Book Description

This new edition of America's # 1 best-selling real estate book takes the pain out of choosing, negotiating for, and buying a home. Helping home buyers save time and money, personal finance guru Eric Tyson and real estate maven Ray Brown deliver the up-to-date information people need, showing them how to:

• Research neighborhoods and home values
• Select the best mortgage-including the latest developments
• Understand the pros and cons of buying different types of housing
• Assemble the right team for putting the deal together
• Negotiate the best price and terms

Reviews (56)

Great book for anyone interested in the home buying process
Eric Tyson is a savvy writer with a wealth of knowledge that is shared in this fantastic book. I am a first time home buyer and purchased numerous books about the process; this one is by far the best. It served as my "jungle guide", and I found myself referring to this book on a daily basis for information. His chapters on gathering a solid real estate team, comparable market analysis, and escrow were particularly enlightening. Tyson's wit and the easy-to-read Dummies style proved a quick read and served to give me the confidence to discern what I wanted and ask the tough questions about one of life's bigger decisions. If there is ONE book to buy regarding home buying, buy this book.

Good but there's a better one
Having read both this volume and the Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying and Selling a Home, I recommend the idiot's guide over this one. The main reason is because the latter is better written and easier to understand. Home Buying for Dummies is very comprehensive but reminds me of my own Ph.D. dissertation: heavy on theory but little on practicalities. The idiot's guide presents information in a way that make it easier to digest and follow.

In short, this is a good advice primer for first-time home buyers, but I think you get a better book and also a better value if you buy the complete idiot's guide version.

(I'm not affiliated with any authors or publishers, nor do I even know or have met them in any manner.)

Only buy this book if you really are a dummy
This is the first "for dummies" book I've ever bought. It's also going to be the last. They're not kidding with the title. Instead of stating their point simply and clearly, the authors patronize the readers with silly stories. For example, instead of saying something like "do not buy a house that's too far from your work," the authors spend a paragraph telling a story of some poor dummy who did buy a house too far from his work and ended up hating everything. Oh, and BTW, if you need a book to tell you that you shouldn't buy a house that's far from your work, then this book is for you. The information presented is oversimplified, incomplete, and sometimes just incorrect. Moreover, this book will not help you at all if you're dealing with an unusual market, such as SF Bay Area, NYC, LA, etc.

I'm not in the real estate business, nor do I have any vested interest in anybody buying or not buying this book.

This book will save you a lot more $$$ than its sell price
This is a great book and gets you thinking about topics and asking questions that your realtor or mortgage lender / broker probably wouldn't otherwise bring up for you. While it does not go into real depth on any single subject, it highlights enough to really help you become an educated buyer. It addresses everything from getting financially positioned to buy a house in the first place (e.g. pay off your bills, save some cash), to finding a good mortgage that works for you (e.g. fixed-rates versus ARMs), understanding where and what are good buys (e.g. principles of progression and regression), forming a team (e.g. realtor, mortgage lender, etc), and the offer / counter/ and escrow processes. With all the info you'll learn, you will easily save yourself the cost of this book (probably many times over). The only drawback is that this book provides general information for all of America as a whole - it does not address specific real estate hot-spots such as Southern California.

Good information
This book had some very good information when I wanted to buy a house. Had good tips and was written in an easy to understand language.

However, I didn't have good enough credit to get a big loan, so I found did a rent to own instead. Good site: www.nkinvestments.com

Nick ... Read more

Book Description

Real estate experts Peter Conti and David Finkel's new book Making Big Money Investing in Foreclosures without Cash or Credit is a comprehensive money making guide that helps readers discover the road to financial freedom.

Making Big Money Investing in Foreclosures without Cash or Credit is an easy to follow manual designed to help real estate investors launch a successful career in the foreclosure investing business. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

THE BEST.....
I am not to good at this and this is my first time but this book was soooo GREAT ...About 2 years ago I bought a course on TV went though it and at the end of it just could not understand it,So I gave up..Last July I was in a bookstore and came across Making Big Money In Real Estate from these two gentlemen there 2nd book and I was able to understand the concept,.Picked up this book when it came out and let me tell you those guys know how to get there point across and say it so anyone can understand it,I knew nothing about Foreclosures or what was involved or what a short sale was.
I am almost done reading this book and I now have there 1st book
How to Create Multiple Streams of Income,Just waiting to be read next.Keep up the good work guy's and Thank you..

So easy & so simple, it's a must to start today!
This book is written for everyone, easy to read and understand with all the information needed for anyone to get started. Peter Conti and David Finkel teach not only how to build wealth buying foreclosures but more importantly how to do it with integrity. Solving problems for those that have financial issues, while making sure not to ever "take advantage" of them is a point made clear throughout all of Peter and David's books. Making Big Money Buying Foreclosures..... is more than a book about Real Estate investing, as you read each page you get a real feel for the authors, the genuine spirit of fair play and sincerity both Peter & David posess reach out from each page letting you know this is not just about building wealth; but helping people.
I had the opportunity to spend this last weekend in Devner, CO with the Mentor Financial Group (owned by Peter Conti & David Finkel) and I am sold on the fact these two gentleman walk their talk. Buying foreclosures is a time spent working with sellers in an emotional state; this book teaches you as an investor how to work with these sellers in a way that is not demeaning but even uplifting. If you are an investor, big or small or maybe someone simply considering the purchase of a few properties to hang onto for future income or a more quality retirement, buy this book. Making Big Money Investing In Foreclosures......was not written and published to be put on your shelf, I have read dozens of books regarding Real Estate investment and for me, it's always been about the people I am working with and the wealth & freedom building, in that order. Even if you know nothing about Real Estate investing or are a licensed Real Estate Agent - (...) - READ IT - FOLLOW WHAT IT SAYS, EXACTLY HOW IT SAYS TO DO IT.......IT'S THAT SIMPLE! It has something for everyone and you will be glad you did.

