The seven rules of buying a second home -- What a second home really costs -- Crunching the numbers: how much second home can you afford? -- Narrowing your search: what and where to buy -- Picking the right house -- How experts can save you time and money -- Fixer-uppers: finding the gems and avoiding the junk -- Buying straight from the seller: FSBOs -- Raiding the cash you'll need up front -- How family and friends can help ( and why they'll even want to) -- Finding your way through the mortgage maze -- You don't have to go it alone: buying with others -- Being a landlord: what you need to know -- Tax-saving strategies.