Your own home! It's your little starter house, your grand Victorian, your mountain hideaway, your suburban town house. After years of renting and saving and dreaming, you've bought a home and it's yours.

Now what do you need to know to make sure you can keep on enjoying your home? Well, if you don't already know how to start a reluctant lawn mower, change a faucet washer, and cope with rising water in the basement, you'd better be prepared to learn.

There are also some legal matters you'll want to understand to make sure your ownership means what you think it does.

This chapter offers an introduction to the law of home ownership, including rights and restrictions, insurance, and the financial side of owning a home. Note that the laws of each state are different, and what follows are basic legal principles that create a framework for state laws.

1. Property Rights and Restrictions
1. Your Property Rights
2. Safeguarding Property Rights: Title Insurance
3. Ownership Options
4. Handling Property Constraints
5. Government Rights to Property
2. Property Insurance and Other Protections
1. Floor Wax and Dog Attacks: Liability Issues
2. Liability Insurance
3. Homeowner's Insurance
4. Security Issues
5. Environmental Issues
3. Managing Neighborhood Problems
1. Handling Disputes
2. Pets
3. Trees
4. Views
5. Fences
4. Remodeling
1. Legal Protections
2. Hiring a Contractor
3. Troubleshooting the Project
5. Shared Ownership: Condos and Condominiums
1. Legal Rights and Restrictions
2. The Board of Directors
3. Handling Problems
6. The Financial Side of Home Ownership
1. Understanding Your Mortgage
2. Refinancing and Home Loans
3. Tax Considerations