Advert for their seminars/courses
This book is heavy on excitment and 'systems' but very light on details. Not something to buy if you want to actually go out and DO something now. This book is mostly intended to get you involved in their very expensive mentoring, coaching, or course programs.

Absolute Newbie
This category of books (Investing in Real Estate) has the formula down cold. General topics are covered as well as the gist of possible scenarios, but NO details are given regarding the process. As the saying, goes the "devil's in the details" - in this case so is the money and you won't make ANY if this is the only book you read. If you don't have ANY book on foreclosures this would be an OK place to start, but my suggestion is to keep looking or find a good foreclosure attorney (no I'm NOT an attorney) willing to tutor you in the ins and outs of the process and explain the pros and cons for the homeowner and mortgage company and where an investor/buyer may fit in.

Decent information and approaches
This book provides a relatively poor overview of the foreclosure process (understandable since it changes somewhat by locality) and spends way too much time on salesy sounding scripts to use when talking to people. However, there are enough useful tidbits to make the book worth reading. ... Read more

Book Description

The most widely read and utilized book ever on new home sales.Now in its fifth printing, this is a multi-dimensional systems approach for sales professionals.It details the skills that are required to master the new home sales process. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Just another sales book.
The book is well written and easy to follow, but it is relatively generic. I believe it to be a little over priced for its content.

Not Great!
This book is extremely basic and can be read in about an hour. Hardly worth the price for a 139 page paper back.

This book is success insurance for New Home Sales!
This book is an essential for any person in the New Home Sales market. No matter if you are new to the business or a decade- plus verteran, this practical and direct approach to new home sales (when followed to the "T") will guarantee extraordinary results! ... Read more

Book Description

In Buy It, Fix It, Sell It...Profit!, real estate investor and rehabbing expert Kevin Myers presents all-new insights on how to create a quick turnaround in your investments by renovating properties for profit.

Beginning and experienced real estate investors will benefit from the new and improved real estate rehabbing techniques to develop a high-profit, low-overhead business.This expanded edition discusses property inspection, tax issues, funding projects, andmaximizing profits.Buy It, Fix It, Sell It...Profit! is a hands-on guide sprinkled with inspirational stories for those who want to create a financially secure future. ... Read more

Reviews (42)

Beginners: this is your book.
I read "Flipping Properties" by William Bronchik and Robert Dahlstrom and I wish I hadn't even read it, let alone bought it. This book by Kevin Meyers is much, much, much better for beginning investors. It tells you what you need to know without delving into a bunch of pretentious real estate legal and technical jargon that's only designed to confuse and intimidate the reader like Bronchik and Dahlstrom's book. Also, this writer actually knows how to write linear paragraphs which is something those other two clowns could really use a lesson in. I highly recommend this book for the beginner who wants to generate some instant cash profits in real estate. If you read Bronchik and Dahlstrom's book and you don't know much about real estate, you're gonna get to the end of it thinking "I'll never be able to do this." Instead, read this book by Meyers. It's better, it's written better, it's more readable, it's more comprehendible, it's everything that other piece o' crap isn't. Get it.

Good deal for $13.97!
I just got done reading this book and learned a lot from it. Though I have yet to purchase a home, the buy-fix-sell strategy advocated in this book seems to be the way to go as compared to the buy-[fix]-rent-[sell] strategy in "Investing in Real Estate, Fourth Edition," (the other real estate investing book I bought along with this one). This book was easy to read and was not unnecessarily complicated. The author seems to be writing from experience and offers many practical insights. I feel that the one major drawback of this book was that it does not cover seller financing in enough detail, therefore it's not possible for me to apply seller financing techniques without getting assistance from another source. For that reason I'm only giving the book 4 stars. For $13.97, this book is definitely worth it!

On a related note, I'm more than ½ way done reading "Investing in Real Estate, Fourth Edition" and I would suggest that a beginner to real estate NOT read it. It uses too many uncommon terms that are not predefined. And worse off it doesn't even offer a glossary. Also, one of the authors is a PhD, so I guess he likes to throw a lot of formulas around. Even though they are simple formulas, I think it's just totally unnecessary to use them so often. I actually started reading this book first, then got tired of it and started reading "Buy It, Fix It, Sell It: PROFIT!." What a difference in writing styles! I'm going to eventually finish this book just to broaden my knowledge, though so far I feel that the buy-[fix]-rent-[sell] strategy in this book has too many liabilities for what it's worth.

Practical
As other reviewers have said, this is written for the layman. Maps the flipping process out and tells you how to do it in easy to understand language. A great starter book. Covers what to look for, working with an R.E. agent, appraisals, foreclosures, purchasing for cash(and how to get it), using private morgage lenders(the hard stuff!),negotiating, inspection, renovation, hiring contractors, and how to sell quickly for top dollar. The final chapter delves into some more advanced strategies. I'm just now getting into "flipping" books and this is one of the best.

ONLY for the complete newbie
This is the first book I've bought solely on the praise of other reviewers. It is also the first book I have ever returned in the four years I've been buying from Amazon. Wow! What a complete disappointment!

Buy it, Fix it, Sell it: Profit! should only be bought by people who have never read ANYTHING regarding buying houses, fixing them up, and selling for profit. I read the free e-book from David Whisant while waiting for this book to arrive...The e-book contained more information and went more in-depth into the topics than this book did.

I have never written a completely negative review before, so here goes: this book is well written and laid out. Having said that, I think that ten minutes spent at google will provide you with a couple of good sites that give more information than this book does.

