did win the race to file the title!)--and then an easy-to-follow guide to the chapter's lessons. Based on a purchaser's tolerance for risk, Mr. Bailey tells you how to negotiate directly with a seller without making a downpayment, and where to look and how far to go in finding short sales, pre-foreclosures and other distressed properties that can become dream homes at unbeatable discounts, and he walks you through the delicate maneuvers that must be made in dealing with a seller whose back is against the wall. Really, the book is an act of generosity: Mr. Bailey teaches, for the $12.31 purchase price, what he does as an attorney at a much higher rate. Like Dr. Benjamin Spock's "Baby and Child Care," this is an important book of its time, whose lessons reach beyond its subject, and can be applied to other areas of your life. My well-dog-eared copy will certainly accompany me along my journey. Don't leave home to buy a home without it.
One of New York City's most successful, visible and aggressive real estate lawyers takes you gently by the hand and leads you through the entire process of making the most important investment of your life: buying a home. But beyond being a detailed account of every step along the way, all of the preparation you should take as you consider buying--including deciding exactly how much you can afford to spend--and all of the traps and pitfalls that lay in wait for you in making a purchase, from unforeseen horrors to stiff closing costs, "Finding the Uncommon Deal" is also a "How to Win Friends and Influence People" for the 21st Century. Aside from his thoroughly and straightforwardly presented advice, the urgings to explore with due diligence every aspect of your future investment, be it a house, condominium, coop, or condop, and the neighborhood where you're buying, Adam Leitman Bailey's book is a sterling primer on how to negotiate effectively. Structured like Dale Carnegie's book, each chapter, after giving a thorough account of every step toward making the purchase and the deal itself, is illustrated with exciting episodes from Bailey and his clients' own lives --including the nightmare of the sociopathic millionaire tax evader who tried to make off with Mr. Bailey's downpayment; and the suspenseful story of the woman who bought, along with a building, the shady, alcoholic seller who made a handshake deal to live as her tenant rent free, without mentioning that he'd already sold the property to someone else: the ensuing early-morning race to the title office to file first leads Mr. Bailey *face* first into the fist of the irate, competing purchaser (even here he demonstrates his street smarts, by hitting the deck in order to cool the temper of his attacker: a good ploy that didn't keep him from taking a few more blows, though he did win the race to file the title!)--and then an easy-to-follow guide to the chapter's lessons. Based on a purchaser's tolerance for risk, Mr. Bailey tells you how to negotiate directly with a seller without making a downpayment, and where to look and how far to go in finding short sales, pre-foreclosures and other distressed properties that can become dream homes at unbeatable discounts, and he walks you through the delicate maneuvers that must be made in dealing with a seller whose back is against the wall. Really, the book is an act of generosity: Mr. Bailey teaches, for the $12.31 purchase price, what he does as an attorney at a much higher rate. Like Dr. Benjamin Spock's "Baby and Child Care," this is an important book of its time, whose lessons reach beyond its subject, and can be applied to other areas of your life. My well-dog-eared copy will certainly accompany me along my journey. Don't leave home to buy a home without it.
November 26, 2016
Good information, while definitely being understandably centered around the authors expertise in New York real estate.
There is a lot of what I personally consider "common sense" in his advice (know your monthly budget, have any financing lined up before sale, etc.) - but there were several nuggets that made it worth the read.
The stories are effective at driving home some of the basic points: use a lawyer, use an inspector (he suggests several ways of how you can find and work with the best in the business), take time to really get to know the property (good and bad!) before the closing!
For me, the sections on purchasing a co-op apartment/condo weren't helpful -- if you don't live in New York, and are sure you won't be buying a co-op, you can safely skip over those parts ... But there's a lot of material about it sprinkled throughout the book, which New Yorkers might appreciate, but probably won't be of much use to the rest of us.
Overall, the book was less about 'deal finding' than I anticipated and involved a lot more explanation of the mechanics of the purchase than I would have liked.
I would recommend this as a primer to someone on the cusp of making a home purchase, especially in New York -- but if you are especially interested in buying foreclosed properties, or flipping distressed properties, you'll want to do additional reading on top of this.
There is a lot of what I personally consider "common sense" in his advice (know your monthly budget, have any financing lined up before sale, etc.) - but there were several nuggets that made it worth the read.
The stories are effective at driving home some of the basic points: use a lawyer, use an inspector (he suggests several ways of how you can find and work with the best in the business), take time to really get to know the property (good and bad!) before the closing!
For me, the sections on purchasing a co-op apartment/condo weren't helpful -- if you don't live in New York, and are sure you won't be buying a co-op, you can safely skip over those parts ... But there's a lot of material about it sprinkled throughout the book, which New Yorkers might appreciate, but probably won't be of much use to the rest of us.
Overall, the book was less about 'deal finding' than I anticipated and involved a lot more explanation of the mechanics of the purchase than I would have liked.
I would recommend this as a primer to someone on the cusp of making a home purchase, especially in New York -- but if you are especially interested in buying foreclosed properties, or flipping distressed properties, you'll want to do additional reading on top of this.
February 11, 2013
I won this book through Goodreads First Read program.
I am an attorney in Iowa and although I am not a real estate attorney I have had cases in which the home purchaser is very unhappy with the home they end up with. In Iowa you are out of luck unless you can prove the seller knew of the problem and failed to disclose it at the time of the sale.
So much of what Bailey sets out in his book could have resulted in the problem being detected before the sale closed. This is a good book to help you get through what will likely be the biggest purchase of your life.
I know if I purchase any additional properties I will be pulling out the book again to make sure I am following the advice contained within it.
I am an attorney in Iowa and although I am not a real estate attorney I have had cases in which the home purchaser is very unhappy with the home they end up with. In Iowa you are out of luck unless you can prove the seller knew of the problem and failed to disclose it at the time of the sale.
So much of what Bailey sets out in his book could have resulted in the problem being detected before the sale closed. This is a good book to help you get through what will likely be the biggest purchase of your life.
I know if I purchase any additional properties I will be pulling out the book again to make sure I am following the advice contained within it.
February 17, 2013
I'm not planning on buying a house anytime soon; I won this book from First Reads. I also don't know that much about the home-buying process, aside from what I learned working for a mortgage provider one summer. But I didn't learn much from this book, either. The advice skews toward the general -- e.g., "find a broker who returns your phone calls", but not "here's how to find a broker". The book might be better suited to people who are getting into the real estate market for investment and/or flipping purposes and have a full-time-job's worth of time to do research on neighborhoods, foreclosures, etc.
January 16, 2014
I won this book from the Goodreads first reads giveaway. Thank you very much to the author and those involved in the giveaway.
I want to buy a home soon, so I was very happy to receive this book. I highly recommend this book as a guide for those in the market to purchase a home. The author has made the home buying process easy for newcomers like me to understand.
I want to buy a home soon, so I was very happy to receive this book. I highly recommend this book as a guide for those in the market to purchase a home. The author has made the home buying process easy for newcomers like me to understand.
August 5, 2012
Very informative book. Highly recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2013
Great book that walks through every step of the home buying process.
August 9, 2016
If you live in New York and want to buy real estate, then buy this book.
It will save you money in ways you never imagined.
It will save you money in ways you never imagined.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews