Book Description

Generate instant cash profits by finding and buying bargain properties, then rapidly reselling them for a profit.Learn how to find and buy bargain properties, then rapidly resell ("flip") them for a profit, without a large cash outlay, a perfect credit record, or even a real estate license.

It's estimated that real estate has made more millionaires than any other financial vehicle.In Flipping Properties, veteran real estate investors and workshop presenters William Bronchick and Robert Dahlstrom explain how to find and buy bargain properties, then rapidly resell ("flip") them for a profit, without a large cash outlay, a perfect credit record, or even a real estate license.Designed as a guide for both experienced and beginning investors, they offer strategies for locating and negotiating deals on profitable properties, as well as renovating, financing and selling those properties for a healthy cash profit. ... Read more

Reviews (56)

It's fluffy, not stuffy!
I purchased this book expecting to learn all about how to flip real estate properties. Although the author, Bronchick, does touch on the subject, I was disappointed by the book's lack of depth and substance. Bronchick barely addresses the real aspects involved in flipping and discusses real estate in theory only, meaning that I couldn't find a single real life example of how he himself flipped a property. The book is only 154 pages, is loosely written, and has little substance. One example of filler in the book is "What is a Realtor?" Bronchick writes almost half a page defining what a realtor is. Maybe there honestly are people who don't know what a realtor is, but as I said, much of the book comes accross as being of little substance.

Another book on the same subject that in my opinion is far superior to Bronchick's is one written by Steve Berges called The Complete Guide to Flipping Properties. In addition to citing many personal examples, Berges also includes many inspiring stories, which I found to be particularly enjoyable.

Flipping real estate made easy and legal
If you're interested in flipping real estate, or the quick buying and selling of property then this is the place to start. Author Bronchick, a Colorado Attorney is an very qualified investor who draws on his experiences buying and selling property and that of his clients and associates. Flipping has recently gotten notoriety from fraudulent activities of false appraisals and other fraudulent activities. The Authors tell you how to work as a flipper and do it legally. There is a glossary in the book as well as 5 appendices listig good deal checklist, sample ads, sample forms, state foreclosure guide, and internet sources. The text of the book is 154 pages and the glossary/appendices are another 55 pages. You may not find everything about flipping in this book, but this is the best place to start if you want to flip real estate, or even if your just curious to fid out more about the business. I for one would have liked to see more depth and more information about flipping in this book.

Best Bang for the Buck!
This book reads very well and contains a lot of practical ideas. I have been investing in real estate for about 10 years and have read a lot of books, most of them hype and fluff. You won't find anything but solid, good advice here, despite the "instant riches" hype in the title.

The book starts out by covering the difference between legal and illegal flipping, an issue commonly misunderstood by real estate brokers and lenders. It then goes on to cover real estate law, finding motivated sellers, drafting contracts, negotiating, estimating rehabs, and funding deals. It wraps up with a nice chapter on the real estate business, going full-time vs. part-time, etc. Lot of bang for the buck.

I've done quite a bit of flipping of properties, and this book really hits the highlights of the process right on the mark. Keep in mind that some lenders (particularly FHA) are not as cooperative in lending on properties that have been flipped recently. This is backlash on the dark side of the business, the fraudulent activities of a few bad seeds. This book, however, will keep on you on the straight and narrow - definitely a must read.

Highly recommended for beginning investors!
I am an experienced real estate broker, and I was looking for a good text to recommend to my beginning investor clients - this is it! The book reads very well, considering the vast amount of technical information about deeds, contracts, escrow, title, etc. No hype in this book, just practical, ethical information about the "quick turn" real estate business. Some very good sample forms are included in the appendix as well. If you are getting started as an investor, this one should be on your list of MUST-READ books!

Weak
Just a gloss over. Offers some weak advice. Look for the worst house in the best neighborhood - ????? Everybody and their dog does that, and how many ratty houses are there in good neighborhoods? For a book like this to be worth anything it needs to offer advice you cant get elsewhere. Try "Fast Cash" by LeGrand for better. ... Read more

Amazon.com

To Peter Lynch, success in the stock market is pretty basic: if a company's earnings rise, then the stock price goes up. "This simple point--that the price of a stock is directly related to a company's earning power--is often overlooked, even by sophisticated investors," the former Fidelity Magellan manager writes in Learn to Earn, his third book on investing. "This is the starting point for the successful stock picker: find companies that grow their earnings over many years to come."

One of the best managers in the history of mutual funds, Lynch is certainly the person to help people choose the right stocks and understand the market. More so than One Up on Wall Street or Beating the Street, this Lynch book is for beginning investors of all ages. Lynch and coauthor John Rothchild are family men who are worried that teenagers aren't learning enough about the importance of American companies in improving lives and creating wealth. Lynch questions why students are taught that Hamlet was a tragic hero and Napoleon was a great general, but they don't know that Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart. In fact, Lynch's grasp of the past is one of the strengths of the book. One of the best chapters is "A Short History of Capitalism," a witty and homespun look at characters like Karl Marx, the Communist who believed capitalism was doomed, and the robber barons, the shrewd railroad magnates of the late 19th century who amassed huge fortunes by manipulating the markets.

Unlike the robber barons, beginning investors, Lynch says, should stick to the basics: get in the habit of saving and investing and putting aside a certain amount every month; develop a strong stomach because the stock market is going to fall and there's no way to anticipate it; do a little homework so you can understand the reasons to own a particular stock; and buy shares in solid companies and don't let go of them without a good reason.

This book marks Lynch's coming out as a fan of "direct investment programs," which are offered by many good companies. You purchase a couple of shares or so directly from the company and then you enroll in a plan and buy more shares each month, in some cases without paying a penny in fees and always without a broker--the way Lynch likes it. Lynch loves these plans because they're a great vehicle for investing a little bit at a time over a long period. Grab onto a company and learn about it, Lynch writes. The more you learn, the more you'll earn. --Dan Ring ... Read more

Reviews (48)

A must for everyone
Unfortunately we'll have to read through passages where Lynch and Rothchild act like the readers are the 15 year-olds that they originally wrote the book for! There is information in this book that even seasoned investors do not know. Unfortunately it isn't all investment info! Lots of history here, which we really should have been taught when we were entering high school! I would recommend Learn to Earn to anyone. They will learn a lot. If you need to learn how to pick stocks based on earnings, try another book after you are done with this one! By the way, I read where Lynch donates all profits from this book to charity!

Awesome for beginners!
My friend lent me this book and I'm so glad he did. I'm a beginner in investing and didn't have a clue about stocks or investing. This book was very concise and clearly written for a beginner investor. I've tried to read other books and either got bored or confused and stopped reading. This one I couldn't put down...so easy to read! I learned A LOT! The chapter on the history of capitalism was also interesting and helpful -- even for someone with a bachelor's in economics. I plan to buy my own copy! Most importantly, it taught me the importance of NOT spending money and investing in it instead!!! AFter reading the book, I stopped wasting money! I plan to read more of Peter Lynch's books!

Good for beginners like me
This book is apparently written for students, but the only way you feel that is the author's occasional attempt to be hip to what brand names his younger readers would recognize.

It is a solid introduction to how companies and the stock market works, with lots of interesting tidbits from history.

I wish he had written more about Index Funds, because further studies have shown me that many experts regard these as the closest thing to a safe bet you can make in stocks. But of course a book consisting of the one sentence "buy index funds" might not sell well. :)

Promotes Dangerous and Inappropriate Activity
Contrary to what the subtitle of this book says, it does not provide an introduction to investing or business. The book is in fact a blasphemous exhortation to 'dabble'- essentially to speculate, in the stock market.

The book, which was written in 1995, right around the middle of the greatest speculative bubble in United States history to date, fed into a common and pernicious malady among small investors- everyone it seems was making 'easy money' in stocks, and naturally many wondered how they too could get some of this 'easy money'. Lynch sought to answer that question within the confines of this misguided, thoroughly misleading book.

Well, of course you know the most recent ancient history. By the end of the 1990s and sometime around 2001, heaps of folks were lucky to have kept about half of what they put into the market, and many never even recovered (nor can they ever hope to recover) their losses to this day. More than a few readers of this book were led astray by the reckless stock cheerleading found throughout this book.

Learn to Earn... was a bad book because it gives the uninformed reader and financial novice just enough information (and an abundance of encouragement) to get himself or herself into a whole lot of trouble in the stock market. It lays out all the benefits of investing, defends with vigor the New Improved American Capitalism, and highlights all the fun and wonderful things that can happen when one one buys stocks and becomes an owner of a Great American Enterprise, without devoting any significant space to the pitfalls, costs and dangers of stock operations. Yet, I sensed in reading this book that the text was written two minds. While Mr. Lynch prattled incessantly about the wonderful world of stocks, with paragraph after paragraph of ebullient optimism, every so often Mr. Rothchild slips in a bit of sobering realism with a sentence or two here and there. In particular, really good morsels of information such as: starting a dedicated savings program before embarking on investing, managing and even better, avoiding, credit debt for investment success, and in any bull market, in the end the little guy gets killed and the Big Boys get bailed out by their rich and politically powerful cronies (as we saw in the last pass of the bull), could only have come from the level-headed and jaded mind of Mr. Rothchild (who by the way authored the cleverly titled gem, A Fool and His Money).

As can be expected with any investment book penned by Mr. Lynch, a number of statements are either half-truths or are just plain wrong. First, Mr. Lynch adheres to his flawed definition of an investor (which he uses in every book)- anyone that buys stocks and only stocks. From this flows his conviction, boldly stated on page 122, "If you are long-term investor, ignore all the bond funds and hybrid funds (those that invest in a mixture of stocks and bonds) and go for the pure stock funds." Throughout the book, he takes a similar stance on individual stock versus bond purchases.

Now, if you had not followed Mr. Lynch's brilliant and worldly wise 'investment counsel', you would have made pretty decent money in both high quality corporate bonds and US Treasuries (or even US Savings Bonds) over the last eight years, especially when compared against your peers who fully invested in stocks. Also, inflation, which Mr. Lynch (and many other scurrilous financial 'experts') uses to scare readers into buying stocks, was moderate during the eight year period, and we even had a spell of deflation at one point, thereby actually boosting bond returns. When all was said and done, it turned out that holding a combination of high quality bonds and high quality stocks out-performed total stock positions over the last few years.

Yet another of Mr. Lynch's erroneous convictions is that investors (buyers of stock) are the vanguards of capitalism. This is a half-truth. In fact, speculators are the vanguard of capitalism, as they provide venture capital and implicitly assume risk. Investors on the other hand, that is, those enterprising souls looking for income with (reasonable) security of capital, only come in after the enterprise has proven itself in the marketplace.

Thus, in essence, readers of this book receive good tutelage on how they too can become speculators, much like the 'stock operators' of the Roaring 1920s. Finally, the fact that the target audienc efor this book is young adults truly shocks me, as quite frankly, Mr. Lynch and others in the financial community are knowingly and purposefully engendering a nation of mindless, stock-buying drones hell-bent on gambling away their hard-won earnings, and their personal financial futures to boot.

Step One
Good beginning book if you have never taken a business class in school or are brand new to investing
Mr Lynch's advice:
Start now
Have a plan
Do your homework
Hang in there for the long term (a 20 year timeline)
I suppose you could apply it to almost anything in life. Losing weight, studying a foreign language, or starting a business etc.
This advice seems a little vanilla to me, however if you are just starting out this may be all you need.
Buy this book if you are in stage one of your investment path. ... Read more

Book Description

Strategies for lifelong, tax-free second home ownership

This book explains how to invest profitably in a vacation or future retirement home. Featuring success stories from second home buyers and often-overlooked financing options, How a Second Home Can Be Your Best Investment provides dozens of strategies and proven how-to avenues for finding the perfect home that will eventually pay for itself. Real estate experts Tom Kelly and John Tuccillo show readers how to save thousands through exchanges and exemptions and include valuable Web resources for both second home buyers and real estate investors. Readers will discover how to:

• Choose a second home and location with maximum appreciation potential
• Use a vacation home as a cash cow rental
• Subdivide a property
• Minimize the hassle factor of an investment --while maximizing rental income

Reviews (2)

Portable Real Estate Strategy is THE Solution for the Future
Tom Kelly and John Tuccillo have hit a GRAND SLAM with simply THE BEST and MOST CURRENT book on buying a second home. The have defined a new concept in real estate: how to make a real estate investment or a second home "portable." It will certainly become real estate's "bible for second homes" and is a MUST READ for buyers, investors and real estate sales pros alike. We are about to embark on the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of the world coupled with baby boomers retiring -- a recipe for EXPLOSIVE GROWTH in second home purchases. Kelly and Tuccillo show how our tax laws can work to everyone's advantage and how a real estate investment and change as one's needs and goals change. No info-mercial here: just easy-to-read and digest facts and examples by two of the real estate industry's most reputable writers and scholars. If you know anyone in the business or know someone thinking about buying a second home or other real estate investment -- buy them this book (and buy yourself one too). There simply is no better way to build wealth in America than through real estate investments.

A terrific book!
This book is meticulously written by two extremely sauvy real estate professionals who cover every aspect of second home ownership and show how one additional property can serve a variety of purposes over time (investment, recreation, retirement). They show how real estate can become "portable" - it can move with you, tax free, through your life while compounding your nest egg. It is a must have book for anyone considering purchasing a second home and might even induce those who hadn't considered this option, to look for a second home as a great investment as an alternative to the uncertain financial markets. ... Read more

Book Description

The Grangaard Strategy equips retirees-and those contemplating retirement-with 12 powerful principles for managing assets during every phase of retirement, including the crucial pre-retirement years.

Based on a groundbreaking new asset management theory presented by renowned financial educator Paul Grangaard, this book explains how to maintain inflation-proof income throughout retirement, without significantly depleting retirement assets. Readers will learn to:

€ Replace paychecks with retirement Income Ladders
€ Calculate how much they can afford to put into higher-return stock market investments
€ Avoid the worst advice in the financial markets
€ Understand compounding, investment returns, and holding periods
€ Take advantage of tax-deferral and protect retirement income against inflation
€ Prepare a flexible plan for dealing with the unexpected
€ Confidently choose the best financial advisor ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Income For Life
Let's face it. People who take time to read books about investing are looking for an edge! Something different that gives them a better chance at success. The Grandgaard Strategy provides that edge. While most investment books all key in on the same objective, accumulating money, this book teaches you how to spend it, and how to spend it without running out! If income during retirement is your objective, you have to read this book! In the 21 years I have worked with Florida retirees, I have never read a book which better answers the question, "How can I best structure my investment portfolio during retirement for income & growth?" If you're getting ready to retire, or if you're already there, you have to buy this book!

Nothing New Here!
What do you people see in this book?!

The book is filled with the standard rules about investing for retirement: invest for the long haul, use compound growth, sell assets when they are high--duh! And all of this is the "Grangaard Strategy?" (OK, so the only slightly valuable advice is: plan to live longer than average.) The book is lacking in any real substance and comes across as a pitch to get you to seek further help from a Grangaard financial planner.

Informercial in book form and not much else
Buy this book to see how someone can effectively mount a very good marketing program. But don't expect to find anything other than platitudes when it comes to financial planning. The material is quite elementary.

I'm guessing somewhat here but I'll bet that Mr. Grangaard's approach to building his business includes:
- Go onto TV and sell his book.
- Load the book review input with 5 stars.
- Get the book buyers to sign up for Grangaard trained financial planners.
- Sell the poor saps that to go these planners Grangaard sponsored products.

Don't waste you money or your time on this.

Forget it !
This book not only is worthless but actually it is risky ,to say the least;if you follow the recommendations of the author.
It reminds me of that famous book in the 80's "No Money Down",that made people (naive people) believe that not only could you buy real state with no money down and no credit ,but that actually you could walk away with money in your pocket!!!
Anyhow,I read at least 1 or 2 books a month on investment as well as on retirement;this book only enphasizes that you have to get a financial planner to "survive" ;obviously, the guy is a CPA himself,other than that,it is plain rubbish.There are tons of better and more informative books out there.

Invest for success with confidence...
This book lays the groundwork for a bridge to financial freedom upon retirement. The twelve principles outlined in this text have worked for me and should work for all. Too many financial planners do not speak to their customers... this book clearly and concisely outlines a road map that will allow me to live comfortably through retirement. I'm recommending this book to my financial planner. ... Read more

Book Description

Veteran construction contractor, and building trades authority, R. Dodge Woodson shows how to profitably transform raw land into housing.This practical guide covers every phase of the land development process as well as essential business practice fundamentals.

NEW TO THIS EDITION: finding and selling property via the Internet, more information on finance and insurance issues, the latest in land ordinances and runoff issues and EPA requirements

Contents: Why Should I Get Into Land Development? * Can I Really Do It? *The Development Team and Selecting the Viable Project * Finding Hidden Treasure *Tying Up Land Without A Full Commitment * Having Your Experts Do Preliminary Checks *Going Over the Ground, From Top to Bottom *Planning On Paper * Storm Water Drainage *Deciphering the Dirt Water Requirements *Land Lost and Costs for Roads *Flood Zones *Location, Location, Location *Plans and Specifications *Getting Developer Bids • Sales Projections * Financing *Zoning • Closing Your Land Deal *Insurance and Subcontractor Needs *Rolling Out the Big Rigs and Site Supervision * Keeping Your Projects on Time and on Budget *A Marketing Plan and Sales Team *New Projects ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Intro to development that could be half as long
A fairly useful overview that describes the issues a developer has to address, but not much about how to address them. For some reason the author tends to repeat himself. He says something and then restates it. He makes the same point twice.

He also tends to be rather vague: "Some aspects of site supervision can be dealt with in many ways. Some ways are more cost-effective than others." The book is full of statements like this.