Not bad, looking forward to a less dated edition...
Anyone spending the enormous amount of money needed to buy property can't frown at $13 for a reference book, if they can glean anything from the book. This guy definitely isn't a writer but the book did contain some good tips. Do yourself a favor and make sure you buy the newest addition - I picked up the '97 and it was extremely dated. My other issue with this book is he uses examples with very unrealistic dollar figures, even if adjusted for inflation. Do you think you're going to buy a $100,000 "handyman special" and renovate it until it's in "doll house/sparkling condition", with that renovation to include a new roof, updated baths, complete kitchen remodel, paint, carpet and landscaping...all for $9,000? Good luck. The roof alone could cost that much and certainly the kitchen is going to run more than $1800 if you're replacing cabinets; even if you were to buy the cheapest of the cheap materials and do the work yourself, in which case the end result would look cheap. To his credit, he harps on the fact that you need to do your homework and estimate all the rehab costs to build them into your offer price - but if you're new to this don't get sticker shock when your estimates for all the above items come in more in the $25,000 neighborhood. One thing I tend to disagree with is his contention that you shouldn't even consider doing the work yourself. If you're starting out and building relationships with subcontractors I think an advanced do-it-yourselfer can do almost anything, you have so many resources available to you with Home Depot, TV and the internet. The key would be getting things done quickly, so maybe farming out the time consuming and dangerous work is okay, but you can do the other stuff yourself much cheaper. Of course, after a few houses and once you've got a HVAC guy you trust, a plumber and electrician you trust and possibly drywall and paint guys you trust, you might take the advice of the book and spend your time looking for the next house.

I did find this book useful enough that I'll be buying the 2003 edition today, you just need to look at it as another resource and not the rehabber bible. ... Read more

Book Description

Sell It By Owner and Save is an absolute gold mine filled with practical tips, tools, and techniques that will help the owner prepare for and sell their property, without a real estate agent, saving thousands of dollars in commission fees (this book has proven itself). This book clearly explains how to price and market a home anywhere, deal with aggressive agents, work with prospects, handle the paperwork and good faith deposit plus much more. You’ll find true-to-life examples that make the entire selling process easy to understand. SELL IT BY OWNER and SAVE will give homeowners the confidence they deserve, the know-how to succeed and the courage to see the sale through to completion. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Outstanding resource for anyone considering selling by owner
This book was an extremely valuable resource and answered all of our FSBO questions. This was our first home sale, so we were a bit apprehensive about how the entire process would work. As it turned out, it was much easier than we could have imagined.

We live in a relatively active area, so we decided not to spend any money on advertising and instead feed off of the other listed properties within our neighborhood. We did put a nicer-than-usual FSBO sign in the yard with an attractive flyer box crafted from a small apartment-style mailbox. We received two strong offers the second week and had a signed contract for 98% of our sale price 19 days after we put the sign out. Since we negotiated a 2.5% commission with the buyer's agent, we saved almost exactly $10,000 over the 7% requested by each full-service agent we interviewed.

Speaking of agents, one of the best parts of this book is the section detailing the tactics that agents will use to try to encourage you to list your home with them. The first four calls/visits we received after putting our home on the market were from agents, and Michael's book did a great job of preparing me in advance to handle those conversations.

Michael's point that 'presentation is everything' will be key to your success. We had our house recarpeted and repainted prior to showing the home. We even rented a storage unit to move some of the 'clutter' out of the house prior to showing. It paid off for us, and if you follow the author's guidance, it will pay off for you too!

PS - Two other homes in our neighborhood are the exact same floor plan as ours, and both were listed by agents with 7 days of our own home going on the market. Our home has been under contract for 30 days, both of those homes are still on the market. Don't let agents discourage you - FSBO really works!

A bargain at any price!
As I began reading SELL IT BY OWNER and SAVE, I realized this was no ordinary How-To text. It is obvious that the author "knows his stuff," and that he is able to explain real estate buying/selling in a conversational style that is both understandable and entertaining. Clearly, his goal was to provide an abundance of useful information to help homeowners achieve success. I highly recommend this book.

Excellent reference book!
I was clueless about how to proceed in selling my home myself, but this book has provided me with all of the information I need. It is an honest assessment of how to sell your own home and is easy to read in and organized format, which will make it easy for future reference.

For anyone who is considering selling their home
Sell It By Owner & Save is a practical, straightforward guide to selling a home without a broker. Accessibly written by a professional broker in down-to-earth, layman's language, Sell It By Owner & Save covers each step of the sale in clear detail. Sell It By Owner & Save is a superbly presented "how to" primer for anyone who is considering selling their home, whether they want to enlist the aid of a broker or not!

Top Marks for an Excellent, well Researched book.
Seldom does one find in self-help books the kind of frank, insightful advice that one does in Michael Kloian's book.

Not only did I find the information accurate and reliable but also totally consistent with my experiences in real estate for over 20 years. But it is also an entertaining book, one written with a sense of humor and compassion by someone who has a genuine concern for the average homeowner with little experience.

It is written without pretense and in a style that is eminently readable. I found particularly insightful and revealing many of the inside tips that only someone with the author's long experience in working with both buyers and sellers could possibly know, and yet be willing to share.

A cursory glance at the table of contents alone will illustrate to anyone the depth and breath of the author's sweep of all the salient issues attendant to the task of selling or in fact even buying a home.

I found nothing overlooked and must even say that the frank discussion of unforeseen problems was both important and necessary for the unwary homeowner to read.

His advice on when and how to engage professionals in the process will save homeowners a great deal of money while at the same time provide them with the requisite tools to act responsibly and professionally in all their transactions.

It is a pungent and strikingly honest book and one that deserves high praise.

I heartily recommend the book to anyone interested in either buying or selling their own home. It was a pleasure to read and confirmed all that I myself have learned in my many years in the business.

- A reader in San Francisco. ... Read more

Book Description

Everything the first-time buyer needs to know to avoid the 106 most common mistakes in purchasing a home or condo…

Written especially for first-timers, this eye-opening guide turns you into an educated consumer, ensuring that the home or condo you buy is both a comfortable place to live and an investment that appreciates in value. Compiled from the experience of hundreds of homebuyers, real estate agents, home builders, and mortgage lenders, it shows you the most common mistakes buyers make and illustrates them in practice so you don’t fall into the same traps.

