Customer Reviews

Go/No Go: A Hands-On Guide to Successful Real Estate Development

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Having read countless material on Real Estate and Development published by the Urban Land Institute and other organizations, I found this book powerful and succinct. It is a rare find to have such a detailed source covering the multitude of disciplines tied to the development process.

I found the Permitting Process section and the sample contracts invaluable -- two critical areas in which developers tend to be less proactive. The author has obviously had significant experience in these areas. Above all, I think the book is a tremendous resource as a checklist for conducting prudent due diligence.

This is not a carefully structured text book! The buyer is cautioned that the book appears to have been derived from "very" quick shorthand notes that often lack meaningful detail and beg repeatedly for clarification. Page layout is also poorly structured and is not easy to read. The author may well be a good practitioner but is not, in my opinion, a good educator in the written format.

beginners. This book is disjointed and not cohesive. Obviously not written by professional writers. Just a collection of forms, formulas and pages of advice slapdashed together.

While it appears that Mr. Noe has experience in real estate, this "book" will be of little or no assistance to anyone developing real estate. I put "book" in quotes because rather than sentences and paragraphs it is comprised of lists of items related to real estate development. However there is no instruction, interpretation, or guidance related to these items, merely list after list. I have been a Realtor for 20 years and help others develop property and develop for myself. This book is completely useless for both the novice and experienced developer. The only consolation is that it can be completed in about 15 minutes. I urge you to save your money, even though the title promises a clear and decisive path to real estate development, the text doesn't deliver anything more than lists of loosely related real estate terms.

I was extremely excited about ordering this book. I saw the 5-star reviews and thought this would be a great book to add to my real estate development collection. I was sadly mistaken and now believe that the author and his friends are behind the 5-star ratings.

This book contains a whole lot of checklists and bullet points, but lacks any clear explanations or descriptions. This seems like a half-hearted effort in which the author simply pieced together a number of his own forms and checklists. Don't get me wrong some forms are useful (hence the one star), but not useful enough to warrant the price. I quickly returned the book and recommend others to look elsewhere for real estate development info.

I'm baffled by what book the 5-star reviewers were reading. This one is, as some others say, written in a disjointed, stream-of-consciousness style that makes it almost impossible to separate the few valuable pieces of information from the rest of the book. It appears to be a collection of the author's random notes, which he intended to eventually develop into a coherent book, but then decided it would be easier to publish as is. There was certainly nothing remotely approaching an editor involved. My next stop will be to read [...the] return policies, because this wasn't worth a fraction of the cost.

Everyone who recommends this book either works or lives in the San Francisco area. It's many detractors are from scattered locations. Who got who's friends to write glowing recommendations?

Those reviewers that have called this book disjointed and difficult to follow are absolutely correct. It's as if the author just collected a series of seminar handouts and stuck them together in a book. It may be of use to someone already in this profession, but as an introductory text it is completely worthless.

I've been using Mark Noe's GO/NO GO guide for some time now and regard it as one of the most valuable tools I've encountered for managing real estate development and construction projects. This concise, practical, pragmatic handbook provides a quick reference to most construction and development activities that I have encountered, and provides immediate answers for many common and uncommon questions and concerns. The logical presentation and case studies facilitate acquiring or enhancing key developer's skills before critical project concerns arise and need resolution in real time. Although some entries are brief, they serve to identify topics for further consideration. A very useful resource for the novice (and experienced) developer that wants a concise, portable reference to project issues and activities. I can't thank Mr. Noe enough for his fine Guide. I have recommended it to my associates in real estate development and construction, and also to professors who are teaching courses in project management.

I found the book "GO/NO GO" to be valuable source of real estate development reference information. It's concise and to the point format made the information easy to comprehend and retain. The book has enhanced my ability to communicate complex development concepts to others. - It's a great book!