Customer Reviews

Buy Low, Rent Smart, Sell High

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

in books of this type. These guys supposedly based their business around REO properties. Usually buying from the bank after the foreclosure process for 25% less than market value. They must live in an area with absolutely NO competition. Where I live everybody and their dog is after these types of properties, thus it is impossible to buy these houses for this type of discount. If you can get one it will be a DOG and you had better be ready to pour some money in it to get it sellable.

Another beef is with their numbers. They assume at one point purchasing a house with a mortgage for $67500 say that your PITI(principal, interest, taxes and insurance) will be $500. They then say you can rent this type of house for $1000. Not in my neck of the woods. Be sure to check your local numbers for insurance and taxes and rental rates.

That said, I do like their Rent-to-Own sales plan and the premise that someone renting-to own will take better care of the property than a transient renter would. I also like their breakdown of the six profits centers they look for in each property.

If you are looking for a way to get started in real estate I recommend their plan once you have purchased the property, I just wouldnt limit yourself to just trying to fight for REO houses. There are many opportunities for buying houses for less than market price, just do your homework and don't limit yourself.

This was just the book I was looking to find. I've been interested in learning more about real estate investing for some time, but hadn't found the right vehicle to teach me the nuances from an investment perspective (I've purchased homes for myself several times).

This book has just the right tone and is written at just the right level-not too basic, but not too intense. Their approach seems very sound and the authors walk you through each step of their multi-step approach to investing easily. Smartly, they teach you to remove the emotion from the buy sell/decision (unlike when you buy your own home).

The authors' unique strategy seems to be the multiple profit sources from their rent to purchase model. They identify 6 profit sources in their approach that should give a first time investor more protection than the more traditional approach of hoping to buy low and sell high. They take market timing out of the equation. In addition this strategy provides for security should economic or geographic factors affect one or two of the profit sources.

The book's approach seems "doable" for the part time investor which also makes the book of great value. It does not appear that one needs to be a rocket scientist, or give up their day job, to put the brilliance of this book to work.

It's an easy and quick read too, if you are like me, and fear buying treatises that you would never get through. I highly recommend this book.

I have sucesfully applied the lease/purchase option during the last 6 years on 5 houses. One of the authors ( Andy Heller)showed this technique in the mid 90's to me and it really works for me
! The atraction lies in the fact that you make money with a minimum of headaches and still it is a win/win/win situation. I have 4 happy families that were finally able to obtain their own house. I made good money on these propetries and the neighbours of these families are still greatfull for fixing the eysores in the street.
If you want to make decent money without taking advantage of people and still enjoy a stress-less realestate live in doing so, this technique is wonderfull and makes the book a must.
I did it partime and so can you ! Thank you Andy and Scott !

Hans van der Kolk
Palmetto, Florida

I found the book simple to read and simple to follow. There are enough "sample" documents to allow for a quick start. For me, the real life examples throughout showed exactly how each suggestion can play out ... and that gives me more confidence that the strategy works. I think these guys are onto something, beyond the "no money down" b.s. After reading the book, I feel like I really know them and am anxious to try it out. This actually may be the way to make some real money.

I've been reading books geared towards the real estate investor for the last couple of years and this book ranks at the top of the list. It's complete covering everything from legal to marketing to finance yet it also is remarkably easy to understand and navigate. This isn't just another dry text nor is it a stripped down real estate for dummies. The book does a great job of outlining real-life examples and bringing home exactly how to execute the authors' investment strategy. My only complaint is I wish this had been published a couple of years ago.

This is a handbook for Real Estate investors. Lots of useful tips and examples and an honest and fair way of doing business.
I found very useful the real life cases and the examples of contracts, letters, and way of working with the lease/purchase model.

Congratulations for finally writing a book which focuses on the essentials of the real estate market! I found this book an excellent resource which stands out from the jungle of real estate books available, because it is short, comprehensive and easy to understand. The best is that is gives the reader a step by step guide from hunting the right property over investing and finally harvesting the big bucks!

Kudos to Heller and Frank for a practical guide to profitable and socially responsible real estate investing! As a novice real estate investor, I found Heller and Frank's book the most useful of all guides I have read on the subject. In addition to providing a practical step-by-step program for maximizing profits, their method also makes it possible for people who have in the past been unable to buy homes do so. The tools provided through the book (sample contracts, residential rental agreement, option to purchase agreement, and more) were also very helpful...I'd highly recommend this book to anyone thinking about investing or to those investors who are seeking to maximize their profits.

I have attended numerous seminars and read several books, but this is the book I keep finding myself referencing on how to handle different situations. I am not the type of person who typically follows an approach step by step, I like to do things my way but this book gave me some really good ideas. I just completed my first lease purchase based on the author recommendations. It was a win-win. My Real Estate Agent friend (fellow investor) wanted to know how I did it and how it went so smoothly. I referred him to the book.
I also bought the CD referenced on their website. It contains the contracts, letters and advertising referenced in the book. That was $20 well spent.

I've read many books on real estate investment and this is the first book that lays it all out for the reading. Most books give you bits and pieces to get you excited and then try and sell you a whole program for hundreds of dollars. Buy Low, Rent Smart, Sell High gives you a plan that is easy to follow and based on sound business principles. A must read.