Now revised and expanded, this invaluable resource covers everything from negotiating with sellers and making the down payment to shopping for the best mortgage and handling the closing. The new Third Edition also includes two totally new chapters that offer advice on writing a purchase contract and using the Internet to find a home. Discover how to save time, money, and frustration by avoiding:

Mistake No. 35: We looked at selling prices but still overpaid.
Mistake No. 39: My agent told me this was a good school district.
Mistake No. 41: We bought into an upscale development that’s moving downscale.
Mistake No. 65: We should have looked at the utility bills.
Mistake No. 82: We let our agent negotiate for us.
Mistake No. 105: We didn’t buy.We were afraid of making a mistake.

Written by one of the nation’s leading real estate experts and packed with hundreds of valuable tips and suggestions, The 106 Common Mistakes Homebuyers Make, Third Edition will give you the confidence–and the wisdom–to buy the right home at the right price. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

A little too gung-ho
I didn't get much out of this book because the author seems to think that homebuying is right for everyone at practically anytime. He didn't present the other side of the coin. And he focused primarily, it seemed to me, on low-income home-searchers. If you are such a person, this book may be right for you. I was looking for a book to help me think through the process of finding a broker I could trust, what I should expect from a broker, how to determine what kind of house I really should buy (so I don't buy based on love at first sight), and other planning tools (not planning in terms of saving for a down payment, but planning in terms of the homebuying process). This book really didn't give me any of that. I bought 2 other books for first-time homebuyers at the same time, and I'm just getting into the second one, which I find MUCH more useful and geared towards what I'm looking for. It's called "Questions every first-time homebuyer should ask" by Ilyce Glink. She is a broker, which of course means that her slant may be different from this book, but a lot of what she writes about doesn't involve the brokerage process at all. Like "how do I know what I want", "how do I fiure out where I really want to live", "how do I look for a home", "should I use a buyer's broker", "how do I identify what I need in a home versus what I like in a home", and then more subjects on negotation, determining what I can afford, financing, things to do before you close, and lots of other useful information. Last but not least, the author of the subject book had a very, very annoying writing style. I felt like it was geared toward a third-grader. The Glink book is much more of an enjoyable read.

By far the best
Having spent several hours in B&N reading through the many different books on homebuying, we bought this one and Dummies. 106 Mistakes turned out to be the best by far. It gave us far more concrete examples concerning everything from mortgages to inspection to homeowner associations. In addition, it really helped us understand how to evaluate the appraisal as wellas the investment potential of the homes and neighborhoods we were considering. Eldred's experience and expertise seems to stand head and shoulders above the others. Plus, this book is the most entertaining to read. Don't look for a home without it.

Grossly exaggerated!!!
This book is written for the benefit of real estate agents. I am constantly irrated by the author bragging on how real estate would make money. Based on what? His calculations are seriously flawed to a point that it is not even funny. He assumes one does not need money to maintain his/her house - no money out.

I did a simple calculation which assumes $180,000 house with 10% down and 3.25% property tax and 6.5% interest rate on 30 years term. The out of pocket money WITH tax credit will run you up to $1100. If you add lawn mow, cable, water, electricty etc., you know what I am talking about. This is the money down the drain. You house needs to appreciate at least 9% to just break even, and how can the author say 4% appreciation rate would make you money?

I give it 3 stars because it does provide some good comments like priorities you need to list out before you buy. It is still a good read on many other topics. I just hope the author can save his sales pitch.

Could have been far better if it concentrated on the top 25
I am not sure if there are 106 COMMON mistakes homebuyers make. I think the number is probably more like 25. The author addresses "common mistakes" which most of us wouldn't care about. For example, #44 "Find out whether you will fit in with your neighbors" (do most of us even care what our neighbor thinks of us?) , #51 "We seldom see the Sun here" (you mean not everywhere is like California????), #76 "The worst they can do is say no" (*yawn*). Having said this, there are SOME good information here which is worth the cheap price of this book. Just don't expect all the 106 "common mistakes" apply to you.

Good, but best as an adjunct.
Gary Eldred, The 106 Common Mistakes Home Buyers Make (Wiley, 2002)

Reading this on the heels of Ilyce Glink's book may not have been a good idea, or it may have been a great one. I'm not sure yet. The two mostly cover the same ground, though Eldred never even brings up the possibility of buying a home without a realtor (Glink glosses over it), and Eldred does get into a little more detail about a few things. He also has a more cynical attitude towards the subject than Glink, but then looking at the books' titles alone should convey that well enough.

A good adjunct, but not sure it would be as good a stand-alone tome; Eldred misses a few beats in telling you the options you have while he's too busy shutting the door on the options you should avoid. Best read in tandem with Glink. *** ½ ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Forget about it
As mentioned by other reviewers - This book has many typos and incomplete sentences that don't make sense. The diagrams in the book are so grainy that they're almost useless. The material content of the book is not detailed and only barely scrapes the surface of the most important items. My suggestion - forget about this one!

The Bible of Home Inspection
If your serious about a career in home inspection or your curious about how your home works, this is the book. Well thought out and full of information on the systems, components and construction of your home.

Mildly Disappointed
When one pays for a book, one expects to receive something a little special. The subject matter is, of course, limited to a small target population, resulting in limited distribution and higher unit cost. Having said that, no matter what the cost, one does not expect to encounter typos or incomplete sentences and topics, as found in this book. On page 75, for example, the last sentence in the left column reads "Wall sectons are" and that's the end of the thought, the topic ends there! The new topic, Platform Framing, begins in the right colum of that same page. Also, some of the illustrations are not completely clean and clear, like they've been copied on the copy machine too many times. I almost expect a hardbound edition with color photos or illustrations. What justifies this book costing more than most of its competition? Yes, I'm happy to add it to my library. No, I don't consider it a good value. And, once again, typos and omissions are unforgiveable. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Mastering Home Inspection
This book is very well thought out. It is extremely detailed yet easy to comprehend.

