5 comments about Real Estate Finance & Investments (Real Estate Finance and Investments).

1. The book was in good condition as discribed and arrive on time. , great job



2. If you have to purchase this book for a class, I feel quite sorry for you. This book is absolutely horrid. The writing is completely superfluous and there is very little explanation as to how to calculate/solve problems. Being a book intended to instruct (or perhaps the problem is that this is not the authors' intent), one would think more time would be spent providing calculation examples and problems. To make matters worse, there are few problems at the end of each chapter with which to practice and no solutions with which to check your progress. What is even worse is that the problems are even more verbose than the text --- approximately 99% of your time spent on problems will be reading them and then writing out loads of non-critical information, followed by 1% of your time engaging in the actual practice of the subject matter.
   
   I recommend that no instructor employ this book in their teaching, and that any student whose instructor assigns it to drop the class before it is too late.



3. It is solid book.
   
   Starts off with present values and future values to explaim mortgage payments.
   
   Has some economics, explains different loan types, property valuation etc...
   
   Good introduction to real estate fundamentals.



4. If you are a real estate professional (banker, fund manager or investor), than that's all you need. The book is great.



5. This is a good reference for anyone who wants a property investment methodological approach, sustained by economic principles and good examples,
   good for students and professionals related to the property market.

5 comments about Investing in Real Estate.

1. Because of books like this, plus Robert Allen, and Carlton Sheets, I'll be in bankruptcy court soon. But hey it was an adventure. I got a great book out of my ups and downs in real estate investing in Akron Ohio. HOUSES OF CARDS recently won and IPPY award. If you want to follow the advise in this book I think you should read mine first! It shows a more realistic view. I own 12 single family homes, have a half a million in debt and it took me eight years!
   
   Pamela Frost
   Houses of Cards



2. Excellent book that covers a plethora of topics. I've gotten an older version of this copy, but I would highly recommend to anyone who's looking to invest in real estate, to start here first. There are other specializations in real estate (see my other reviews) that you can dive into and there are good guides there, but Eldred's book would be my first stop.



3. Outstanding! Investing In Real Estate: Sixth Edition by Gary Eldred, PhD is one of the best books on real estate I have ever read. The book is replete with wisdom and practical advice, and your knowledge about the field of real estate investing will be enriched. You'll definitely become well educated and make informed decisions in regards to your real estate transactions. The book is a must-read for novice and experienced real estate investors. In fact, anyone who is considering buying, selling, or managing real estate--whether or not for investment purposes--should read this book. Donald Trump confirms why he is a real estate magnate when he wisely teamed with Gary to develop some of the Trump University real estate curriculum. Investing In Real Estate is not a book full of hype on getting rich in real estate, but a book fit for a college or university course. Get "real" in your real estate investing by studying and practicing what this book teaches. You'll be blessed if you do.



4. Very useful book. Cover most topics in the real estate market. Highly recommended.



5. Some of the shine has worn off real estate investing lately with the credit crisis and mortgage blowouts, but still, people have to live somewhere, and , unfortunately, (or fortunately), some persons losses are other persons gains.
   
   I think the next year or two are going to be excellent times for investing in real estate, and more specifically, detached single homes purchased for rental income. McLean and Eldred have created a fine book that guides you through the pitfalls of real estate investing with some very solid advice. It could use better information on getting statistics. While it does have some links, it needs more, because some of the information is buried deep in some websites.
   
   The first chapter is an argument on how real estate is a better investment than stocks. The authors use averages of the stock market to determine what kind of dividend you can get on stocks. While that may sound fair, the reality is a good stock picker doesn't purchase average stocks. They purchase great stocks that are currently down. For instance, not too long ago you could have purchased Bank of America for just over $20.00, with a dividend yield of over 8 percent. Paychex was available at 3.5%. While the average yield may be 2 percent, many individual stocks are yielding between 3 and 6 percent. Then you wait for a dip in the price and pick them up between 4 and 7 percent, often giving an average portfolio of 5.5 percent. Yes, this is still lower that what you would make on a rental, but:
   
   Then their greatest failure to understand the best method for picking stocks: you choose the stocks that have consistently increased dividends every year, year in and year out. There are many stocks that do this. They often have yearly increases well over 8 percent, many in the last fifteen years have increased over 15 percent on average. The authors expect you to be able to raise your rents 4% every year.
   
   Given a choice between raising your cash flow 4%, or 8, 10 or 15 percent, which would you take? A single percent difference can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars lost, or gained in twenty years. A difference of five percent or more can mean millions lost or gained.
   
