Real Estate Investing From A To Z: Revised Edition (Paperback)

by William H. Pivar (Author) "More millionaires have achieved their wealth through real estate than from all other endeavors combined..." (more)
Key Phrases: Consumer Price Index, Los Angeles, Social Security (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Sensible, conservative real estate investing continues to be one of the most popular methods for small investors to prepare for future financial security. Real Estate Investing from A to Z explains real estate investing in simple, easy-to-understand terms that are relevant to any investor. It doesn't paint another pie-in-the-sky approach to real estate riches, in which the only people who get rich are promoters of high-priced seminar programs. Instead, Real Estate Investing from A to Z shows readers how to buy one or more homes using very little of their own money, and get discounts of 10% or more from market value. This revised edition contains updated information on:

• Limited partnerships, REITs and lender sales where exceptional investor opportunities are still available
• Getting the most from a home inspection, especially when buying older properties
• The use and future of electronic media in buying, selling and managing real estate
• Using your personal computer and on-line services to discover and research properties

From the Back Cover

The Original Straight-Talking, No-Nonsense Guide to Building Wealth in Real Estate

Despite what many books and seminars will have you believe, there are no "easy street" secrets to becoming a successful real estate investor. Quite the contrary, it requires a tremendous commitment of both time and energy. But ask any real estate millionaire if he or she would have done anything differently on their road to wealth and the reply will always be the same ...

"I only wish I'd have started sooner!"

Real Estate Investing from A to Z is the only guidebook you will need to start--and start today--to build a successful portfolio of real estate properties. A bestseller in two previous editions, this classic how-to-do-it book has been comprehensively updated to reflect the realities of today's real estate market. Look here for the latest information on:

• Creative financing strategies tailor-made for investors looking to buy their first property
• Lesser-known areas where exceptional capital growth opportunities are still available
• How today's state and federal tax laws encourage--and reward--real estate investors

Praise for previous editions of Real Estate Investing from A to Z:

"At last, a real estate investment book that makes sense, is easy to read and applicable to any market situation. Real Estate Investing from A to Z is truly a guidebook for riches that anyone can use. Kudos to the author."

--Robert J. Bruss

Syndicated Real Estate Columnist

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies; 2nd edition (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786312149
• ISBN-13: 978-0786312146
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,527,690 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Do you really want "A to Z" information?, November 27, 2000

By	"mrquality" (Coppell, TX USA) - See all my reviews

The problem with a comprehensive "A to Z" book like this one is that it likely contains more information than the reader really needs. If you are interested in all aspects of real estate investing - commercial, residential and land - having to sort through the material for just one of these won't be an issue for you. But my interest is in single-family residential houses for investing and rental. The book is not organized so that I could read appropriate chapters to get the information I wanted. These three subjects are interspersed, often under the same section heading. Admittedly, there are many commonalities between the three types, but often it was difficult to discern which type was being written about or if it applied to all three. If you're mainly interested in residential real estate, check the reviews for "Rental Houses for the Successful Small Investor" by Suzanne P. Thomas. Also, just as I was beginning to get annoyed at the number of success stories about clever tactics for making "a killing" in real estate, Pivar finally wrote about a few failures - with post-mortem analysis - which helped to point out the risks in this type of investing. Perhaps because the book is about four years old now, it doesn't talk about on-line searches and some of the tax information may be not be accurate now.

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A shallow survey, March 5, 2001

By A Customer

This is a great book if you want to get excited about real estate investments. The first chapters give one the impression that there is minimal risk in real estate compared to a vast upside potential.

The rest of the book surveys all the various kinds of real estate investments but does not cover them in depth. If you are looking for a book to help you evaluate a real estate transaction from a numbers standpoint, this book is not for you. I would turn to "The Real Estate Game" by Poorvu as a beginner's guide for evaluating real estate transactions.

67 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars INFORMATIVE, EASY TO READ OUTLINE OF REAL ESTATE INVESTING., July 8, 1999

By A Customer

THIS WAS AN EASY TO READ, VERY INFORMATIVE BOOK ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF REAL ESTATE INVESTING...JUST LIKE IT SAYS...FROM A TO Z. IT OUTLINED INVESTING AND FINANCING TECHNIQUES FROM THE SIMPLE AND STRAIGHT FOREWARD TO MORE COMPLEX. GIVES INSPIRING EXAMPLES, NOT UNREALISTIC SUNSHINE AND B.S.! I WOULD BUY IT AGAIN.