I have found the book useful to help me identify issues that I need to think about, but if you are looking for answers--this book isn't for you. It should be titled, "What to Expect as a Land Developer."

great start
Woodson doesn't tell the reader how to survey, do his/her own drawings, tell how to design a curb and gutter system. I didn't expect him to! He does walk you through how to get started on the path to be a land developer, including who and/or where to go for the details you will need to get further information, as well as the long list of subjects and details the potential developer needs to consider and explore.

Disappointed reader
This is the worst 'How To' book I have ever read...The author never makes a definitive statement about anything. Instead he says you could do this or that, hire someone or do it yourself, blah blah blah. He rambles on about the same subjects repetitively to fill up the pages. I feel like I have not learned anything of any use after reading the entire book. What a major disappointment!

Dissapointing
I am more than half way through the book and am finding it difficult to continue. The author continues to list the steps of the development process, but with each step he fails to explain how to perform each step or give case examples of how it was done in a particular development. Instead he says "you can hire a professional to do this step if you like." If you do not know how to perform a function, and you hire a professional to perform it for you, a) how can you make any money? and b) how can you be sure that your professional is performing the function correctly? So far this book has been a major dissapointment.

good starting point
Overall this is a good book to get started in land development buy I wish there were more actual examples taking you through all different problems and situations that could arise. ... Read more

Book Description

Praise for THE NEW RULES OF RETIREMENT

"As a Wharton graduate, money manager, Chief Financial Officer, and Certified Financial Analyst, I didn't think I needed help in making investment choices and planning for my retirement. I was wrong. I have been a subscriber to Retirement Watch since 1997. I trust Bob Carlson completely and follow his investment, tax, and planning advice personally."
—Sandy Kagan, CFA
CFO Partner,Tatum Partners

"A clear, practical, and wisely unconventional guide to the new world of retirement."
—Humberto Cruz
Nationally syndicated financial columnist, Tribune Media Services

"Bob Carlson does a magnificent job preparing readers for the many challenging issues they will face over the next several decades. Retirees can no longer count on generous asset returns and employer-provided defined benefit plans. Bob provides readers with creative approaches for contending with these challenges to help ensure financially and emotionally secure 'freedom years'."
—Lawrence E. Kochard, PhD, CFA
Chief Investment Officer, Georgetown University

"Bob Carlson shows that three trends—demographics (baby boomers), increasing longevity, and fewer offspring—have changed forever the landscape facing America's retirees. Stereotype retirement based on Social Security and employer pensions is out; making ends meet on your own is in. Better get yourself ready—and you can do so by reading this book."
—James C. Miller III
Former U.S. Budget Director, Chairman of The CapAnalysis Group, LLC ... Read more

Book Description

The financial-service industry wants you to believe that in order to avoid financial destitution, you need to put aside huge amounts of money that you -- let's say it together -- "should have begun saving years ago."

Not true, states Warner, the author of Get a Life. Although a sensible savings plan makes good horse sense, many other actions and decisions will determine whether you enjoy your retirement years.

Get a Life shows you how to beat the anxiety surrounding retirement, and to develop a plan to make your golden years the best of your life by:

* developing family relationships
* maintaining and creating friendships
* improving health
* keeping active
* developing a robust curiosity for the world
* realistically calculating how much money you need and how to secure it

Interviews with successful (and successfully) retired people illustrate how to put Warner's advice into action. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

One of the best all round books on planning for retirement
As a former Certified Financial Planner, I recommended this book to many of my clients who are seriously planning their retirements. Warner has done a great job putting things in the proper perspective with a book that is an "easy read". While adequate money is important to a satisfactory retirement (and helping clients build a satisfactory net worth was how I made my living), I do find, as has Warner, that there are more important things such as health, friends, and a purpose (i.e., reasons to get up in the morning) when it comes to planning out one's retirement. I frequently ask clients what they plan to do when they retire. When they say "go fishing" or "play golf", I then ask them what they plan to do the second week/month/year. And I keep asking the question until they realize that its a serious one. Warner takes it further with discussion and clear examples. In short, a must read for anyone approaching retirement.

Another valuable book from Nolo Press
Get a Life Stresses the importance of planning ahead.

It notes that older people who have happy marriages, plenty of friends and warm relationships with other members of their famlies live longer than older people who don't. So it tells how to improve family ties, make new friends to replace the ones who die and work at having a happy marriage.

It has a useful chapter about health and fitness which you should supplement with three other books: Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, by Udo Erasmus; The Healing Nutrients Within, by Eric Braverman and any book by Barry Sears about his Zone Diet.

It tells how to avoid nursing homes or pay for them if you can't avoid them. It has tips about buying used cars and pre-paying mortgages.

Chapter 8 surveys where your retirement money will come from. It tells how to save enough for retirement, even if you think it's impossible. And it presents what it calls the savvy peasant's investment guide. Here it covers bank savings accounts, bank certificates of deposit, money market accounts, U.S. Treasury bills, U.S. Government bonds and notes, municipal bonds, corporate bonds, stock, stock mutual funds, variable annuities, immediate or fixed annuities, real estate and precious metals and exotic investments.

One of the best
I read someones comments, that there is "too much deperveration" in this book. I think they need to re-read it. The whole point is NOT to have too little, but to have what's right. This book confirms my long held belief that you can save "too much" and miss what's good for the now. On the other hand, chances are you will live a good while, so you cannot neglict that either. This book shows how to do both. The mindset of many people is just plain wrong, and this book, even if you don't agree with it, shows another way of thinking. Based on the retired people I know, it rings VERY true. Health, Friends, Family are first, the money part can be managed. You should read this book. It's very good.

Change your thinking about retirement!
As someone who will probably retire within the next dozen years, I was beginning to wonder whether the doom-sayers were right: I don't have a million bucks in savings or a fat stock portfolio, so was I being foolhardy in assuming that I'd have enough to live on comfortably in my old age? This book was tremendously reassuring. Some of the author's main points are: (1) The difference between a happy, fulfilling retirement and "waiting for the undertaker" is not money but quality of life -- family, friends, good health, and meaningful activities that give you a reason to get up in the morning. (2) It's possible to estimate fairly accurately how much money you'll need to live on after you retire, and in most cases it's nowhere near the "70% of your present income" that the doom-sayers insist that you need to maintain your present lifestyle. (3) The loudest doom-sayers are the ones who are trying to sell you retirement plans! The author tells readers how to access a free set of "retirement calculators" on the Nolo Press web site to assist them in financial planning, and that alone is worth the price of the book. But what really "made" the book for me was his many interviews with happily retired people from all sorts of backgrounds and economic levels -- just reading about them was a real upper. There are plenty of books on how to provide for your retirement financially, but this is the only one I know of that adequately addresses the REST of your life. Read it!!

