Rating: 
Summary: saved me several thousand dollars on my home!
Review: I read an article in the real estate section of the newspaper about this book and bought it - and am I glad I did! When I sold my house I earned thousands of dollars more by knowing how to determine the market value instead of just following the Realtors advice. Great book for anyone with a home.
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Summary: Best appraisal book on the market
Review: I've been a real estate appraiser for many years and this is the best book I've ever read that really tells the truth about how to become an appraiser. It's written in a real down-to-earth and factual way. Great book for new or old appraisers. There are even sample appraisals inside the book to show you how to make correct price adjustments.
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Summary: This new fourth edition is the best one.
Review: I've purchased other books by this author and found them to be excellent. He writes as though he is giving advice to one of his appraisal or home inspection clients. This new fourth version of the book covers all three approaches used to estimate the market value of real estate: Direct Sales Comparison Approach, the Cost Approach, and the Income Approach. Everything is explained in a way that myself, or anyone else that has no prior experience as a real estate appraiser, can learn quickly how professional appraisers do appraisals of homes and condos.
I've read many books on real estate and this appraisal book and the home inspection book by this author are easily the best books available on these topics. Some of my friends and relatives have purchased these books based upon my recommendation and all of them have thanked me since they've saved as much money as I did when I renovated and sold my home. Maybe this book review will help others to also save money from the advice in this book. Your money will be well spent and I'm sure you'll be happy with reading this edition.
Rating: 
Summary: a good place to start
Review: If getting to know your home is important to you, then REAL ESTATE APPRAISING FROM A TO Z is a good place to start. It addresses safety concerns; inspections of the Operating Systems, the Lower Level, the Interior & Exterior, Direct Sales, Sample Appraisal Reports, Cost,Income & more.Rebeccasreads recommends REAL ESTATE APPRAISING FROM A TO Z for those who want to learn everything their Realtor doesn't want them to know, without the sugar coat. You'll learn how to catch the problem conditions in any house, how to close the deal & a new career in one of the hottest markets.
Rating:
Summary: a good place to start
Review: If getting to know your home is important to you, then REAL ESTATE APPRAISING FROM A TO Z is a good place to start. It addresses safety concerns; inspections of the Operating Systems, the Lower Level, the Interior & Exterior, Direct Sales, Sample Appraisal Reports, Cost,Income & more. Rebeccasreads recommends REAL ESTATE APPRAISING FROM A TO Z for those who want to learn everything their Realtor doesn't want them to know, without the sugar coat. You'll learn how to catch the problem conditions in any house, how to close the deal & a new career in one of the hottest markets.
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Summary: Appraising is explained completely.
Review: Learning how to appraise real estate is explained in detail in an easy to understand manner. This is a good book to keep me up to date when I do appraisals for banks for their mortgage loans. Other appraisal books I have read are very dry and boring and technical. This book is pleasant to read.
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Summary: As a licensed appraiser I was VERY impressed with this book.
Review: My career has been real estate appraisals for over 17 years now and I can confidently say that I have read at least 50 books on the topic of how to appraise real estate. This book was very impressive in the content and the layout and how everything is explained by the author. If you are a beginner or have many years of experience appraising homes (like me), you will be very happy if you read this book. Everything from the basics of the business, to details on the Direct Sales Comparison Approach, the Cost Approach, and the Income Approach, to details on how to make money as a real estate appraiser in your own business, are all covered very well and explained clearly - for beginners or experienced real estate professionals.
There were many additional topics covered by this book that I have not found in other appraisal books that I have read. Some of these topics were aspects of the business that would take you many years to learn and come across, or at least I know that was my experience in this business. There is good, detailed information about the type of appraisal accounts you can get to earn money in this business.
If you are a non-appraiser just looking for a book with a great overall explanation of how to appraise your own home or condominium, then this is the book for you. You'll find the book is detailed and easy to read and understand. What you learn should save you thousands of dollars in headaches and time by not making the mistakes that the book will warn you about. It's always better to learn from experienced appraisers, like myself or a book like this, since they will help you prevent making many errors when you buy or sell your house. You cannot rely on your real estate agent or broker since I can tell you from many years of experience - they don't know anything about how to determine the value of a house or condo the way a professional appraiser can do it. I hope this review is helpful to you. Happy house shopping if you're a home buyer! Good luck on your appraisal exam if you're an appraiser buying the book to help with getting your license.
Rating:
Summary: Found this to be just what I was looking for.
