Customer Reviews

Fixin' Ugly Houses for Money

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This is a book written in a "folksy" manner that provides tips for making money and building wealth in real estate. "Fixer Jay" DeCima is a succesful investor residing in California who has made his millions in real estate focusing on the"fixer-upper" niche. This book passes along secrets that he believes will make others wealthy if followed. It reminded me a little of Lonnie Scruggs' books on investing in mobile homes...lots of practical advice mixed with some amusing anecdotes and written in a "country boy" folksy manner. I have read quite a few real estate books and found this one to be rather basic, but still contained some gems and ideas that I have not seen in other books. The book actually does not limit itself to "fixer-uppers" or how to rehab property, but also discusses a number of techniques for successful real estate investing including finding properties, partnering, negotiating, financing tips, landlording and keeping focused on the big picture while accumulating long-term wealth. On the whole I liked this book and would recommend it to a beginning or intermediate level real estate investor. Experienced investors probably already know most of these tricks. It is easy to read but a little long (over 400 pages). If you are new to real estate investing, you should consider adding this book to your library.

I enjoyed the book even though it is very repetitive. I agree with the concepts and firmly agree that the outside appearance warrants the time and spending of cash as this gets you the greatest return on your investment. Renters and the Bank make up their mind on a property as soon as they get out of the car. This book will form the basis for future development/investment for me.

What makes this book so valuable is that it is written by a gentleman with over 40 years of "hands on" real estate investing. Not just another slick talker. Every bit of information in book is based upon real life investing experiences by a seasoned professional. Why reinvent the wheel. Jays' already done that for you. It is ez to read and understand. Ive been doing fixer-uppers for almost 10 years now, and Jay's book put me on the fast trak creating monthly cash flow. Jay stands behind his word and is only a phone call away if you need some help. How many authors can you do that with!