   But all that aside, with the current state of the market, a lot of people are going to make a lot of money off other peoples pain. Thats unfortunate, but that is the way it is. As Baron Rothschild, an 18th century British nobleman said, "Buy when there is blood in the streets".
   The possible down side is a possible glut of rental housing in some areas, notably Arizona, which already has a good supply of rental housing and currently has a high number of vacant foreclosed houses.
   
   Monthly rents are likely to lesson (a boon for renters) as supply increases further, causing less cash flows, perhaps negative cash flows. But Arizona has a growing population, both young people and retired are moving there. The population will eventually catch up and rents will again begin to increase.
   
   The authors reject the stock market, personally, I think a combination of investing in stocks and in real estate will give you a more balanced and safer portfolio. I think this book will definitely help you with your investment goals.

5 comments about What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About Cash Flow... And 36 Other Key Financial Measures.

1. I definitely do not recommend this book to anyone who is trying to learn how to invest in real estate. I have worked in real estate and have a basic working knowledge of the industry, investing, etc., but I bought this book to gain more knowledge to use in my own investments. To put it simply, Gallinelli may be a good investor himself, but does not know how to communicate the, at times, terse subject of cash flow, for example. A good teacher is able to overcome his curse of knowledge and bring ideas that seem simple to him, yet are complex to the learner, to a level that conveys a happy medium. In other words, the teacher has to make the subject relatable and easy to understand, even if that means explaining in detail. Take the topic of discounting for instance. There are literally entire CLASSES devoted just to the notion of discounting and how it applies to investing, yet Gallinelli attempts to explain it in one paragraph and then apply it to real estate in another page or two. Save yourself the time, money, and opportunity cost by not buying this book. And let me know if you find something better, because I'm always yearning to learn more.
   Thanks for reading.



2. While the numbers look good you might want to approach real estate investment with a lot of caution. On paper my business can look good too, but the reality is, because of books like this, plus Robert Allen, and Carlton Sheets, I'll be in bankruptcy court soon. But hey it was an adventure. I got a great book out of my ups and downs in real estate investing in Akron Ohio. HOUSES OF CARDS recently won and IPPY award. If you want to follow the advise in this book I think you should read mine first! It shows a more realistic view. I own 12 single family homes, have a half a million in debt and it took me eight years!
   
   Pamela Frost
   Houses of Cards



3. This book provides concise, to the point, explanations of important formulas that are critical in deciding important real estate investment decisions. The author masterfully takes you through each formula, providing you with simple examples,and demonstrates how these formulas are interconnected,and or utilized by themselves, in determing whether an income producing property meets an investors criteria. The first part of the book takes you through an example of the decisions and formulas that experienced real estate investors go through in determining real estate investment decisions using most of the key formulas. The second part of the book summarizes each formula, providing basic, easy to understand examples, allowing the reader to jump around and choose which formulas they want to focus on. Present Value, GRM, NOI, Cap Rates, Taxable Income, Cash on Cash Returns, DCF, Net Present Value, IRR, Debt Coverage Ratio and Depreciation calculations are but a few of the important concepts that are discussed in this book. For me it tied up a lot of loose ends and showed me how these formulas are interconnected and are great tools in analyzing commercial real estate. A definite must have for any serious real estate investor.



4. I purchased this book as a gift and have not finished reading it yet myself but have heard many good things and so far has been great!



5. My Life & 1,000 Houses: Failing Forward to Financial Freedom
   
   Good Book! Knowing your numbers is a must but don't forget...trusting your gut is just as important.
   
   MS

5 comments about Rich Dad's Advisors: The Advanced Guide to Real Estate Investing: How to Identify the Hottest Markets and Secure the Best Deals.

1. this book was great on building some of the other things that i have learned through the internet and other books. if you want some real indepth knowledge in multifamliy investments than this is a great book to give you that. there alot of great tips for the advanced investor and down to me who is the brand new investor looking for my first property. the most talked about item i found in the book is doing you due diligence and making sure the numbers add up to profit. hope this helps its a must buy for investors



2. For those of us beginning a career in real estate investing, Ken's book is excellent. Written with easy-to-understand prose and examples. Ken is a professional who wants others to succeed.



3. My husband dream of making a million dollars! Every book regarding this subject has been a passion of is ... he just might make it too!
   Having been retired twice in his life time ....some people just do not know how to quite!
   I did!! retired a decade ago!!! :)
   
   He reads all he can get his hands on, A set of three books were a gift to him from me...who knows he just might be the next Gates!



