Peter Conti | David Finkel
1 Packed Full of GREAT information
I have read several books on Real Estate Investing - this book is full of great information not full of fluff! Very easy to understand the process of investing,very realistic to what I have experienced in the real world of investing in real estate!
2 Good introduction to creative real estate investing
This book was one of about a dozen books I have read to research creative real estate investing, and it was definitely the most straightforward and practical. It provides a good overview as well as enough details to explain the processes without overloading you with information. It does focus on the purchase-option strategy, so if you are not interested in using that particular strategy in your investing, then this is probably not the right book for you. I would, however, recommend this book to anyone just getting started in creative real estate investing.
3 Conti and Finkel Hit Another Home Run
As is true of all of Peter Conti and David Finkel's books, this is a great book with great information! The author gives you enough information to make the program work without having to make any additional purchases. The book was very easy and quick to read. I would definitely recommend this book to experienced investors as well as to those who are new to the world of real estate investing.
4 Awesome book
This is the best book I've read on Real Estate investing. I have been able to buy several houses using these techniques with very little of my own money, and without the headaches of landlording. These guys also have a mentoring program that I would highly recommend.
5 An introduction to purchase options
Making Big Money Investing in Real Estate without Tenants, Banks or Rehab Projects is a good introduction to using purchase options in investing. The book gives practical, step-by-step information in a language that is easy to read. The real life examples are a helpful way to see the concepts in action.
This is a great read for someone who is unfamiliar with how purchase options work, but probably lacks the nitty-gritty details a seasoned investor would find most helpful. Still, definitely worth a look at!
6 This book is a great place to start!
I found this book to be a great, very practical place to start any real estate career. It starts with how to find good deals and moves you through the whole process, all the way to what your exit strategy might be with each property you sign up. I liked how this book took an honest look at the possible worst case scenarios and offered advice on how to avoid those. The sample documents and the section on contract clauses to use for safeguards was especially helpful.
I feel this book is packed with info for any beginning real estate investor. An excellent place to get a great overview of buying properties in many different ways.
7 Read this before you take another step
An easy read with great real life examples. David and Peter make investing seem fun, interesting and provide step by step instructions along the way. I love the analogies.
8 Investing
I recently had the good fortune of reading this book regarding investment strategies. It was well-written and contained the information I needed to get started with Real Estate Investing.
I was extremely impressed with this book and highly recommend it! I look forward to reading the Making Big Money Investing in Foreclosures Without Cash or Credit.
9 Organized and Thorough, a Great starting point
If you're new to Real Estate investing and need a place to start this is the book for you! "Making Big Money" is a well organized introduction into the world of creatively financed Real Estate investment strategies. Thoroughly presented are the basics in acquiring revenue generating properties for long term financial growth. This book is far from a "get rich quick scheme" and should not be approached as such. Applying the techniques outlined in Peter and Davids book and having the confidence and discipline to follow through with the necessary steps, I believe anyone can be successful applying these strategies.
10 Got to read both books!!!
You want straight forward, nearly step by step instructions on real estate investing for rehabs and foreclosures, you've got to get BOTH Making Big Money Investing in Real Estate- Without Tenants, Banks, or Rehab Projects and the Making Big Money Investing in Foreclosures Without Cash or Credit books. Peter and David make it so easy to understand, implement and encourage one who has NO IDEA where to begin and how to succeed! Terrific for future investors as well current. Keep it up!! and thanks!
11 Useful and Successful RE Investing Techniques
Whether you are just starting out or have a history in real estate investing, this is a must read in providing you with new skills regarding structuring your deals, negotiating, finding and dealing with tenant buyers, and making real estate investing work for you.
The helpful information provided by David Finkel and Peter Conti's own lessons learned will give you an upper edge in your real estate investing!!
12 Great book - helped me acquire 13 properties in 1 year
This is a great motivational book to help you get started in real estate investing. This book inspired me to get started in real estate investing and in my first year I acquired 13 properties.
However, there is still A LOT of risk. The authors make everything sound like it is very simple and I can tell you from first hand experience that it is not. The book will give you a good background of how a lease option works and how to get a homeowner to lease option their home to you.