Too much deprivation
If you never spend money you won't have to worry about running out of money before you die. But who really wants to live that way? Isn't there some happy medium between this book's do-without message and the other books trying to tell us how to save and invest? ... Read more

Book Description

From the BusinessWeek bestselling author of Investing in Fixer-Uppers--a plan for building a real estate empire with little or no money down "

Fixer Jay" DeCima, the acknowledged king of fixer-uppers, delivers a much-anticipated guide to realizing financial independence through real estate investing. Written in DeCima's trademark folksy style, Start Small, Profit Big in Real Estate provides a complete two-year plan for making it big in real estate starting with little or no money of your own.

• You'll learn how to:
• Scout out properties with the highest return
• Calculate the payoff versus the effort involved in any real estate investment
• Find motivated sellers who will finance your properties
• Use leveraging and compounding to utmost advantage
• Negotiate with sellers and win every time
• Make big bucks with rental properties

Book Description

In today’s volatile financial environment, growing numbers of investors are looking to flee the stock market in search of safer ground. While the bond market has often been a “safe haven,” confusing new bonds and bond funds make it increasingly difficult for unfamiliar investors to choose the correct fixed income investments. The Bond Book provides investors with the information and tools they need to make bonds a comforting, important, and profitable component of their portfolios.Thoroughly revised, updated, and expanded from its bestselling first edition, this all-in-one sourcebook includes:*A new section on using the Internet to research, buy, and sell bonds *A new chapter devoted to increasingly popular foreign bonds *Detailed information on the inflation-linked Treasury bonds *Explanation of the new categories of bond funds *Tips on how to evaluate and buy bond funds ... Read more

Reviews (16)

An unbiased explanation of fixed income securities
This book is more than just a primer on bonds and other fixed income securities. The author goes into great detail on each type of instrument as well as the IMPORTANT risks involved. The concept of "Interest risk" as opposed to "Credit risk" is worth the price of the book alone. The only negative is that the book was published in 1992, which missed out on the ending of the "Junk Bond" fiasco.

Almost Everything
This book is an amazing compilation of explanations of all of the major bonds in the market. It lags the market in one major area. Credit derivatives which have internal financing and trade credit risk similar to bonds are not included. The credit risk of a bond is transferred in these derivatives. These off-balance sheet products round out bond portfolios and transfer the risk of bonds into collateralized debt obligations that mutual funds buy. No bond book is complete without discussing these products.

To be fair, the credit derivatives market exploded in just the last 3 years, and synthetics (credit derivatives and total return swaps) now make up 70% of securitizations bought by bond funds. Tavakoli has written an excellent and entertaining book on these products: "Credit Derivatives" (Second Edition).

Only Book On Bonds You Will Ever Need
You should read this one even if you ultimately decide that bonds aren't for you. Investment curiosities like bonds and stock moving in opposite directions, how inflation is addressed in the bond market, how to purchase treasuries without a commission, what it may mean for the economy when long term bonds are returning a lower yield than short term securities, and the power of compound interest are just a few of the topics discussed in enough depth that you will probably enjoy a whole lot better understanding of the financial markets than ever before.

comprehensive review of bonds
This book can help you make money. How? It reviews the history of spreads between Treasuries and Municipals, between Treasuries and Junk bonds, and between Treasuries and other types of bonds/securities. By buying the appropriate security when the spread is abnormally large by a wide margin, which admittedly may only occur once every ten years or so, I believe one could make a ton of money. An example would be to buy junk bonds when the spread between junk and treasuries exceeds 1200 basis points. Another example would be to buy municipals if their yield surpasses the treasury benchmark. Patience will be required, though, since, as the author points out, it is tough to make a killing in the bond market all the time (i.e. the market is usually highly efficient).

The author also does a terrific job pointing out the different types of risk (reinvestment, inflation, currency, interest rates, credit, etc.) for all the different types of securities and duration of securities. She then tells you how to select a security appropriate for your needs given the risks. For example, if you don't want to worry about a rise in rates destroying the value of your bond, buy one that you can hold to maturity and collect at par. Better yet, buy one with a short duration.

In conclusion, any well rounded financier needs to know about bonds--even Warren Buffet--the famous "stock picker"--invests a ton in bonds. This book is a great start to earning this skill.

A must read for fixed-income
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in bonds, or for those who wish to enter the financial services industry. I had a difficult time putting this book down; the content was amazing.

Bonds are an important asset class to own, regardles of the current interest rates or stock market performance. You will gain a lot of knowledge either for your own informational needs or professional use. ... 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

Tax Havens of the World (8th edition/2003) covers all the major havens, including the Caymans, Bahamas, Bermuda, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Singapore, etc. The author has over 18 years reading and writing about tax havens and the US Tax Code that covers their use and abuse. Learn how non-resident aliens trade NYSE stocks, bonds, options and commodities - TAX FREE -legally - offshore like thousands of offshore banks and companies (IBCs) do!

Avoid federal income and estate taxes with the latest "trend" - the foreign offshore estate. US (domestic) estates - even with the repeal of the federal estate tax after 2010 - will still be subjected to Federal income and gift taxes, as well as State income, inheritance and estate taxes too! See page 254 of this edition.

The Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Anguilla and Bermuda have no personal income taxes, no corporate income taxes, no capital gains taxes, no withholding taxes, no estate, gift or inheritance taxes, no sales taxes, no employment taxes, no death duties, and no probate fees. Guarantees against future taxes are provided by these governments for periods up to 50 years. Exempt trusts can receive a guarantee up to 100 years. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Learn how wealthy american fleece the working stiff
I always get a couple of laughs when I see these 'tax haven' and 'offshore banking books' marketed to the general public as some sort of panacea for confiscatory taxation. As if some working stiff (like me) can swim up to the pool bar at the hotel in the Caymans and rub elbows with other 'tax refugees' and flip the bird to the IRS. GIVE ME A BREAK. This subject was a pet hobby of mine over the last 6 years and let me tell you that unless you are in the top 1% of income earning americans this book is useless to you. Unless you have a hundred thousand dollars you can blow in attorneys fees to set up your 'technically' legal International Business Corporation, and have a team of CPA's certifiy your tax returns 'assuring' the government that you 'really really' dont own the other 98% of your corporation you can not LEGALLY use the ideas contained in this book. If you wanted an explanation of how the international tax laws work, while at the same time how you could break the tax laws and hide and deposit money in a place like the Bahamas you can use this book. BUT, no matter what type of person you are, you ought to study tax havens for 5 years before you do anything, legal or otherwise.

You need five years to see that a good portion of the 'tax haven' world is nothing but an international racket filled with international con-men. While this book may be dedicated to Patrick Henry 'Give me Liberty and Give me Death' and the American resistance against BRitish Taxation, the persons and mostly corporations illustrated in this book do nothing but fleece the working stiff.

Reading between the lines, all the americans who had to leave the United States to live in these tax free jurisdictions did so because they broke a serious law and were facing jail time. Do you really think that when they got to Costa Rica they stopped operating their business. Between tax cheating felons, guys that welshed out on their spouses in divorce settlements, or people who were sued and are escaping judgments, the tax havens themselves are filled with criminals on the lam.

Case in point, this book mentions that American Doctors facing killer lawsuits often have bank accounts and monies in tax havens because they are judgment proof! Normally Doctors have this incredible thing called 'Malpractice Insurance' that pays out on claims. If a doctor is escaping a judgment it is because he did not carry malpracice insurance (that tells you about the doctor right there) OR the Doctor committed a serious crime, like a sexual battery, in the course of his professioal duties so that his insurance company disclaimed coverage. In either case I think the picture is clear. Remember OJ Simpson going to the Isle of Mann off of England during the murder trial ;)

Furthermore, over the past 5 years I have seen the IRS and Congress move steadily in the direction of stopping tax haven activity entirely. It is mentioned in this work that you cna get an offshore debit card that looks like a regular Visa or Mastercard. So in that manner you could spend your undeclared dividends and interest in the USA. Well that was great until the IRS subpoenad all the Mastercard accounts where the receipts were generated to credit networks set off in a few key areas. Now who do you think is going to be audited.

Furthermore, there have been some spectacular bank failures in these tax havens, and remember there is no FDIC. The oft touted bank secrecy laws in these countries are great until an enterpirsing government agency gets a back door plant in these institutions with Mr. Benjamin Franklin taking the lead.

Really, this book is the best on the subject of tax havens by far. In fact I think this is the only book that has a TECHNICALLY legal way for them to be used by a U.S. Citizen. The book is well written and appears to cover all the bases, but I assure you it does not. The book is similar somewhat to a prospecuts of a risky investment or tax shelter that a bunch of clever lawyers and accountants have come up with. Technical compliance with tax laws will most likely spare you criminal prosecution if you get called on it, but of course you can still be hit with civil penalties.

As an American you should be AWARE of the existence of this aspect of international finance. You should be aware that you have monetary escape routes in the event of disaster, and really, this book will open your eyes to a world 99% of america knows nothing about, but it is no 'everyone can do it' tax shelter. This is a corporate shell game, and I believe the recent Enron debacle involved the use of offshore vehicles to disguise losses and such, that fleeces the public. With sufficient thought, it is hypocrital in the first degree to think that by allowing corporate fat cats and high net worth individuals to park billions offshore and pay no taxes, we, the wroking public, are somehow 'getting back' at the IRS. The only person getting killed here is me. Nothing more.

I give this book 4 stars because it is the best book on the subject, and is a good read. While it is romantic and fun to imagine oneself parking millions of dollars into some royal bank in Monaco and relaxing by the pool for the rest of your life while you pay no taxes, this is a pipe dream a sales pitch of this, and other books like it. ... Read more

Book Description

When a company's facilities are intelligently, cohesivelymanaged -- rather than just haphazardly operated -- the results gostraight to the bottom line. And given the high costs associated withfacilities, the savings that good management brings are significant.

Now completely revised and updated, this bestseller covers theentire facility management arena, including:

**strategic facility business planning
**leadership
** managing the design process
**managing facility finances
** leasing
**operations, maintenance, and repair
**benchmarking,cost savings/avoidances, and more.
... Read more

Reviews (7)

Outstanding !!!
I have read all 3 editions of this book over the last 25 years, with outstanding results ( The 1959 "How I Turned $1,000 into One Million Edition", the 1969 "How I Turned $1,000 into Three Million Edition" and the 1980 "How I Turned $1,000 into Five Million Edition ")

I strongly suggest the How I Turned $1,000 into Five Million edition if you can get your hands on one,
written well over 20 years after the original edition it's much harder to find then the previous editions but it's also most up to date and has much more information than the previous editions, well worth the the trouble trying to obtain it since Mr. Nickerson had 20+ years of extra experience in real estate which was reflected in the last edition

Mr. Nickerson was one of the few people who grew richer each year till the day he died in 2000 using the techniques he outlined in his books

A must for every one interested in real estate investing
William Nickerson and his classic book HOW I TURNED $1,000 INTO ONE MILLION IN REAL ESTATE IN MY SPARE TIME has probably created more millionaires than any other book in investing history.

It simply is a masterpiece of common sense advice, no matter what type of investing you are contemplating

What makes Nickerson's book so good?

His writings are crammed full with practical and real guidance on real estate investing with a proven technique for making money that really works.

No get-rich-quick hype. No motivation speeches or excessive cheerleading. No nothing down promises of instant wealth or easy profits.

Just tons of genuine advice real estate investors need to hear.