4. This book is the next level of The ABC's of Real Estate Investing. This time, the author educates readers about multi-family investing, which is different than single-family investing. A multi-family investor can benefit from economies of scale. For example, how many ads do you have to place when you are advertising for a 100-unit apartment complex versus a 100 single-family homes? One versus a hundred.
   
   In this book, the author provides his beliefs why multi-family properties are the best real estate investments, how to identify and close deals, and how to build a team that will help with your real estate investments. I would also suggest educating yourself more on the subject before jumping into multi-family investing, but I think that this book is a great start.
   
   - Mariusz Skonieczny, author of Why Are We So Clueless about the Stock Market? Learn how to invest your money, how to pick stocks, and how to make money in the stock market



5. I recommend this book to anyone who read the Rich Dad Poor Dad series. This book was well written and covers a lot of areas of investing, from understanding a hot market, multi family units, securing the deal, making sure you got the best deal and much more. This isn't just for the advanced investor, even newbies can understand these concepts. Now I know why they're Kiyosaki's advisors, they know they're stuff!
   Rich Dad's Advisors: The Advanced Guide to Real Estate Investing: How to Identify the Hottest Markets and Secure the Best Deals
   [...]

5 comments about Real Estate Investing For Dummies, 2nd Edition.

1. This allows good insight and a great deal of useful information that either solidifies my thoughts and/or adds to my knowledge. Insightful book.



2. This was a great book. It gives you useful information in an easy to understand format.



3. First of all I should note that I'm a novice when it comes to Real Estate Investing. I've read one other book on the subject and that was "The Unofficial Guide To Real Estate Investing". Although that book was very good, this is truly an excellent book. I must've read at least 20 Dummies Series book's, and this is one of the best. Note, this book is packed with info. it took me 40 hours to read it the first time through (I'm a slow reader), and now I'm going for a second run.



4. Not a bad book. I'm writing this review late in 2008, so many of the items the book talks about would probably be a HUGE money risk right now. Maybe pick it up when the real estate industry picks back up...ummm...maybe around 2012. Unless you have cash on hand now to invest in foreclosures or something along those lines. Good informative read nonetheless though.



5. This was all great advise for 2005-2006. Now here we are 2008 and everything is upside-down and the best and safest investments appear to be short-sales and various wholesale flipping stategies for investment. As I read the book I kept being reminded of how a changing market requires a changing approach to investing.

5 comments about Rich Dad's Advisors®: The ABC's of Real Estate Investing: The Secrets of Finding Hidden Profits Most Investors Miss.

1. I'm a business owner and I enjoy business and real estate investing. Good principles are taught in this book about using real estate to enhance your investing desires, however it may lead first timers down a path of "THIS ISN'T HOW THE BOOK SAID IT WOULD BE!" Use your common sense and a good support group of real estate agents and accounts and possibly lawyers to help you embark on the exciting field of real estate



2. Very good info and well written. Easy to read and understand. Not at all boring. But it is geared more towards multi-family investing, than towards single rental homes, although many of the concepts are transferable.



3. This is an outstanding book for anyone considering real estate investments. I highly recommend it.



4. This is definitely a very detailed book on real estate investing (especially residential real estate). Easy to read no unnecessary nonsense (just to fill up the book).
   
   You can definitely tell that this book is from somebody who is breathing and living real estate investing. And he is very detail oriented.



5. Both the mortgage and real estate markets have crashed since this was published. The game has changed. Find something more current to read.

5 comments about The Complete Guide to Investing in Real Estate Tax Liens & Deeds: How to Earn High Rates of Return - Safely.

1. I found this book full of good practical advice. The writers show you how to start investing in real estate liens. After reading this book, using their techniques, I did buy one tax lien note. The writers have many years of practical experience. After reading each chapter, I then used the information to find local homes in my area. The writers show you how to do the figure out with simple math and practical means if this tax lien is a good buy. Since there are many foreclosures due to the declining economy in 2010, using the resources in this book, I was able to locate a tax lien note. For me, it was an good way to learn about and then actual investing in real estate liens. You will need to do lots of due diligence, inspections and paperwork in finding a good real estate tax lien investment. I made money investing in real estate tax liens from reading and then following the instructions in this book.



2. This book will help you identify if you want to get involved in tax Lien Investing. I loved it!



3. This book is a fantastic start to investing in tax liens. Multiple editing errors were somewhat annoying but the information is great.



4. This book is well-organized and provides clear and straight-forward information on bidding for and owning tax deeds and tax lien certificates. I live in Florida, so bidding on tax lien certificates is my main area of interest. I particularly like the state-by-state charts included at the back of the book.