It definitely makes you aware of how important it is to know what you are looking for during an inspection, how to protect yourself against lawsuits, and what is required to start a business. A definite two thumbs up! ... Read more

Book Description

Huge fortunes can be amassed by holding real estate for the long term-up to 20 or 30 or years in some cases.Yet most people don't have the luxury of time and need cash to cover their day-to-day expenses.To that end, nationally renowned real estate expert Ron LeGrand has developed a method of buying real estate to generate cash that he calls "quick turning."Over the past 15 years, he has bought and sold more than a thousand properties for fast-cash profit using the method.

In How to Be a Quick Turn Real Estate Millionaire: Make Fast Cash with No Money, Credit, or Previous Experience, LeGrand shares this system for buildinglong-term wealth.With wit and wisdom, he outlines four main categories of "quick-turn" transactions: retailing, wholesaling, assumptions, and lease/options.He helps readers understand which type of transaction is appropriate for their specific cash flow goals, and he reveals how-to secrets that real estate investors, and wannabe investors, can use to:
* Get rich on fixer-uppers without lifting a hammer.
* Find motivated sellers.
* Negotiate win-win deals.
* Sell houses fast.
* Succeed while others fail. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A True Self Made Real Estate Millionaire
I became aware of Ron Legrand 2 years ago, and the first time I listened to him speak, I realized he had something you can't find on late night infomercials. STREET SMARTS! He has mastered the art of communication from the seller's point of view as if he's reading their cards on every big hand at the poker table. I only rate the book a 4 star effort because he is better to listen to! A remarkable man who has helped American dreams come true, by the thousands. Thanks Ron and Amazon!

Keith

Maryland, USA

Great Book
Ron's book is remarkable. I have been doing Real Estate Investing the LeGrand way for a year now. I have made a great profit and my wife and I are very excited about the prospect for the future. This book is a good foundation for more education on creative real estate by Ron and others.

Quick Turn Real Estate is not a Get Rich Quick Scheme like some of the others, but it is a Get Rich Business. You can do this!!! with no money or credit!! I have done deals on properties of over $350,000 with only $250 of my own money in the deal.

This book takes over where Robert Kiyosaki left off. It is the meat of the entree. I didn't know how to do real estate investing after the Rich Dad's Series, but it got me interested just like it was suppose to do. Ron and his techniques will get me where Robert said I needed to go.

Fantastic. Buy it. Read it. Live it. Don't be a thinker brain, be an alligator brain and just do it. ... Read more

Book Description

The most complete volume of real estate classified ads ever written!Cover to cover, this is easy-to-use reference is jam-packed with 2,001 winning ads for just about any listing you'll ever have. From condos to mansions and everything in between.

What's more, each chapter is broken down by location, size, terms, style and special features. Includes a complete listing of dozens of useful "ad tips' and a list of hundreds of words and phrases to help you describe even the most difficult properties in just the right way. The new 3rd edition has been fully updated to meet HUD's Part 109-Fair Housing Advertising Guidelines. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Super easy reference that gets used alot in my office!
I work on a team with 2 other realtors and each week when we get together to go over our advertising we're always looking for a "unique" or "powerful" ad. This book has hundreds of great ideas and fully written ads. The best part is that you can piece together parts from different ads to get the ideal one for the property you're advertising.

I would have given it five stars, but some of the categories of property types they give ads for I never see, let alone list, and some of the ones I do list are not included (for example Planned Unit Developments).

Overall a super reference and well worth the investment.

Great Help
I write over 60 ads a month and this has really helped in streamlining and getting the calls to come in. ... Read more

Book Description

Home buyers and house architects agree: the most exciting things on the housing market today are modular homes. They can be built and reach move-in condition in just a few weeks, and they offer a host of customizing possibilities.

Now Andy Gianino, founder and president of The Home Store, the largest dealer of modular homes in the Northeast, has written a comprehensive handbook for prospective modular home buyers. The book is packed with everything you need to know about buying and building a modular home--or a modular addition to your existing home.

Gianino dispels the misconceptions about the limitations of modular homes and shows potential buyers that a modular home can be as good as, if not better than, houses built with traditional stick-frame construction. Then he gets down to the nitty-gritty: choosing a dealer, working with a general contractor, selecting a floor plan, choosing the customized details, even planning the landscaping around the house. Throughout the book the emphasis is on top-quality materials and cost-effective measures to ensure that the buyer gets their dream home at a great price. What's more, this book is equally useful for anyone already in the modular business or looking to get in as a dealer, manufacturer, designer, or specialized general contractor.

Illustrated throughout with a 16-page fullcolor insert, plus a host of house plans, The Modular Home shows home buyers how going modular can expand their choices, save time, save money, and prove to be more durable than conventionally-built houses. ... Read more

Book Description

Inspecting a House, aimed at home buyers, real estate agents, and inspectors, discusses all major problem areas in the process in a logical sequence; covers everything from storage tanks to chimney flashing; and shows how to analyze every system in a house. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Already saved me thousands of dollars
Although subtitled "For Pros, by Pros," I think any homeowner or home buyer can benefit from Inspecting A House. This winter it saved me potentially thousands of dollars in repair costs by pointing out the danger of snow build up along the eaves and dormers of my house. It's also helped me identify areas of potential concern where a little preventative maintenance can save me a lot of money down the road.

Inspecting A House's strengths include its in-depth information, easy to understand conversational tone, clear illustrations, and revealing four-color pictures of what to look for (and look out) for. Each chapter concludes with a handy checklist which you can easily photocopy and take with you as you examine your own house or go house shopping.

Inspecting a Book would be a bargain at twice the price.

