Customer Reviews

Investing in Fixer-Uppers : A Complete Guide to Buying Low, Fixing Smart, Adding Value, and Selling (or Renting) High

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

 

 

dont see the other reviewers beef with this book. Nowhere on the cover does the book mention anything about flipping. I also wonder if they bothered to read it. It clearly does not advocate becoming a "slum lord". It recommends against investing in these types of properties. It does recommend investing in older neighborhoods, in fact on pg. 97 it breaks down the 5 general types of areas or neighborhoods in most towns or cities and tells you exactly where to invest.
As far as flipping, if you follow Jay's advice instead of renting you could then sell. The book is all about how to find these types of properties and how to purchase them for the right price( As most real estate investors know, the profit is made in the purchase.)

Starting on pg. 56 he offers 4 ways to find such properties.

On pg. 73 he tells you step by step what to do when you find such a property.

On pg. 86 how to find the right real estate agent to help you.

It covers negotiating, fix-up strageties, where the profit centers to each deal are, financing and refinancing,finding partners, other avenues for investment monies and landlording skills towards the END of the book.

I really thought this a practical book full of good advice for the beginner.

This book contains alot of good information, however the title is deceiving. The main topic of the book is "how to obtain and then rent multiple unit structures for monthly cash flow". Jay barely touches on rehabbing for quick sale as the title might suggest. Also, many of "Fixer Jay's" points are repaeted throughout the book, almost for the sake of quantity of content......A decent book for the individual thinking of owning rentals, but for rehab flipping, FORGET IT!

I agree with some of the other reviews in that this book does not say much about rehabs for resale. Also, it says very little about the actual rehab process. From looking at the cover on would think there was greater emphasis selling the property, but this is not the case. Jay DeCima actually discourages you from selling. However, most real estate books are not very good, and I thought this one was better than most. It seemed to take a more realistic approach to things, it uses numbers and check lists (rather than generalities). This book is not great, but is is a good book if someone is interested in rental property.

The best real estate book I have read is, "Investing in Real Estate, 4th Ed., Andrew McLean & Gary W. Eldered, PhD."

The negative reviews on this book are way off. I've read many real estate investing books and most of them talk about all the wonderful deals they've made and how you can do it to... but never give you DETAILS. Jay gives lot of good information and shows you how to cover your ass so you don't make the mistakes that a lot of R.E. investors make (overpaying, over-estimating income, under-estimating expenses, believing what the sellers say about the income potential.) I'm just as glad that these reviewers don't follow his advice; more opportunities for those of us that heed it!

For the most part I find book reveiws helpful. But I wonder about those by who expect to get the whole nine and a half yards for $12.98. If I can get one tip that may help me make thounsands $$ (and it has) for the price of a Subway lunch, then I'm ordering up. A guide to Investing in Fixer-Uppers, $12.98; Investing in yourself, priceless.

I found this book to be a good primer for new real estate investors. Seasoned pros could find a nugget or two as well. More than anything else, DeCima's writing style, folksy as it is, is just fun to read. A good addition to your real estate library.

I have read this book 5 times now, and am putting his strategies to good use. Using Jay's strategies, I just fixed up an older house in my neighborhood. With 3 month's part time work, (I also teach 3rd grade) I now have 28k in equity, and 209.00 per month positive cashflow. The house was even owner financed, 2% down, and deferred payments too! (Jay's strategies). Next week, I will close on a second rental property for $46,500, and it appraises for $65,000. Some folks say Jay is too folksy, but he can be as folksy as he wants to be if his strategies get me $46,000 in equity in less than 6 months.

I picked up this book because I read the author's other book, Start Small, Profit Big in Real Estate. Neither of the books is about flipping properties. Their strategies are to purchase ugly and rundown properties that nobody else wants to buy, fix them, and rent or sell them. The author argues that buying ugly properties is profitable because other investors are not willing to buy them, which in turn creates fewer buyers who bid for these properties. Once these properties are fixed up, they can either be rented or sold more easily because people like to live in a clean environment.

- Mariusz Skonieczny, author of Why Are We So Clueless about the Stock Market? Learn how to invest your money, how to pick stocks, and how to make money in the stock market

tons of practical advice. it picked up where the books, "housewise" and "investing and real estate" left off. gives you a great deal of inside information, plus realistic plans and worksheets before you take the plunge. his various angles on saving money is a definite read.

This is a great book that will pay for itself! I do not see why people are complaining that this not a flipper book - because it's obviously not a flipper book in any way! The title clearly says Investing in Fixer-Uppers : A Complete Guide to Buying Low, Fixing Smart, Adding Value, and Selling (or Renting) High. It does not say buy a piece of trash, paint, and sell it to the next gullible sucker. (i.e. the mentality of most get-rich-quick flippers nowadays.) This is a buy and hold for huge profits book. If you want a flipper book, then search for flipper books. If you want to retire one day soon (or at least know you can!), then stop watching the Flip This House TV shows with grossly inflated profit margins, and buy this book! Don't believe everything you see on TV.