5. Recently, I finished reading this book and found that it was reasonably easy to read and understand. This is the first book that I have read cover to cover on this seemingly complicated subject. This book is well written and flows as well or better than a text book, however may lack the personal style or past experiences, many like myself may be seeking to hand hold or walk the reader closer to their goals.
   
   In my opinion, this book is an excellent place to start since it seems very thorough, well researched and appears to offer an excellent overview of tax lien investing. In addition, the author shared the potential for success and/or loss, however does not give much in the way of personal opinions or what some may suggest would be fluff or an overly positive sell on the appeal of this type of investing. Therefore, the points made seem to be based on objective research rather than biased hype through personal opinion.
   
   The author explains generally much of what needs to be done in order to invest in this type of investment, however does not go into great detail or depth on what specific steps need to be taken to actually get there. My gut feeling is that it usually takes reading a few books on the subject or taking a comprehensive course to gain a well rounded level of knowledge on most subjects. Also, most tax lien states have their similarities, but also have distinct differences which may be a complicated task to achieve, in a book of this size.
   
   Although there are very good general suggestions and guidance on how to get started and what needs to be done to be successful, as well as how to minimize the chance for loss, it seems that the author does not go as deep as some other authors on this subject. It is not clear how much personal experience the author has had in the area of tax lien investment, since I do not rememeber personal experiences being shared or much in the way of tips for success from experience.
   
   That tempered with the fact that the author has consulted with other investors for their input and contribution and appears to have done a great deal of research, based upon the bibliography in the book suggests that the author did their professional homework. Additionally, following a review of other books written by the author, it is apparent they have had success in writing on other related subjects such as investment, real estate and business. Therefore in my opinion the author has created a very useful tool to begin building a foundation of knowledge, on the subject.
   
   As prior reviewers have mentioned, this area of investment takes a certain amount of knowledge and experience in order to be successful, therefore one should not expect that reading one book on the subject will prepare the reader to do so without further education and experience. As others have mentioned doing, I too have purchased another book or two on the subject to gain a deeper and more well rounded education, on the subject.
   
   In conclusion, I feel confident in recommending this book as a good source of general information in order to begin the education process of building a foundation, in this area of investment. However, as mentioned earlier, as with most books on investment a reader will likely need to read a few books or more in order to have a well rounded knowledge, on this somewhat complicated subject.

5 comments about 2 Years to a Million in Real Estate.

1. What immediately sucked me into this book was the personal story of how Matt Martinez became a real estate investor. He had concern for his job security, and his drive to liberate himself from his job made him obsessed about finding the right properties. Unlike any other real estate investment book, Matt's story is personal, real, and achievable for people who have the discipline to achieve their own financial independence - sooner rather than later. Other books tend to say "I borrowed $5000 from a friend and now look at me, I'm rich!" Martinez is different. His first property required a lot of research and he financed it with an equity loan from his own house. He then leveraged the equity in his other properties over 2 years to build enough passive income to quit his job. Then when the headaches of managing the properties became too great, he sold them and acquired a larger apartment building and hired a property management firm to take care of it for him. His strategy changed from triplexes and four-unit buildings to multi-unit, multi-story apartment buildings all over the nation.
   
   There is good technical info in here as well about methods to keep units rented, how improvements can attract higher rents, finding a property with a good cap rate, and so on. Cap rate was a term I had heard but didn't fully understand until I read it in this book (also described very completely in "What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know about Cashflow... by Frank Gallinelli).
   
   I am greatly looking forward to his next book on investing in the new economy. This one was written prior to 2008. Before, it might have been easy to secure a home equity line of credit (HELOC), and then draw upon it to produce a down payment for an investment property. With just the right property even the payments on the principle + HELOC could be covered and there may still be enough for positive cash flow. How is it possible to obtain this financing today with banks now gunshy about the housing market? Martinez will evidently address this in his next book, which should be coming out shortly.



2. This book was great! It has a lot of usual information about getting started in real estate and was very easy to read and understand. Most people assume that you have to have money to make money in real estate but Matt gives a lot of useful tips on starting with little money (as he did himself).



3. This is a good book to get an overview of a successful real estate investor. Book is not for the experienced investor, unless they have been unsuccesful w/ their current practices.
   As a newbie, go ahead and read, but don't look for the keys to being really successful, look to this book for the basics.



4. While this book may rise above some of the others in the genre it's still a tough sell for me. He talks of a high water bill because of filling a swimming pool, but I can top that with a $3,000 water bill. The tenants turned the water back on after the city shut it off for non-payment. Because of books like this, plus Robert Allen, and Carlton Sheets, I'll be in bankruptcy court soon. But hey it was an adventure. I got a great book out of my ups and downs in real estate investing in Akron Ohio. HOUSES OF CARDS recently won and IPPY award. If you want to follow the advise in this book I think you should read mine first! It shows a more realistic view. I own 12 single family homes, have a half a million in debt and it took me eight years!
   