Book Doesn't Discuss Many Important Topics
Doing construction work for the past 25 years makes me very knowledgable about houses. I bought this book to become a home inspector and found it to be lacking in many ways to say the least. Your local handyman could teach you more about inspecting houses than this book can. The most important topics for home construction and inspections were not even discussed in this book.

I do not recommend this inspector book.
For many years I have been working in real estate and I found this book to be very brief and basic. I cannot see how a home owner would benefit from the basic advice talked about in this book. Perhaps a book on home contstruction would be far more helpful to you. My customers ask me for advice about books to read when they buy a house and this is not one of the titles I would give them. This is not an expensive book but my main concern is reading a good book that I can learn from, not just getting a low price on it.

Inspecting A House
This is a great starter book for a general introduction into the field of home inspection. It is widely used and recommended for the Humber College - online home inspection certificate program.

Over 100 online course participants have commented on the easy reading style, and excellent photographs that accompany this book. Its also used in our face to face delivery. Its personally one of my favourites.

Terrible book for anyone who knows home inspections.
The author of this book needs to learn proper home inspection procedures before he sells himself as knowledgable. I have been inspecting homes for 19 years and often give lectures on the topic. After reading most of this book I realized what a waste of money it was because the information was incorrect or incomplete. I can't believe how many mistakes I found in this book. I'm glad I returned it for a refund on my money but not happy I wasted my time reading it! ... Read more

Book Description

If you’re like most people, your biggest investment is your house. Sell your house wisely and you not only save loads of time, but you also pocket thousands—if not tens of thousands—of dollars more than you would otherwise.  Making a big mistake in the sale of your house, on the other hand can easily cost you additional weeks—perhaps even months—of work and headache as well as half a year’s worth (or more) of your take-home income.

If you want to sell your house and don’t know where to start, House Selling for Dummies, Second Edition can show you the way. If you’ve researched this topic and would like to discover more about certain aspects of selling your home, then look no further.

House Selling for Dummies, Second Edition is a user-friendly, holistic book totally oriented to your needs as a seller. This friendly guide cuts through confusing real estate lingo and explains in plain English how to make the best possible decisi ons for your situation—whether that decision means staying in your current home rather than selling or if it means selling through a good local real estate agent. This updated edition can help you avoid making mistakes in your selling decisions and will ensure that you sell your home in the best way possible. This down-to-earth guide shows you how to:

• Research your options and the personal finance ramifications of your decision to sell or not to sell
• Decide whether you should sell your house yourself or bring in an agent
• Find the right team of real estate professionals to work with
• Prepare your house before you put it on the market
• Determine the value of your house
• Time the sale of your house
• Negotiate the sale of your house
• File your income taxes after the sale of your house

Reviews (9)

Fairly Helpful
We recently sold our house ourselves. It worked. It was definitely worth it.

I bought this book to help me better understand the issues I was facing when we got started. It was helpful and definitely worth the money. The language was easy to understand and it did highlight a number of issues that made the process easier for me.

Unfortunately there was a lot of information that didn't apply to a fairly normal situation and a number of things weren't covered (one issue is that real estate laws can vary a great deal from state to state). I think a lot of people could find the important stuff mentioned in this book on the internet or from talking to friends.

Lots of good advice
I wish I had read this book BEFORE hiring an agent, it would have saved me a lot of grief and maybe some cash. Don't think that this book is just for people selling a house themselves -- there is a lot for those who choose to work with an agent. If you go into the selling process without knowledge, you're largely at the mercy of someone who interests don't overlap yours in every way. This is the most important financial transaction of most people's lives, self-education is the best way to prevent stress and getting burned.

The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is the relative lack of information about how to leave your house -- what is expected of the seller in terms of patching walls, cleaning etc.

This book is the best investment you can make
This book was indispensable while I was selling my house. The numerous practical tips on preparing a house for sale and the explanation of the legal ins and outs were certainly helpful, but what was absolutely invaluable was the advice on avoiding the emotional pitfalls that can make you miserable and keep you from making the best business deal. Using this book's advice, I priced my house right and staged it well, and it sold very quickly for above the asking price.

This is a very small investment that will help you with a six-figure financial transaction, so it's well worth the cover price.

Don't be discouraged, all you FSBOs out there!
While I agree with a previous reviewer that it was a little discouraging that the authors thought so highly of realtors, I just ignored that part and used all the other very useful information in this book. Short story short, our house ad went in the paper on a Friday (in what the book termed "Death Valley" season, no less) and we had our buyer the next Monday!!

The info on how to spruce up your house and how to negotiate the contract was a big help. We did it all without a realtor, got the price we were aiming for, and avoided that ridiculous commission.

Absolutely practical
With no other experience than this book and its sister 'House Buying for Dummies' I have done 3 transactions over the last two years. I used them as overviews, instruction manuals and reference guides. Covers the basics in straight forward language, and also goes into sufficient detail to not require buying another books. Don't be fooled or ashamed of the title. There is nothing but intelligence in this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Thirteen years ago, Tom Hopkins, the top real estate sales trainer in the country,published How to Master the Art of Listing and Selling Real Estate—theindustry’s bible—which has consistently sold well despite information that has becomesomewhat outdated. But now Hopkins gives a cutting-edge revamp to his still- popularclassic. Along with its new title, readers can expect a complete elimination of datedmaterial and inclusion of the most current information on the role of the Internet andcomputer software needed by every real estate professional.

