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Rating: 
Summary: A Comprehensive Introduction to R.E. Investing
Review: Folks,I read this book, loved it. Passed it to a friend, who passed it to a friend. I haven't the vaguest clue as to where it is now. The only reason that I write this is because the book is an awesome way to introduce people to real estate investing. If you are already aware of what you can do to make money in RESIDENTIAL Real Estate then this book is not for you. There is very little detail that you would find useful in this book, that wouldn't be better explained in another more advanced book, or even a college course. However, I stress that this IS "THE BOOK" for those new to Real Estate investing. It covers the basic strategies for those who are interested in knowing what options and methods are available to them in Residential Real Estate Investing. I hope this helps. Please vote if it does.
Rating:
Summary: A Comprehensive Introduction to R.E. Investing
Review: Folks, I read this book, loved it. Passed it to a friend, who passed it to a friend. I haven't the vaguest clue as to where it is now. The only reason that I write this is because the book is an awesome way to introduce people to real estate investing. If you are already aware of what you can do to make money in RESIDENTIAL Real Estate then this book is not for you. There is very little detail that you would find useful in this book, that wouldn't be better explained in another more advanced book, or even a college course. However, I stress that this IS "THE BOOK" for those new to Real Estate investing. It covers the basic strategies for those who are interested in knowing what options and methods are available to them in Residential Real Estate Investing. I hope this helps. Please vote if it does.
Rating:
Summary: This book contains what the $5,000 seminars have... Buy it..
Review: I'm a fulltime real estate investor and I've spent thousands on RE courses and materials. This books is the BEST I've read under $500! It contains the High-end Techniques that the expensive courses call "SECRETS". This is Must-Buy for anyone that wants tot get in on the $ in Real Estate Investing.
Rating:
Summary: Great for Novices
Review: I'm just starting out in Real Estate Investing, and this is the first book I've read on the topic. The book explains the 5 "paths" in a way that, as a beginner, I can still understand, yet its far from being simplistic. I was expecting this book to be just a basic "overview" of Real Estate investing, but the author gives you a lot more inforation than just the basics.
Rating: 
Summary: basic
Review: Mainly geared towards showing a basic overview of the 5 most common beginning investor techniques. I do like that he includes info on multi-family as most of these books aimed at beginners just cover single-family investments. The danger with these books are that readers new to the field might just strike off and try to do some of these things without further investigation. In his defense, I will say he is one of the few authors who explains some of the lien dangers involved with buying foreclosed properties (mainly IRS liens.)
Rating:
Summary: basic
Review: Mainly geared towards showing a basic overview of the 5 most common beginning investor techniques. I do like that he includes info on multi-family as most of these books aimed at beginners just cover single-family investments. The danger with these books are that readers new to the field might just strike off and try to do some of these things without further investigation. In his defense, I will say he is one of the few authors who explains some of the lien dangers involved with buying foreclosed properties (mainly IRS liens.)
Rating: 
Summary: Very basic - too simplistic
Review: The book covers five (5) very diverse ways to make money in the real estate market. The only problem is that four of the five catagories are treated too simplistic. I live in the Milwaukee area and have been investing in multi-families for five years. Real estate investing is a great and quick equity builder. The tricky part is that real estate has been very robust here. A lot of these authors write as if we were still in a recession. They act as if good quality homes are being auctioned at the sheriff's office or that banks are loaded up on suburban defaults. Every sheriff sale that I have been to in the suburbs has a price above market value. Most of the owners that will do lease / options are selling inner city junk. Flipping houses in a hot or expensive market is a very tricky act, because you have a commitment for a high capital product. For instance, take a house at $170,000. Monthly hold cost will be high - $ 2,000 (including taxes). Wisconsin has a title transfer fee. Add in a realtor's fee and you really have to buy low. There are realtors every morning searching the MLS for ubder valued properties. I know some of them. "Get a steal" is fairly difficult. Another truth that I discovered, if there is a really good deal, investors with cash reserves, will step in and buy. That means approaching an owner in greater MILW suburbs with an under valued property with all owner financing does not go to far. The key to finding a good property; get to the owners before the realtors do. Do a mailing to apartment owners. Call them up. I have never been yelled at or hung up on when I called an owner and told them I was interested in buying their property. That how I brought my last two. Last note, novices at "fixing-up" property generally under- estimate cost (and the value of their time) is fixing up houses. In general, I thought he gave specific numbers in each example. However, I though they were unrealistic and not applicable to this market. The book is good for someone not in real estate, who wants to get in. However, readers will some intermediate real estate knowledge will be bored with the book.
Rating:
Summary: Good Beginning Book, However
Review: there is not enough meat on these bones for the experienced real estate investor. This 2000 book draws on the author's 30 years of real estate experience as an educator and consultant. His 5 paths are: Fixer-uppers, Lease/option, wholesale, buy and hold single family homes, as well as multifamily rentals. These 5 categories are by no means the ONLY paths in real estate, but they are the most common paths and the paths most frequently used by beginners. The book is 285 pages and is a wide broad look at real estate. The book is geared to the beginner and maybe the intermediate investor and would probably be too light, for the experienced inestor. However, somebody experienced in one of the 5 paths might enjoy and benefit from reading about the other paths, though light reading. There are so many topics discussed in the book, that many topics were not presented to the depth that I was looking for. There are case-studies in the book which are very helpful to illustrate the points the author is trying to make. In addition there are many examples using real dollar figures, which makes the understanding of the topic easier. But the vast number of topics covered dictates that the depth of each subject is limited. For example the chapter on Buy and Hold Single Family is 15 pages and the chapter on Buy and Hold multifamily is 14 pages. Compare this to the David Schumacher book "Buy and Hold" which is 306 pages. Now which book do you think covers the topic with more depth. This is a book that I'd would recommend to anybody, the advice given in this book is real, down to earth, and practical. This book is much better than many others, but will only scratch the surface for the serious investor. The depth given to each topic is not enough and will leave the serious, and hungry investor wanting more, but this is a good place to start.
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