Customer Reviews

Complete Idiot's Guide to Real Estate Investing

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

It is entirely possible that this really is a great book, as some of the reviewers suggest. But it wasn't what I was looking for.
I am in the "study" stage of a plan to accumulate residential properties for income. I have read a few real estate books so far, and some of them have been very helpful.
This book, however, was not designed for me. This book seems more designed for people who are planning major investments in sizeable properties or commercial real estate. It also would be good for people interested in becoming developers. Despite the information presented about the book, this is not a book for someone who is starting out in the early stages of real estate investing in small residential properties for supplemental income. However, it might be good if you have a lot of money to get started and are planning a career switch towards commercial development or large properties. Since I'm not interested or able to do that, I am not qualified to advise you if that is what you need. But if you are like me, you may want to start with some other books, like the "Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing" or other books like it.

I was looking for a book on residential real estate investment, especially something on apartment buildings and how to figure value, such as using gross rent multipliers. I was disappointed. I needed to know current tax law on capital gains and some info on exchanges. The word 1031 is not found in this book. I was glad to see LLCs were included, but the information was vague since it had to apply to all states. Be warned: This book deals only with office and retail real estate investment. You will not find any information on apartments or single family rentals. If that is your interest, you definitely need a different book.

Very, Very, Very good. Written by someone who knows what they are talking about. When the top land appraiser in my county and another local real estate expert told me I HAD to get this book I had to go see it for myself. The appraiser said he had to buy it after looking at it and this guy has something like 18 years experience and is THE land expert in my county of over a million people. This book is a slam dunk. I am so tired of all that fairy tale pie in the sky nothing down late-night infomercial garbage. This is what you want to get, real information by people who have been there and are not trying to sell you a $200 get-rich-quick course.

Finally a book that covers real estate from a perspective other than "single family flips using no down payment". This book even covers development. Everything from how to pick the right investment using the numbers, improving leases and how to manage to increase the value of your investment. He shows you where to find data to help in the due diligence process; how to find partners and arrange financing; how to use spreadsheets to crunch the numbers before purchase, during ownership and to benefit in the sales process. No stone is left unturned.

I bought this book recently and was so disappointed that I was compelled to write a review. I would not recommend this book to anyone. This book is so poorly written, I couldn't get past the first half. There were numerous misspellings, obvious grammar mistakes and an ongoing rambling by the author. I might have been able to get past the lack of English and grammar skills but this book was not helpful at all!

For example, when it talks about assembling your team and it refers to the broker, not once does the author explain what the broker is expected to do. When the author discusses title law, he explains in the book that he doesn't know about it but if the reader gets in contact with a lawyer experienced in title law, one should be able to find out the info. HUH? This guy didn't bother doing any research at all. He should have looked for that info himself and answered those questions for the reader. That is what I bought the book for - for answers, not some guy writing a book off the top of his head about his experiences and only his experiences in real estate investing.

Another annoying thing about this book is the author wrote it like it was a self-help book. I don't need someone telling me to follow my dreams and to keep going. I need the facts, the info, and the knowledge so I can accomplish what I want to do. I don't need a coach, I need a teacher and this guy definitely is not a teacher.

Well, I'm sorry I can't tell you what book you should buy because I still haven't found it myself. But, I can tell you to stay away from this one. Don't waste your money.

I found this book to be too complicated and it seems more suitable for the advanced real estate investor. I have read other Idiot's guides and they have been basic enough and broken down with more examples to help someone who is starting out. The term "Idiot's Guide" is misleading for this book. I believe the author did not successfully keep the reader, in mind. The book should be called something like "The Advanced Guide For Real Estate Investing" I wish there was some regulation to keep it simple enough to be considered an "Idiot's Guide" . I am definitely disappointed with this one.

I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone who needs a comprehensive understanding of the entire process of commercial investment and due diligence. It's a great reference whether you are acquiring, managing, or disposing of your asset.

This book was very scattered. I got a few old books out of the library (Getting Started in Real Estate Investing and The Real Estate Book). They were very old but much more helpful than this idiot's guide. I am sending it back. It wasn't helpful for a novice like me. And I doubt that people that really know what they are doing would be helped either. Many subjects that I wanted advice in were not covered. Often the author would title a category or chapter with something I needed to know, but then he would not really delve into the subject or answer my most basic questions.

I have read books on real estate investing for over twenty years and have learned more from yours than all of the previous ones put together! Stuart gets right to the eseence of where the real money is to be made in real estate which is basically in the development process. No flim-flam schemes here, his approach walks you through the most profitable aspects of real estate investing. It really opened my eyes as I saw real estate from an entirely different angle.

Edvard Redding Richards

author of Fire Your IRA!

An excellemt guide to the labyrinthine world of the real estate investor. Rider has liberally laced his easily readable text with helpful suggestions and admonitions about typical pitfalls that can trip up the less savvy beginner. Much of the info in this book is, literally, worth its weight in gold! I consider it a must have for anyone serious about purchasing income property. If only Rider hadn't been too busy to write 10 years ago!