Nickerson's method of making money in real estate is so common and understood people still speak about "Nickersoning" properties more than forty years after his original book was published in 1959

Nickerson's book is filled with real world advice. He offers readers the same situations they would find in their world. Sample advertisements that could have been pulled out of any newspaper. Reality based properties with defects and flaws often trying to be hidden by their owners. Brokers that try to mislead with phony price estimates and bogus numbers. This is, unfortunately, the way the real estate world really is. It isn't all peaches and cream. Most people are honest but notice I said most, not all.

Contrast this almost cynical approach with the silly advice many real estate books offer readers. Instead of shrewd and often unscrupulous owners attempting to disguise property defects to maximize profits, we meet naive and motivated sellers who will allow buyers without jobs or credit to purchase their property equity on a nothing-down basis. Or better still, even loan these buyers the broker's fee and closing costs to do so! So many real estate courses and gurus offer a world filled with dumb and hypermotivated sellers to show how their techniques would work in theory, but Nickerson prepared readers for what actually exists in the modern real estate world.

Sadly, William Nickerson died in 2000. He wrote books on other subjects but he will always be known for his original 1959 real estate masterpiece and its later revisions which also contain much more infromation then the original like HOW I TURNED $1,000 INTO FIVE MILLION IN REAL ESTATE IN MY SPARE

cool book!
lots of information, good for starter!! cool book!

Reveals the basic formula for creating wealth in real estate
I ran across this book in the early sixties, when one million was in the title, not five million. I used this book to make several million dollars for myself, and taught two friends to use the book, and they also made substantial money. It isn't magic: it simply shows you how real estate wealth is made, and shows you step by step how to do it for yourself. A young friend has just asked me to show him how to do it , and I went to Amazon to see if the book was still available, so that I could steer him to it. That's why I'm here. I am now, at age 62, a real estate developer, and the same rules still apply. The book is simple, basic, and absolutely true. By a strange cooincidence, I knew the appraiser hired by Simon & Shuster to verify that Nickerson had made five million. The appraiser told me that he believed Nickerson had understated his wealth!

Timeless Masterpiece
If you are starting out in residential real estate investment, this book is a must read. Nickerson presents a conservative, realistic scenario for starting small and steadliy building wealth. This is not a get-rich-quick book or one that relies on gimmicks or nothing-down strategies. It shows you stepwise how to build a solid financial foundation in real estate, and how to leverage current assets into more valuable ones. Nickerson's strategy relies on hard work and persistence, not luck, deceit, or the greater-fool theory. There's no need for an updated version of this book; it's principals and approaches to developing wealth are as timeless as compounded interest. ... Read more

Book Description

Everything you need to know to begin acquiring properties––now!

No matter what obstacles you think you face, real estate still offers you multiple money making opportunities. In The Beginner’s Guide to Real Estate Investing, successful investor and author Gary Eldred presents the tools and knowledge new investors need to get started. This no-hype guide presents case studies of people just like you–regular people who used these simple, smart strategies to earn big returns. You’ll not only gain the basics of real estate investing, but also a vault full of specialized techniques that the pros rely on to grow their long-term wealth. Concise yet comprehensive, this practical guide shows you how to:

• Find below-market deals
• Invest using little or none of your own cash
• Use low or no down payment seller financing
• Find creative ways to finance your investments
• Make money with foreclosures and REOs
• Increase the value of an investment property
• Negotiate a winning purchase offer
• Manage rentals hassle free
• Flip properties for fast profit

In addition, Eldred shows you how to tailor your investment strategy to make money in any place in any type of market. With proven techniques and timeless principles, The Beginner’s Guide to Real Estate Investing is the prime resource you need to start building a prosperous future–today. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Gigantic value
Usually, when I buy an "intro to the subject' book I seem to find a general guide of (almost) obvious dos and don'ts. Not this book. It covers the territory of real estate investing with dozens of specific pointers backed up with examples. Great detail on financing, buying at a bargain price, and increasing the value of a property. Easy-to-read writing style plus lots of whitespace, headings, and boxed major points for quick scanning. All in all a gigantic value for a mere $10 or $11 bucks. I think even pros (as well as first-timers) could profit by reading this info-packed "how to" guide. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Makes you want to leave your desk and hit the streets!
From someone who recently passed the Real Estate exam, this book gets you motivated, eager to get started and the confidence to do it right! Mr. Hopkins shares his success right down to the small details. He practically provides a road map to success. This book is all the training in Real Estate you'll ever need.

Sure-fire strategies to build a great business!
Whether you are new to the business or are a seasoned pro, this book will give you all the techniques, strategies, scripts, ideas and more to build a great and lasting real estate business.

Probably the best feature about this book is that Mr. Hopkins doesn't just tell you what to do, he tells you EXACTLY how to go about doing it -- step by step, including the exact language to use. (My only issue with the book is that, even though it was written in 1991, it is a bit dated. But this is a minor point at best.)

This book covers essential real estate business development activities such as:

* Canvassing
* For Sale By Owner
* Expired listings
* Listing banks (farming)
* Listing Tools
* Listing Presentations
* Closing

Chock full of scripts to handle each situation, necessary charts and graphs for presentations, letters and notes, plus essential descriptions of how to be and what it means to be a real estate professional versus a run-of-the-mill real estate person, this book is worth its weight in diamonds for anyone willing to study it and put its ideas into action.

For the SERIOUS real estate professional ONLY, this book will kick your business into high gear!!

Classic Book For All Realtors
A must read for any new Real Estate Agents. The material is older, but there are timeless techniques that any Realtor can benefit from. There is an abundance of information and inspiration. Highly recommended.

Slightly outdated but many useful ideas
The book itself is slightly outdated with verbiage and action plans that are better suited to the 80s. However, it is still a good read. There are numerous ideas, scripts, and sample documents that can help any agent add a little something different to their business.
The author is reknown in our business and offers another point of view in handling difficult customer situations - I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it very informative.