   Pamela Frost
   Houses of Cards



5. Really goes into all aspects of the business, from valuation to property management. It isn't easy but you can really save some time (and money!) by learning from Matt's experiences.

5 comments about The Millionaire Real Estate Investor.

1. I suppose this could work in some markets but because of books like this, plus Robert Allen, and Carlton Sheets, I'll be in bankruptcy court soon. But hey it was an adventure. I got a great book out of my ups and downs in real estate investing in Akron Ohio. HOUSES OF CARDS recently won and IPPY award. If you want to follow the advise in this book I think you should read mine first! It shows a more realistic view. I own 12 single family homes, have a half a million in debt and it took me eight years!
   
   Pamela Frost
   Houses of Cards



2. More fluff than a marshmallow sandwich. I did not go looking for a book that would give me encouragement, but rather one that would present facts and show how to make a place profitable. This book does not deliver.



3. This is one of the best books you will read on becoming a Real Estate Investor.



4. I've read dozens of books about real estate investing, but this one is by far the best. It's easy to read, understands and the plans of action are realistic and achieveable. Any reading this book can feel like they can get started right away. It's probably the only real estate investing book you'll ever need.



5. This is probably the best residential real estate investment book on the market. What I like about it is that it does not only teach you about investments but how to build a real estate business. However I have to say that the book does not get much into the specifics of how to buy real estate, but it does provide an excellent foundation.
   
   I like how the author presents real life examples of people just like you and me who successfully created wealth through real estate investing. If you liked The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by the same author, you will love this book, too.
   
   - Mariusz Skonieczny, author of Why Are We So Clueless about the Stock Market? Learn how to invest your money, how to pick stocks, and how to make money in the stock market

5 comments about Investing in Apartment Buildings: Create a Reliable Stream of Income and Build Long-Term Wealth.

1. As a sole owner of roughtly 2,900 units (between 85-90 projects) located mostly in Silicon Valley, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in multi-family business, as it is informative and practical.



2. "Investing in Apartment Buildings" lays a crisp, solid foundation for the idea of building financial independence through the business of multifamily rental properties. The author is inspiring because he has really thought through the difference between average effort and average opportunities versus extraordinary effort and extraordinary opportunities. Most important, he has consistently executed on that difference.
   
   I do wish the book gave even more time to the emotional and strategic struggle necessary to start from scratch. I am currently reading Matt's first book, "2 Years To A Million In Real Estate," which touches on this point more. But I must admit that I am intimidated and even a little shocked at the difference between sitting down and reading his books versus what it seems like it will take to really make this happen. It frankly still seems quite mysterious here in San Francisco how to pull off a cash flow positive 3-4 unit building that I can also live in.
   
   Yet, that difference is the essence of what drives his books. The books do provide the intellectual and emotional support to excel. It is now up to us, the readers, to execute.
   
   



3. I just finished reading "Investing in Apartment Buildings: Create a Reliable Stream of Income and Build Long-Term Wealth" I found it a wonderful book. My family has been in the business for over 100 years. And since I was a little boy I have been hearing conversations about apartment buildings and real estate. But I'm just getting started in this business and I learned a lot of things from this book that my father and grandfather never told me. In addition to this I got to tell them some things that they didn't know. That was a great feeling. Great book, it's worth your time.



4. Awesome book! I'm a slow reader but this book keeps me reading more and more. The information is simple but powerful. Thanks Matthew Martinez for sharing your knowledge in this amazing book. I always thought commercial real estate especially Apartment Buildings is so complicated for me until I read this great book. Another great thing about the author is that when I send an email to the email address he has in the book, I get a reply back from him within a day. I don't think any other Real Estate Gurus would do that if you don't pay thousands for them. This is a recommend book for any Real Estate Entrepreneurs who want to get honest information to begin or continue in your quest of achieving financial independent in Real Estate.



5. This book is a great primer, and takes into account the most recent changes to the real estate market. This book is not necessarily for the advanced / experienced real estate investor reader, but is absolutely ideal for someone who needs motivation, and a great starting point to help delineate the path on how to become successful at multi-family / apartment building investing. This book provides plenty of well thought out and readable content that you can put to immediate use.
   
   I also like the fact that the author does not seem to be using the book to sell expensive seminars and CD subscriptions, his objective writing style lends credibility to the content. Way to go Matthew Martinez!!