Real Estate Riches: How to Become Rich Using Your Banker's Money (Paperback)

by Dolf de Roos (Author) "The purpose of this book is not so much to give you the "how-to" of real estate-although there will be plenty of how-to advice-but to..." (more)
Key Phrases: New Zealand, United States, San Francisco (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
An all-time bestseller that made The New York Times list, Dolf de Roos's classic "Real Estate Riches: How to Become Rich Using Your Banker's Money" is designed for everyone from novice investors to old pros. Filled with time-honored wisdom, proven tactics and quick-and-easy tips, it reveals why real estate is such a reliable moneymaker that allows the biggest return on investment. It shows how to find the best properties, analyze deals, negotiate and submit offers, effectively manage properties, and dramatically increase the value of real estate without spending much money.

From the Back Cover
"Dolf makes real estate investing simple and accessible to anyone who has the will to succeed. He is an All Star in his field!"
—from the Foreword by Alex Rodriguez, 2003 AMERICAN LEAGUE MVP

An all-time bestseller, Dolf de Roos's classic Real Estate Riches shows readers from all walks of life how to find great deals and make great profits in the real estate market. This compelling book reveals why real estate is such a reliable moneymaker, and how novice investors, and old pros alike, can achieve the biggest return on their investment.

Full of time-honored wisdom, proven tactics, and quick-and-easy tips, Real Estate Riches will show you how to find the best properties, analyze deals, negotiate and submit offers, effectively manage properties, and dramatically increase the value of your real estate without spending much money. Dolf de Roos shows you:

• Why real estate is the best investment in the world
  
• How you can consistently find great deals
  
• The eight golden rules of real estate investing
  
• How to use tax laws to subsidize your investments
  
• How to create income using OPM (other people's money)
  
• The pros and cons of residential versus commercial investing
  

Author Dolf de Roos is proud to say he's never had a real job in his life—because real estate pays him better. Following his powerful and proven strategies, you too can leave the nine-to-five life behind.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (October 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471711802
• ISBN-13: 978-0471711803
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #250,304 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Real Estate Cheerleading, January 17, 2005

By	Shane Polizzano - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Roos is part real estate investor, part cheerleader. If real estate investing were as simple as getting excited about real estate investing then we'd read this book, leave our 9-5s, and, ahhh, riches. Real Estate Riches inspires me to invest in real estate the way Bruce Lee inspired me as a kid to become a kung fu master. It's great to dream about, but the hard work between the dream and the reality is usually enough dissuade.

His basic plan-of-action is 1) use as little of your money as possible and as much of the bank's money, to, 2) --he skips this part about how hard it is it find and identify a positive cash flow property, then, 3) buy a place that continues to increase in value, while it simultaneously delivers cash in your pocket each month, and finally, 4) when you need more money to invest, drain the equity from your property and repeat.

I think the best advice he gives, and the one insight you might find to be part of the real work of real estate investing, is the 100:10:3:1 rule. Look at _100_ properties, make offers on 10, negotiate financing on 3, and you MAY buy 1. Real estate investing is hard work. Roos show you all of the glamour, but little of the daily grind that's involved to make it happen for yourself.

For a more balanced approach see Real Estate Investing, 4th edition by McLean and Eldred.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars It felt good the first time --and still good for the firstimer, July 10, 2006

By	Akinaw Bulcha (Pasadena, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There is nothing detailed or even intellectually satisfying in this book. But I think the one thing that it does do is, (as another reviewer put it,) is to cheerlead. This book was exciting as it was the first book that I had ready on the subject. But now that I have done numerous transactions in real estate and handled millions of dollars worth of real estate and having experienced the ups and downs, DON"T DO REAL ESTATE AFTER READING THIS BOOK!!!!!!!! This book is so simplistic one does not know where to begin. For instance, Mr. Dolf, doesn't delve into possible set-backs seriously enough. He assumes that as long as you buy in a densely populated area, it is a safe bet. And he gives an example of "California" as one such place. There are many contingencies too numerous to list that destroys such a simplistic theory. Markets do have their time and in real estate, if you are stuck in a loan and a property you can't move, you are illiquid and repositioning is not as easy as it might seem. Therefore, being incapable of averting financial ruin is mmore difficult.

Real Estate is something that is experienced. You can't just "buy by the beach" and then just earn equity growth because no one is making beach front. And how many people have the kind of money that allows their first deal to be a fixer in Malibu. His other formula to look at a hundred-pick three-and buy one is really idiotic. There are no formulas in a mechanism that is continually shifting. The real estate industry is continually evolving. There is always an element of risk involved in any purchase. And buying single family homes is a mistake unless you are in a rapidly appreciating environment simply because there is less income potential to hold notes. And the more units, the better the rate (commercial properties). Also, the diversity of loan products just about allows anyone to buy their own home--no need to rent. None of this is even mentioned in these pages.

Then why three stars? Because, fundamentally getting excited is half the battle. And this book WAS exciting. Its simplicity is actually very appealing. In essence, he is right about one thing: Real estate is about debt acquisition ultimately. The SELECTION of the type and structure of debt and the INSTRUMENT against which a deed of trust is written is all-important. But Dolf miserably fails on these issues.There is a tremendous lack of serious dialogue and this book is simply an attempt to sell less than a mediocre work to a less than average society. For God's sake--HE TELLS YOU ABOUT THIS ONE HOUSE SOMEWHERE AND HE PAINTED IT AND LIKE MADE $20,000!! WOWIE!! $20k! You can buy gas for six whole months. Truth is, REAL ESTATE IS MORE COMPLICATED than one would ever assume. If you want something simple....buy an Index fund.

If you want to raise your I.Q. read another book. If you want to understand the simplest of simple items in real estate and get excited, read this book as a starter. But promise yourself you will wait before you jump into a ridiculous formula of see 100:make offers on three and buy one by the beach you cant afford!

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Real Estate Book by someone who knows......., May 9, 2005

By	Chuck Kimbriel "Happy Amazon Customer" (USA) - See all my reviews

I have to admit that I am a fan of the Rich Dad series of books. I also have to admit that Dolf de Roos was not initially my favorite author in the advisor series. When I came across the first edition of this book, I thought it was slim and the weakest of the series.

Then I bought Dolf de Roos Real Estate College Program at Costco which includes a audio version of this book. I was impressed both by Dolf de Roos knowledge and ability to explain complicated real estate terminology in easy layman terms. He made learning easy and fun.

I went out and bought the revised version of this book and love it. Having the printed version makes looking up information easy. I play the cd's in my car to reinvorce the material.

Also recommend The ABC's of Real Estate Investing by another Rich Dad advisor Ken McElroy and Nothing Down 2000's by Robert Allen.