Reads like a car salesman
Its an okay book. My only problem is the author provides a lot of scripts and selling techniques that use lies to manipulate people. For example he recommends pretending you may want to buy a home as a personal investment when calling of FSBOs who advertise "no brokers". Its also a very old book and some of the stuff that worked in the 80s doesnt work any more. ... 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

Amazon.com

For many of us, the single biggest financial transaction is buying a house. Even more significant than the hefty down payment we fork over is the 15- to 30-year mortgage that needs feeding every month. If you have this much at stake, a little knowledge can go a long way, which is where Eric Tyson and Ray Brown come in. In Mortgages for Dummies, Tyson and Brown (who also wroteHome Buying for Dummies andHouse Selling for Dummies) provide a comprehensive introduction for anyone who is contemplating a mortgage. The book tells you how to evaluate your creditworthiness, determine your borrowing power, and shop for a lender, as well as covering the various types of loans. The authors also devote a section to refinancing and discuss what you should consider when prepaying a loan. They include amortization and remaining-balance tables, and a useful glossary. Whether you're a first-time home buyer or are just looking to refinance, you'll find this a valuable, easy-to-use guide. --Harry C. Edwards ... Read more

Amazon.com

Though tightwad seems like a derogatory term, author Amy Dacyczyn wants to assure you that it's okay to be a penny-pincher. This self-styled "Frugal Zealot" wrote and published The Tightwad Gazette for over six years to spread the frugal gospel. Each issue contained tips from her personal experience and from her many readers. The wealth of information contained in all these issues has been compiled into one volume for the first time. You'll find literally thousands of ideas for saving money, from the simple or practical to the difficult or bizarre. On the simple, practical side, Dacyczyn advises would-be tightwads to keep track of price trends at several stores in a "price book" and to buy in bulk when prices are low. Other, stranger offerings include tips for turning margarine-tub lids into playing-card holders, old credit cards into guitar picks, and six-pack rings into a hammock or volleyball net. More helpful are inexpensive recipes for making homemade versions of pricey, well-known products and ingenious ways to fix broken or damaged items. The book's disorganization encourages browsing, but the detailed index will point you to the exact page for specific items. Dacyczyn's occasional "thriftier than thou" tone is balanced by the friendly support for frugality that infuses every page. She even reminds her readers that it's okay to "sweat the small stuff"--because this small stuff is the essence of frugality. --C.B. Delaney ... Read more

Reviews (128)

The Bible for Stay-At-Home Mom's on a Tight Budget!
When I decided to stay at home with our daughter ,instead of putting her in a daycare, I knew it would be tough. Our income wasn't much but our family was more important than the money. I quit working and did a lot of research for money saving ideas. When I came across Amy's books I could hardly contain my excitement. There are tons of great ideas. It has become my second bible and a divingboard for my own creativity. My husband has been able to spend more time at home and less time working. Lots of family time! Our child is happier. Our marriage is happier. At a yearly income of $15-18,000 (never been on welfare), we are a testiment to the fact that money really doesn't matter.
Yes, some of the ideas can seem extreme. I think when you prioritize you life, you'll see it really isn't. If you are truely serious about changing your life/situation, you'll open your mind to anything.
This book isn't just great for stay-at-home parents, but college kids, newlyweds, even folks who want to get rid of debts. I recommend the Tightwad Gazette books to anyone who wants to save money.
The true tightwad will make a run for the library. I also recomment the monthly Tightwad Newletter.

Yet another sparkling review
I will not repeat a lot of what has been said already about the quality of information contained in this book and the talent of the author. I will admit that I have read and used this one book more than any other I own, besides the bible. There is an endorsement! Besides tons of money saving advice, Amy shares her sense of humor, creative spirit and deep philosophical insights which make this a value for any person to read, regardless of financial status. Personally, I have never really struggled financially, yet feel committed to be a good steward of the resources I have been blessed with. Please keep in mind that she is not any type of expert on investing, so look elsewhere for better reading on that topic. This is also not a parenting book, although it amuses me that a couple who have sacrificed to retire early and raise their family full time are under such scrutiny as parents. I would sooner label parents who work full time, buy fast food and come home to watch T.V. until bed time abusive, even if their kids wear designer clothes and get new toys at Christmas. It just goes to show you where many peoples' values lie. I could not say enough good things about this book and even if some ideas are over the top, there is not a more comprehensive book on the subject of saving money anywhere to be found. Enough said.

Encouraging and a bit discouraging, all in one!
This book is the compilation of The Tightwad Gazette newsletter issues, and I subscribed to The Tightwad Gazette back when it was still a subscription newsletter. I started reading it because our family was facing some serious financial difficulties and I needed help NOW! The first time I read the newsletter, I was able to pick up tips that turned our family's financial situation around right away.

The author is a black-belt tightwad and has been from the beginning of her marriage. She and her husband did things "right" from Day One. Which is great for them, but that's where the discouragement from this book came in for me. My husband and I didn't do things "right" from the beginning and consequently weren't going to be able to live in a big, beautiful farmhouse in the country while our children were still small. It was sort of depressing to read about all the wonderful benefits that frugal living brought to the author's life. We'd made some major mistakes in the past (both of us were raised in spend-thrift homes so we really didn't know another way until we'd hit rock bottom ourselves) ... and all of the penny-pinching in the world now wasn't going to allow us to live out our "dream."

Anyway, please know that I LOVE this book for it's tips and ideas! Frugality really is an alternative lifestyle in this day of easy credit and disposable everything, so the author's voice is desparately needed by those of us looking for some frugal encouragement.

But because of the depressing aspect of feeling like the author doesn't "get" the situation of people who've made financial mistakes, I found that reading Mary Hunt's books (especially "The Cheapskate Monthly Money Makeover") has helped to balance things out a bit for me. Mary Hunt's family overcame more than one-hundred-thousand dollars in consumer debt (her family's debt made my family's finanicial situation at its worst look GOOD!).

A good friend of mine -- who's made "right" financial decisions her entire marriage -- thought Mary Hunt's books were just plain "stupid." But then she LOVED The Tightwad Gazette and found it incredibly encouraging -- she also couldn't figure out how I could find The Tightwad Gazette depressing. But she'd never seen life from the view I have. So I think it's a matter of perspective how people relate to the different books. That's why I'm so glad there are numerous people writing on frugality. Somebody's voice is bound to speak to you whereever you're at in your personal financial journey -- if it's not Amy Dacyczyn ("The Tightwad Gaz