Wouldn't it be great that the home you want to buy or the one that you live in now had no issues? Unfortunately, most home issues are latent, and then become relevant when immediate decisions have to be made. This is the aim of this book---to prepare you for unforseen circumstances and to suggest critical and probing questions for you so that you can arrive at the most accurate and timely decisions as possible. Some examples follow. Is it better to own a new or older home? What is the most labor intensive issue you will face as a homeowner? How long will the various components of a home last? What are the durability differences of various floor finishes? What actually do home warranties cover? How can you conduct your own home energy audit? What are the various causes of smells in a home? What are two seldom, yet critical factors, often overlooked in a home? What are the most coveted rooms? How do I match a fan to room size? Who are the house invaders? These topics and many more will be discussed in a succinct form as possible for easy reading. Whenever the opportunity arises, we will put information and comparisons in the form of tables and charts for quicker reference. When practical, we will have website links and have an extensive bibliography to draw on the experience of others if you wish more detailed information. In essence, we have tried to present background information for you so that you can communicate intelligently with vendors that you will come to rely on as a homeowner.