Full of anecdotes, sales scripts, and proven tactics, Mastering the Art of Selling RealEstate will show readers how to:

• Find the best listing prospects
• Win over "For Sale by Owner" sellers
• Earn the seller’s trust
• Work an unrealistic price down to market
• Arrange the final agreement

Anyone who’s serious about real estate can take charge with Mastering the Art ofSelling Real Estate. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Buying a home requires skill in a variety of areas. There's negotiating, financing, inspecting a home, and understanding legal contracts. It's really too much for most people to do by themselves, which, as you know by now, is why most of us pay good money to hire real estate agents, mortgage brokers, home inspectors, and other professionals to help with the process. But that doesn't remove the buyer from the role of project manager, whose job is to understand what each specialist is meant to do and recognize when one of those key players is not doing his or her job right. Books such as 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask help the novice gain a solid understanding of the basics involved in this often complex process. The questions in this second edition of author Ilyce R. Glink's book also make buyers think about their decisions. If you want to buy an older home, for example, do you understand that older windows may need caulking or new sashes, that bathroom tiles may need regrouting, and that an older home may need rewiring, a new hot water heater, or a new furnace right away? Other questions range from the routine (How much can I afford? How do I make an offer?) to some that are hard to anticipate (What if the seller wants to stay in the house after the closing? Who should attend the closing?). Chapters are devoted to key topics, including figuring out what kind of house you want (this effort starts with a "wish list" and improves with a "reality check"), knowing what you can afford, putting together and negotiating a deal, financing your home, closing on the deal, and then doing what it takes to live happily ever after. Of course, living happily ever after requires understanding when it's time to move on to your next home, a process that may find you dusting off this book in the coming years. --John Russell ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Forget 'Dummies'. Listen to Ilyce!
I'm in the process of learning about buying a home. I've read 5-6 books on the subject. Some books explain things a bit but still leave you with questions. Other books seem to "preach" their philosophy but that may not be right for everyone. By far the best book, I've read has been "100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask, Second Edition : With Answers from Top Brokers from Around the Country" by Ilyce R. Glink. This book is incredibly easy to read, but thorough enough to answer the questions that the other books left me asking. Whether you're a first time buyer or someone looking to brush up on home buying...this book is for you.

Great book for first time home buyers
My husband and I will be looking for our first home soon, so I picked up this book at the library. I think it is very helpful in explaining all the terms and steps you will have to go through when looking for and purchasing a home, but it has so much information it can be overwhelming. I would skim through it first and look at the questions that pertain to you instead of trying to read it word for word. Overall it is helpful if you're new to home buying and have no idea what to expect or do!

Overwhelming in its thoroughness
Wow! I bought this book and "Home Buying for Dummies." This is by far the better book. As my husband and I embark on this tenuous journey of home ownership, we are nervous to the point of being panicked, especially since we live in a very hot, overpriced market. This book is doing wonders to calm our nerves and abate our fears. Education is a powerful tool.

Glink's book is well-organized and about as thorough as it gets. I haven't yet found a question I had that she didn't answer in the book. The book is so jam-packed, though, that I found it's best to just look up my specific questions (once I got the "basics" covered). Otherwise, you may find yourself wading through vast amounts of information that don't apply to your situation.

I am very happy I bought this book. The information is probably the next best thing to having a trusted friend or family member in the business.

The best I have read yet
I have read 5 books on home buying in preparation of purchase of a new home and this book has been the best of them (I also recommend "How to save Thousands of Dollars on your Home Mortgage"). The book deals with mortgage, realtors, home inspection, price negotiation, and closing. Unless you are a real estate professional, you will learn plenty from this book. It also helps the author is a very fluid writer and her explainations are precise and easy to understand.

My only gripe is despite its 500 pages, the book is too short! The last 150 pages are spent on appendix and the book has a large print. Yes, the book is concise but at the expense of being more comprehensive. But I am being picky here, you will not regret picking this book over others in the market.

Good stuff.
Ilyce R. Glink, 100 Questions First-Time Homebuyers Should Ask (Three Rivers Press, 2000)

The title of this book, perhaps, does it something of a disservice. The information to be found here is useful for anyone in the process of looking for a new home. Sure, a good deal of it will be more useful to those who haven't been through the process before (the section on different types of mortgages, and different breeds of mortgage brokers, is likely to be especially helpful), but since buying a new home isn't something one does on a weekly, or even a yearly, basis most of the time, there's stuff in here that might make for it being a good refresher course when it comes time to sell. (As well, it may remind the sellers of the state of mind of the homebuyer and invoke a little sympathy.) Much of it may seem like common sense, but let's not forget that the vast majority of humanity are notably devoid of that particular capacity.

Good stuff, well worth reading. **** ... Read more

Book Description

This brand new practical guide will assist all new home sales professionals in their daily quest for new home sales success. Designed to be always readily available, it is loaded with new and revised strategies, techniques and scripts. ... Read more

Book Description

A PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

The first simple guide to understanding the real estate closing process

Closing and escrow are among the most important­­and least understood­­components of a real estate transaction. The Complete Guide to Your Real Estate Closing takes the mystery out of the confusing, expensive process by giving real estate professionals, investors, and consumers a step-by-step explanation. In simple, everyday language, the book explains closing documents and paperwork, what to do when something goes wrong, mortgage options, how to save money on title insurance, problems that can occur on a title report,

and much more. With sample forms, work sheets, and more, this sophisticated but accessible book covers:

• Insider tips on how to save money­­from a closing professional
• Who does what: the real estate agent, lender, title company, closing officer, attorney
• State-specific information for all 50 states

Reviews (5)

The Best Guide
"This book has all the information anyone needs for all aspects of a closing. It tells you the right questions to ask, when to ask them, and includes helpful checklists, which are really user-friendly. I used this personally in my latest closing, and it was the best guide I could have had. The list of documents needed to be sure the closing goes smoothly was great. Sandy Gadow is the leading author and expert on closings and escrow and I appreciated the easy to read style of her book. Worth buying this book!"