Review: Overall the book covers many aspects of real estate appraising and the business of appraisers. I bought the book since it was recommended to me by a friend who is an appraiser. The book first teaches some of the basics of the appraisal business and then goes into an abbreviated version of how to inspect a home. The inspection process and advice given is necessary since there are many aspects of a home that need to be evaluated to properly determine the market value as compared to other homes that have sold recently in that same neighborhood. I was not aware of how detailed an appraiser should be when he inspects the condition of a home to do a proper appraisal report. The information I learned was extremely useful to me for evaluating my own home.
The book led into the appraisal procedure and covered many topics dealing with single family home and condominium appraisals. The book does not cover appraisals based upon the income approach which refers to office buildings and commercial buildings. But that's fine with me because to appraise commercial properties and office buildings is not what I was looking for.
The appraisal process covered by the book is very thorough and the content walks you through the entire procedure step by step. The main aspect in the appraisal process of homes in how to get information from town hall and recent sales similar to the home or condo you are appraising. This I found was covered very well by the author.
The book walks you through how to compare all of the important and relevant aspects of a home or condo to recent sales of similar homes and condos, known as the sales comparison approach. The details discussed are realistic with no "fluff" involved and the author gets to the point with giving the reader real life examples that he has experienced.
The procedures covered for town hall were extremely helpful also. I never knew how important it is to be able to get all of the available public information and records on a home or condo before doing a proper appraisal. The book discusses many things to check during this process so you leave no stones unturned and don't get hit with any surprises later.
The book is written in a way that I found was easy to understand and enjoyable to read. I didn't want to be bored with technical details and this book was just what I was looking for since it wasn't too technical or boring. I have read other books on appraising that are very formal in their approach but they don't give you the real life examples that make the book interesting to read and informative in a way that is truly realistic about appraising.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in appraising homes and condominiums. If you are interested in appraising office buildings and commercial buildings then you will need a more technical (and boring) book. I'm happy with my purchase and hope my review is helpful to others.
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Summary: Appraisal Know-How
Review: Real Estate Appraising from A to Z
By Guy Cozzi
Nemmar Publishing - 1992-2002
ISBN: 1-887450-02-5
225 pps. ...
Reviewed by Denise M. Clark 3/03
Denise's Pieces Author Site & Book Reviews
http://... Real estate appraisers are in demand these days, and get paid hundreds of dollars for their services. The best thing about becoming an appraiser is that you don't need a Master's Degree or any special schooling to become one. What you do need, however, is knowledge. In his extensively researched and illustrated Real Estate Appraising from A to Z, author Cozzi sets out to give anyone interested in moving into this quickly growing field the tools he or she will need, not only to do the job, but to do it right.
Mr. Cozzi starts with the very basics. For instance, the purpose, benefits and explanation of what an appraiser is, what he does and how to become a certified appraiser. From there, he guides the reader step by step through what appraisers look for when inspecting homes, both their exteriors and interiors. He explains how to determine home values of not only single-dwelling homes, but condominiums as well.
But Mr. Cozzi doesn't stop there. In basic, easily understood terms, he explains such topics as depreciation, the different types of home mortgages and appraisal accounts such as original home loan and refinance loan appraisals and foreclosure appraisals.
Real Estate Appraising from A to Z is just what the title implies. Mr. Cozzi's ability to instruct without 'talking down' to his audience is a plus and a rare treat - even for those who know absolutely nothing about the 'home' business. Homeowners would do well to have a copy of this book on hand before obtaining an appraisal, and use Cozzi's inspection guidelines within the actual appraising section of the book to obtain the most favorable value for their homes. Mr. Cozzi's easy to read, friendly writing style offers expert and timely advice and instruction for both homeowners and aspiring appraisers. If you want to work for yourself, earn extra money, or increase the value of your home, this edition is a definite must.
Rating:
Summary: Best book available on real estate appraising.
Review: The author talks straight and doesn't sugar coat anything in this book which I found to be very interesting and different from most books on this topic. Other books I've read on real estate are very boring and formal in their approach. The author of this book talks to you as though he was an expert advising his own family members. I truly enjoyed reading it and hearing all of the stories from the authors experience as a real estate appraiser and investor. There was so much information that warned me about what to look for when buying and selling a house I couldn't believe how helpful it was to me. Much of the information talks about what a Realtor will never tell you but is absoulutely essential if you want to maximize your profits and eliminate headaches. My only regret is not having read this book a long time ago when I bought and sold my first house! Highly recommend it and I would give it a 10 star rating.
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