Customer Reviews

Maverick Real Estate Investing: The Art of Buying and Selling Properties Like Trump, Zell, Simon, and the World's Greatest Land Owners

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

 

 

unless you consider some of the "Maverick Approach's" such as: Take your time negotiating, Work out the numbers before negotiating, Stay focused on your goals and Be willing to take chances- as advice you could only get from this book. Puh-leez.

This book is interesting for the stories of various Big-Time real estate mogul types (outside of The Donald) and some behind the scenes aspects of some of their deals that it covers (Melvin Simon, Eli Broad, Peter and Steven Lowy, Sam Zell, etc. that dont usually get as much coverage as Mr. Trump.) But DO NOT buy this book for specific real estate advice.

This book doesn't get heavy in the real details of exactly how these deals are done. It's a little broad, but I will say that it helps any investor see how multi million dollar office building deals are made accross the country. It will outline what these tycoons and most are billionaires do in different cycles of the markets..... bottom line they buy in distress cheaply, improve net operating incomes and position these properties to generate millions of dollars in profits....... It's good info for knowing how to handle down markets, how much of an equity position to sustain, and also what it takes to put deals together with syndications..... If you want to get big in commercial real estate its worth the money and time to read it..... if you want to flip or hold a small portfolio of single family homes or apartment complexes don't waste your time with this book read the many others that are published for the smaller investor. Blake-------- bldgassets247@yahoo.com

I just finished reading Maverick Real Estate Investing and found it not only helpful in regard to investing, but I enjoyed the biographies of World's Greatest Land Owners. Not only were the tips helpful, but the bios really helped me see how to use the information.

I have read a lot of biographies and a lot of information books, the mixed format of this book really made the information more accessible. A great read too. Really inspiring.

Author Steve Bergsman does a good job here of introducing the various players on the big property, and even bigger money scene in his first book, MAVERICK REAL ESTATE INVESTING.

For those who have not intimately studied the business affairs and strategies of Trump, Lowy, Shorenstein, Hines, Zell, Simon, et. al., this is as good a 'round-the-horn effort as it gets in getting to know each of them just a wee bit better.

My opinion? If you're anything like me, you'll blow through these chapters like a whirlwind, grabbing a nugget or two here or there. Its content will--at the end of the day--stick firmly in your mind, and you'll eventually find yourself thinking of it at the seemingly oddest times.

Better. If anything, reading MAVERICK REAL ESTATE INVESTING will doubtless instigate further curiosity, and for at least certain of the source materials Bergsman suggests in his rather meticulous follow-up notes.

If you read through from cover to cover, you'll realize there's a fair bit of continuity you can come to expect from Bergsman's style. He tends to reiterate the salient themes and terms for clarity and familiarity, though the paucity of background information--for instance, HOW did Paul Reichmann acquire that property in question?, or WHY did Fred Lowy decide to purchase that shopping mall in Connecticut?--will send you scampering back to the public library or to the megabookstore in search of a proper biography (should one exist) on that very subject.

I found myself in this particular state of thinking on at least a few times during my readthrough.

In Mr. Bergsman's defence, I suppose he was somewhat limited by what his subjects under the microscope permitted him to publish here in these short--but sweet--chapters. To be sure, I'm positive he had his hands tied when discussing the specifics of certain deals, therefore the details are a bit sketchy. As readers, we're more than a little understanding. We deftly between the lines...

I suppose in the case of books like these, you won't find everything to your liking.

Sure, novices to the real estate/property trade might enjoy the rather simplified breakdown of various terminologies and techniques--universtity course "101"-style--but will probably gain a massive amount of inspiration as a result. Others more well-versed in these areas will perhaps gravitate more towards those bite-sized quotables straight from the mouths of powerful magnates like Trump. Still others may cherry pick a few sage pointers from Bergsman's handy "summary points" ending each chapter, what you'd find in most MBA-level textbooks. It's a good review of what you've just learned. It's even a nice "skimming device" for those with less time to devote to full-on coverage. Derive insights from a particular chapter or two, then discard the rest. Who's to say?

Read it and see how it strikes you. I guarantee you won't gain all the inspirations the book's juicy title seems to suggest, but you *will* use it as a departure point.

Perhaps nothing more convincing than raw experience actually matters in the final analysis. You've got to spend the time making mistakes, going through the motions, and figuring out the optimal approaches for getting things done in your area of expertise.

Like any other industry segment, spend at least ten years practicing it until you REALLY know the ins and outs of how it functions. The book teaches more than anything that there's no better teacher than the school of hard knocks.

He who knows how to box--not fight--is the ultimate winner in the end.

All in all, a four star read. It's a title worth having on your bookshelf. Once you become successful, you'll look back fondly upon it for what it gave you, a long time ago.

--ADM in Prague

this book is more like the biographies of the rich real estate tycoons than a real estate investing book. the author has summed up some "golden" principles based on these people's experiences, but let me tell you this, there is no single one principle that I could not find in any other real estate book in the market.

I am disappointed about this book. As many reviewers have pointed out, this book, unlike its subtitle suggests, is not really about strategies of RE investing. Many said this book is more like biographies of great RE investors, but I find it difficult to agree as its analysis (or, even chronicle) on each "maverick" is always skin-deep.

What this book serves to me is that it tells me "there are such successful RE investors in the world as Zell, Shorenstein, Reichmann, and if you want to know more about them, you better look for a better biography in the library (and I am not going to tell you which one is good or where you can find one.)"

This is a decent book to get good ideas and see how some of the big players got started and their operating philophies. I would love to have seen more details on the specifics of how they were able to do the deals they did but the concepts are there.

I've been reading Steve Bergsman's real estate columns for years and it's good to see he's finally taken the time to write a book. Probably because he knows the key players in real estate so well, that they took the time to tell him their stories - how each of them made it big in the world of real estate. Thankfully, along with their stories they were able to pass along a few tips to the rest of us. This is a good read with the bonus being we all learn a few things about do's and don'ts of real estate investing

I've been a professional real estate investor for many years, and still learned a lot from this book. It features the secrets and strategies of today's leading real estate mavericks, including Donald Trump and Sam Zell. The author presents the key strategies each of these experts use when making deals. While these are some very big players, the strategies they suggest can apply to even the smallest deal. I highly recommend the book for both new and more experienced investors, whether you are simply buying a home or looking to invest in other types of properties.

This is a useful and interesting book for real estate investors. The reader will gain insight about investing in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT's) as well as some practical analysis of how the big players put their deals together. Although the information is not presented as a step by step "how to manual", the information can easily be translated into direct investment strategies for the small investor. The author's emphasis on real estate cycles, focus (on property type), leverage and strategy are important and useful concepts for all real estate investors. Overall, a good read for those interested in real property as an investment.