Where the book falls short is on the fine details and the risk. For instance, the book does not give you any sample contracts. The authors instead want you to buy their CD ROM of forms which they charge a small fortune for. I found the lease option contract form I use on the Internet for about $25 and saved myself a bundle.
And now the risk. Problems you WILL face are:
1. Tenants making late rent payments. Can you afford to cover a lease payment to the homeowner if your tenant is broke and 15+ days late paying his/her rent? For each home you put under a lease option, you face the risk of your tenants being late on their rent and you having to cover the lease payments you are legally entitled to pay the homeowner.
2. Tenants who back out of their lease agreement and stop making their lease payments. It may take you 2-4 months to find a new qualified tenant, especially if it happens in winter and you live in a northern region (people don't like to move when it is cold and there is snow). Can you afford to make lease payments to the homeowner during this period?
3. Bounced rent checks from your tenants. This is a fun one. You deposit your tenant's check and then pay your lease payment to the homeowner. Then, your tenant's check bounces. Hopefully you have enough money in the bank to cover your lease payment to the homeowner or your check will bounce too.
If you want to get into real estate investment, this book is a great place to start. Just be aware that it is not nearly as easy as the authors want you to believe it is and there is a lot of risk involved. But then again, in any type of investing, there will be risk, and the rewards of real estate investing almost always outweigh the risk.
I am thankful I read this book because it gave me the motivation and confidence I needed to get started investing in real estate. And, in my first year of investing in real estate, I have made over $50,000.
13 Highly Recommended if interested in Real Estate Investing
I was occupied with a full time job AND a part time job for years until I picked up this book and started investing in Real Estate. For the first time in years, I actually have time to spend with my family. Peter Conti and David Finkel have given me a new lease on life. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is interested in Real Estate Investing!!!
14 I HAVE A FRIEND WHO IS MAKING MONEY WITH THIS BOOK
My Friend in Atlanta, GA bought this book and has recomend that I read it. He allso got alot of info on Leas Option from the guru Ron LaGrand. He said this book is a must read. He does leas option full time suporting him self 4 kids and his sister. So I'm going to buy the book and let you know what i think after I've tryed some Lease Option. Alot of the reviews that are 1 star sound like people who are afraid or are not true investors.
15 Highly unethical - scary there are people supporting it...
I am not a real estate agent, but a beginning investor (no real experience yet, just getting educated and ready). This book leaves such a bad taste in the mouth: win-win situation looks like conning the seller out of property and money using their desperate need to sell. Of course, at all times there exist business people and mauroders, and they both become rich, but in a very different way. I don't believe in become-a-millionaire-in-1-year plans. Thank you, guys, who leave honest feedback. Sorry for those who prefer schemes.
16 Going to try to make it work!
I got the book about a week ago. I have read it a couple of times and taking a few notes. It was an easy read.
My goal is to have my first property in 3-4 months. The reason I picked so far out as a goal is because I have a new 4 mo. old daughter. Otherwise I probably would have said a month and a half... I will right back and let you know how it is going...
On another note about all the reviews... It seems to me that all the students did 5 outta 5 stars and anyone who either hasn't read it or been able to buy any property gave the book a 1 star. It seems to me people who have not, at the very least, read the book, should not comment on the book... Ranting does not help anything. Anyway, like I said, I'll let you know how it goes... I'll write back in a month...
17 Don't Go Here
The title gives you all you need to know about this text if you have any intuitive sense and that is, keep looking. The book presents itself as a simple, EASY way to increase your wealth and it sounds too good to be true for good reason.
18 To good reviews, Thank You for stopping me!
After looking at the good and bad reviews,I see this book is a set up. Thank you for telling me the truth, those who told the reality of this book and where the 5 star reviews came from. I am to get a call from these guys this morning. I may just let it ring.