The Complete Guide to Your Real Estate Closing
I really enjoyed this book. The book is written very clearly, with great illustrations and examples. The easy to understand way in which closing was explained made sense and was easy to follow. I have read many real estate books, but never one written by a closing professional. Someone who really knows the subject matter from first hand experience. This book prepared me for what to expect at closing, what fees I was allowed to question and how to negotiate lower closing costs. I realized that settlement errors just don't happen at the mortgage level, they also happen at the title company. This book delivered on it's title. It really is a complete guide and a handy reference book. I went to closing with less worry and more confidence than ever before. I understood what I was doing and what to question. This is the only book I could find that really helps you with the final and most critical part of a real estate purchase (or sale).

just a little reassurance
This is a good choice if you feel skittish about following thru with the largest transaction in your life. Much of this book didn't apply to me because I'm buying just land in NC with cash --a transaction that's much simplified from the stuff she covers here. Much is made of escrow, but in NC, as far as I can tell, escrow is not as central to the closing process. There is an appendix on the differences between the closing procedures between all of the US states, but it would be nice if this was beefed out a little more. Still worth it, comprehensive, and good links to web resources.

One of the Top Real Estate Books
I was surprised to find a book so easy to read and yet was so comprehensive. This is a book which finally explains,in layman's terms, closing costs,legal escrow documents,and most important to me, what to watch out for. You will like how the book tells you who to ask which questions and what each person should be doing and when. The full page size sample forms were great and easy to copy for my use. This book contains more than just escrow and closing information - it includes tips on taxes, property inspections, and what to do after the sale is closed.

Easy to read and easy to understand!
Sandy Gadow's new escrow book is terrific! It is basically the same book as her previous book, All About Escrow and Real Estate Closings, but this new book is up-dated with the newest information and I especially liked the new chapter on tax deferred exchanges. I started investing in rental properties not too long ago, and Sandy's book on escrow and closing really helped me understand all those complicated closing papers and closing costs. I was able to save money on title insurance and I negotiated with the lender to reduce some of their closing fees. I would recommend this book to anyone buying or selling real estate. I found information in Sandy's book that I could not find in other real estate books. Easy to read and easy to understand. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Fantastic renovation guide
Dworin is a clear, engaging writer. He presents the pros and cons of this business honestly. I read this large book in a few days and was eager to go out and start rehab-ing straight away. I would recommend this book for 1) anyone thinking of doing this as a business, 2) anyone contemplating remodeling their own home, or 3) anyone thinking of buying a home.

Not very useful
This book is useful if you are your own handyman (as the author is) and want pointers on how to do things. Otherwise if you are going to hire your own contractor or handyman, it really is not very useful. For these investors, your money is better spent on a book that covers more in debt things you need to know about what kind of property to look for and how to determine a good buy and financing needed to secure it.

A lot of information for little money!
You know those ... get rich real estate books, videos and CDs that end up only giving you basic common sense information that you already knew (Like the last 45 minute video I watched the spent the whole time telling you to clean up the house before the potential buyer comes over. THIS BOOK IS NOT ONE OF THEM. This book is filled with tons of real, experienced info that you don't already know from common sense. 2 thumbs up!

Excellent, highly informative book on residential rehab.
This book provides an excellent guide to the kind of choices one has to make to be successful at buying, rehabbing and reselling homes. It's practical and realistic, and contains both general theory and strategy guidance as well as very specific, useful rehabbing tips. I have been doing this kind of work for 3 years myself and wish I had read this earlier to save me from some mistakes. ... Read more

Book Description

Goodbye, old house-hello, good buy!

From looking to sell to finding a dream home, this all-in-one guide features new, updated, and vital information and tips on getting the best deal...no matter which side of the deal you're on.

€ Unlike other books, this covers both buying and selling-which usually go hand-in-hand
€ Revised edition includes more information on buying a second home, researching locations, saving on costs, and more
€ Existing-home sales are setting new records every year
€ Very low mortgage rates are making this a great time to buy ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Best home buying primer
I'm currently in the rush to buy a condo in a seller's-market city, and in the last two weeks I read through a dozen home-buying advice books. The Complete Idiot's Guide is by far the best of the bunch, and in case you are comparison-shopping, I think it's much better than the For Dummies title.

The biggest reason is the book, now in its fourth edition, is very comprehensive. The bulk of it covers the buying aspects, but there are a few chapters devoted to selling, and this is a great arrangement. As a potential buyer, it's to your advantage to know what it's like to sell, so when you select a property you will instinctly think of the time when you need to or have to sell. In my caes, I plan to live in the condo for about 5 years and then move to a different city, so having a seller's perspective while I shop for a condo is really helpful. For instance, I saw a nice condo yesterday which I would have bought but when I considered the selling perspective, I saw some problems and decided not to pursue it. As a home buyer, especially a first-time home buyer like myself (that's why I bought this book!), you really want to make a well-rounded decision. Sure there's no perfect house out there -- unless your definition of "perfect" is imperfect -- but the last thing you want is spend half a million dollars on something you regret right after you sign the closing docs.

Second, compared to many books this one is very well written. Maybe I have a slight bias in favor of female writers, but I find women tend to be better in explaining complicated concepts than men. This book is a perfect example of my stereotype. Every chapter is easy to read and follow, and you see the major points right away. The For Dummies title in particular suffers from information overflow and leaves you wondering what you've just read. Which makes it next to being worthless, especially if you are in a rush to get acquainted with the real estate market. There's a lot of information in this idiot's book but the top-notch organization makes it easy to digest... and remember.

(Don't forget, you don't want to carry a home-buying primer around when you shop for a house! If you did you'd simply be taken for an unpleasant ride by greedy sellers and brokers.)

Third, like I mentioned before, this book also covers aspects of the selling process, so it's a great book to keep in case you need to sell. In addition, when you do sell, you can review the home-buying chapters to learn what motivates the buyer, so to get your best deal!

To be honest at first I didn't like the format of this book; the page is wide and there seem too many words. But because the authors write well and clearly, I eventually found it the best primer on home buying, with bonus coverage on the basic of home selling.

Very highly recommended, especially to previously clueless people like yours truly.

3rd Edition
I reorganized the information and examples in this book for the 3rd edition and want to point out a few things to potential readers. Because the book just came out in September 2000, note that the two previous reviews are based on the 1st or 2nd editions,