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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
WHAT A UNIQUE AND USEFUL BOOK. THIS IS ONE TO ADD TO YOUR LIBRARY!, November 15, 2007
This review is from: Fix 'em Up, Rent 'em Out: How to Start Your Own House Fix-up & Rental Business in Your Spare Time; or, Investing in Real Estate and Creating Wealth with Fixer-Upper Houses (Paperback)
What a unique and useful book this one is! First, I will state that I have dabbled in this sort of thing, i.e. fixing up old houses for resale, for a number of years now. To be honest, had I had access to this particular book twenty years ago, I would have been able to avoid a lot of mistakes and a lot of grief. Some of what this book addresses I have learned over the years through trial and error and simple luck. Mr. Sprouse has been able to articulate what I have known, but was unable to say for myself. I must say that the author was able to point out much that I have missed or was unaware of. Reading this work was a very pleasant learning experience for me. This is a very useful book for anyone wishing to purchase old homes, fix them up, and either rent or sell them. This is a wonderful resource!
The book is actually rather funny, or I should say amusing. The author has a quick wit and it shows through his writing. The book, even though dealing primarily with physical things, is so much more. The author has given us a good dose of old fashion common sense, philosophy, and very sound advice. He has done this in a way that fits perfectly with the subject his is addressing. Attitude in any endeavor is extremely important and the author quite well makes this point.
Now take note. This book is not one of those flashing works similar to some of the late night T.V. infomercials, which promise instant wealth (picture of a dorky looking guy with gold chains driving a new Hummer that is setting in front of his multimillion dollar home telling you that he just made a zillion or so dollars with nothing down, no credit and no work, and did it all in just six weeks...just sent him $19.95 and he will tell you how he did it). The author plainly states (and I know his advice here to be a fact), that this sort of endeavor takes work, lots of work, and to make money at it, takes time. Simply put, "there are no free lunches." So, if you are looking for a get rich fast scheme, then look else where. The author is not in any way into trying to sell one of those silly pyramid deals that, in truth, simply never work.
What this work does give you is ideas and an outline, that through hard work, common sense, and a bit of luck, you can do quite well for yourself and have a bit of fun while you do it. The author is quick to point out the down side of every aspect of this business and points out ways, if there are any, to avoid them. On the other hand, the author does a wonderful job of pointing out the positive. He not only emphasizes the financial aspects, but does a very nice job of drawing attention to the many side benefits involved, and there are many of these! I like the way that the author directs your attention to the fact that a job well done is a wonderful feeling. The author has listed given us a great list of other books and resources to turn to which I find most helpful. Actually, his list of places to go for information is almost worth the price of the book alone.
NOTE: Even though this work deals with the fixing up of older homes, the principles set fourth in this work will work for just about any business a person would want to set up or start. There is wonderful, good and sound advice in this book. Even if you are not into the fixing up of old places, it is well worth the read. I would certainly hope this author expands into other areas. His ideas and general outlook on life are/is quite a bit better than those of many of the ones touted by the so called "experts." Recommend this one highly!
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Real Estate A to Z, November 16, 2007
This review is from: Fix 'em Up, Rent 'em Out: How to Start Your Own House Fix-up & Rental Business in Your Spare Time; or, Investing in Real Estate and Creating Wealth with Fixer-Upper Houses (Paperback)
Are you thinking of buying, selling, or renting property out? Then get this book! Compact, easy to read, and packed with step by step instructions for several phases of making real estate work for you, Terry Sprouse has written all the basics in a way that anyone can understand, and will be especially welcome in steering people through this time of fluctuating and uncertain markets, so that you'll make the most of every dollar you invest or gain as a buyer, seller, or landlord, and the principles will even make sense for you in other forms of business, as I found that some of what is in "Fix Em Up Rent Em Out" could even be applied to my career as a free-lance artist.
I've always been tempted with the idea of buying a "fixer upper," whether to live in myself or rent out (I've done it several times for other people in exchange for cheap rent, never for myself), and Sprouse gives the complete details on what I could expect to find in this adventure. You'll learn a lot from his Tables too, which at a quick glance one can get information on cash flow, interest, appreciation, even the tools to have on hand (it is recommended to learn how to do as many repairs as you can yourself) and much more. There is even one table on page 84-85 on "The 5 Rules on How to Lose Money and Get Your Rental Property Trashed by Your Tenants" that is funny as well as wise counsel.
There's great advice in Chapter 8 on what to look for in a prospective tenant, and how to make out a rental contract that suits your requirements; Chapter 9 is about taxes. Read and memorize! You'll be glad you did. One of the final chapters is on how to make this real estate experience a family affair, and lists some activities young children can do to help and the advantages to having the kids be involved in the process. It is followed by "A Tale of Two Investment Strategies," where you read from start to finish Sprouse's experience with two properties, and the last chapter is "The Big Picture," which explains that "Even When You Lose You Win," with a positive outlook to always grow as we learn (and of course always taking lots of photos and notes on the progress for future reference).
This is one of those rare books you'll find yourself highlighting a lot and marking with added thoughts that apply to your specific situation. It also includes some valuable appendices, from "Useful Websites," to additional reference materials, though this handy real estate book is the ideal place to start, if you've ever thought about buying, selling, or being "Mr. Landlord."
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20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Incredibly rudimentary, very little meat, June 4, 2009
This review is from: Fix 'em Up, Rent 'em Out: How to Start Your Own House Fix-up & Rental Business in Your Spare Time; or, Investing in Real Estate and Creating Wealth with Fixer-Upper Houses (Paperback)
Please save your money. Amazon reviews are generally pretty spot on, but I genuinely don't understand the rave reviews here. This is a very slim book, huge font, filled more with this guy's life philosophy than how to fix up and rent out houses. There's nothing wrong with his philosophy. The author comes across as a self-reliant, modest guy with a strong work ethic and some good life perspective. However, it would be an extreme exaggeration to call this a book on "how to start your own house fix-up & rental business..." The sections on identifying, financing, repairing, and managing rental properties are covered at a very surface level. You can easily find all of this information for free online, in one of many intro articles to real estate investing. I've read many real estate investing books, and there are many, many better books out there.
I guess on the positive side, it only took me a 40 min train ride to read the entire book, so at least I didn't lose too much of my life on this.
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