For Dummies® Titles Provide Home Improvement and Building Options That Help Save Money, Improve Property Values, and Sustain the Planet

Hoboken, NJ (PRWEB) April 20, 2008 -- Foreclosures, falling property values and tightening credit have all taken a toll on the real estate market. But the news is not all doom and gloom. For many homeowners, it's a good time to stay put and maintain or improve the value of their homes. For new home buyers, opportunities for purchasing a partially finished home or building their own home from scratch have never been better. While waiting out the current real estate downturn, a number of For Dummies® reference titles address home improvement and building projects that can help homeowners save money, maintain the value of their homes, and "go green" all at the same time. For more information, go to: http://www.dummies.com.

Kevin Daum, co-author with Janice Brewster, of Building Your Own Home For Dummies (Wiley; ISBN-13: 0-7645-5709-2; $19.99), insists that now is the best time to take advantage of builder losses and desperation. He points out that many prime building lots, previously hoarded by speculative builders are returning to the marketplace at fire-sale prices. "Partially completed custom homes, can also bring additional savings and tax benefits to the smart consumer, and the once elusive and overly in-demand contractors are now easily available and more reasonably priced. Costs of materials and labor are dropping due to a reduction in demand," he adds. Building Your Own Home For Dummies is the authoritative and must-have guide to creating a custom home.

There's been a huge increase in the number of homeowners interested in responsible building and sustainable living. Eric Corey Freed, founder of organicARCHITECT and a LEED Accredited Professional, addresses this rapidly expanding niche in Green Building & Remodeling For Dummies (Wiley; ISBN-13: 978-0-470-17559-0, $21.99). This easy-to-follow guide is a complete blueprint to identifying and selecting the right green materials, putting together a green team, including architects and financing experts, as well as installing sustainable systems for energy, heating, cooling and water. Another title, Solar Power Your Home For Dummies (Wiley; ISBN-13: 978-0-470-17569-9, $19.99) by design engineer Rick DeGunther, takes the mystery out of this clean power source and shows readers how to make solar energy work for them. From small solar components that provide a modest contribution to home energy needs to building a new home powered completely by solar panels (and everything in-between), this guide provides detailed solutions.

Home Improvement All-in-One For Dummies (Wiley; ISBN-13: 978-0-7645-5680-7, $29.99) is a bestselling guide for homeowners tackling home repair, maintenance, and improvement. With contributions from such high-profile For Dummies authors as Katie and Gene Hamilton, the Carey Brothers, Patricia and Kate McMillan, Robert Beckstrom and Jeff Strong, among others, the topics range from carpentry, plumbing, painting and wallpapering, to kitchen and bathroom remodeling and woodworking. With clear, concise information, photos and illustrations, this book includes affordable and straightforward ways to renovate or refresh any room or exterior area of a home.

Other classic do-it-yourself titles include Plumbing Do-It-Yourself For Dummies (Wiley; ISBN-13: 978-0-470-17344-2, $16.99) by Donald Prestly, Senior Editor of Handy Magazine, Bathroom Remodeling For Dummies (Wiley; ISBN-13: 978-0-7645-2552-0, $19.99) by veteran do-it-yourself writers, Gene Hamilton and Katie Hamilton, and Painting Do-It-Yourself For Dummies (Wiley; ISBN-13: 978-0-470-17533-0, $16.99) by Katharine Kaye McMillan and Patricia Hart McMillan.

The real estate market is not likely to recover for a few more years. So while waiting for the next wave of home appreciation, these For Dummies home improvement and building guides will affordably and clearly help homeowners to maintain and enhance the value of their homes and new owners to take advantage of a softened market.

To see all the For Dummies titles, visit http://www.dummies.com.

About For Dummies®

With near universal name recognition, more than 150 million books in print, and over 1,000 topics, For Dummies is the world's bestselling reference series. With loyal customers around the globe, For Dummies enriches people's lives by making knowledge accessible in a fun and easy way. Described by the N.Y. Times as "more than a publishing phenomenon, but a sign of the times," For Dummies span every section of the bookstore, covering everything from health to history, music to math, sports to self-help, technology to travel, and more. The Dummies brand franchise has expanded with an extensive licensed product line, including DVDs, software, consumer electronics, cooking, cleaning and automotive products, craft and hobby kits, games and more. For information, visit Dummies.com. For Dummies is a branded imprint of Wiley.

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