19 More than a how-to book
This book is extremely informative and easy to follow. In addition to the excellent advice and true life experiences, Peter and David offer extensive assistance through the web sites mentioned throughout the book. You can get a very good education and have many hard to find tools at your disposal by following the leads. They also seem to actually care if you are successful in your endeavors by sending info, free info, by email. Worth much more than I paid for the book.
20 Don't waste your money
I have been to a Finkel and Conti seminar and have read this book. Fortunetaly, I did not pay for the book. They provide no useful information, and promote practices which can be considered highly unethical. I am a real estate agent and a full time investor. If you really want to be an investor, buy ONE book, find someone who is already actively investing, and learn from them.
21 Lots of Great Ideas, Easy to Read Book, Highly Recomended!!
My friend recommended this GREAT book to me because it was nominated one of the Top 10 Real Estate Books of the Year by a real estate lawyer who writes a news paper column reveiwing real estate books.
I read the book and really LOVED it. I'm relatively new to investing, but I have been studying up on it by reading a lot of books on the topic and this book really stands out as one of the better ones. It has tons of great content & information on how to invest in real estate, as opposed to some other books out there that I thought were full of fluff. It was very motivational too. I liked the easy to read, non-technical, plain language. It was easy to understand.
I liked this book a lot, so I bought the authors' next book, on investing in foreclosures too, called "Making Big Money Investing In Foreclosures Without Cash or Credit." So far that one is very good too!
I would definately recommend these books to any person interested in investing in real estate.
22 Inviting headaches
I read this book earlier this year and went out to try out the techniques. It was much more pain than I had ever imagined, and as an ex consultant I was prepared for the worst! The book is definitely nicely dressed, but now I have no faith in its value. I wasted 6 months of my time and the opportunity cost of such foolish ventures is too high for me.
23 Which reviews to believe? the 30 dated on July 16, 2002??
Finished reading this book quickly and am very interested in starting a RE investing career. The Authors paint a lovely picture of financial freedom. The purchase option lease in theory sounds very inticing.
I have 3 problems:
1) They never give you the language to use in with the seller in hammering out a contract. And knowing the bare minimum about investing in real Estate I am thinking you need some VERY specific legal language in any kind of deal like this. So now, i need to go about paying a real estate lawyer a big chunk of change to write the contract for me? And this can be done overnight? Before the owner changes his mind..?
2) It could take literally months and months to find a tenant-buyer - and then what, $2,000 a month that I dont have is coming out of my pocket?
3) The big red flag here: - I had come to the review section looking for some honest feedback - And then proceed to find about 30 of the 50 reviews all posted on or about July 16, 2002.
And 90% all give 5 stars. Unfortunately Ive become more skeptical because of this.. And not many actual testimonials of people giving actual sucess stories.. Only things like "what a great book" and "the best real estate book money can buy" etc etc
24 Best Real Estate Investment Book I Ever Read
I have read between 20 and 30 real estate books in the past year and this is by far the best I have ever read. This one book contains the plan and techniques that make up my current investing strategy. The book not only offers information on investing as other books do, it also arms the reader with specific word patterns that ensure a quick and profitable deal. It includes strategies that I have never heard of in any of the other books I have read. This book is a MUST READ and truly a one of a kind book. It's in a league of its own.
25 Don't waste your time or money. This is an insult.
Yet another book written by authors with slim or no real world experience. Sure, they are master salesmen who say all the right words and assemble all the standard ideas we've all seen a hundred times before into one neat package, but they are ACTING the part of real estate investors. Sure, they've done a deal or two, but the money they've made in the real estate investment business pales in comparison to the money their books imply they've made. And don't get me started on the money they're making selling books, tapes, boot camps and mentoring services.
Image is everything and believe you me, they know it. Real investors reading their books may be impressed at how well they are organized and how they include all the right forms and scripts and all that other jazz. I'll give them that much. Yes, they understand how to assemble pretty books that are highly readable. But, there are NO new ideas, certainly NO ORIGINAL IDEAS, and much of the information is recognizable as being lifted from other authors' books where those original ideas were first mentioned.
The authors are excellent students of the teaching game. When they set out to write a new book, I'm betting they order every other book on the subject, take notes, make lists and outlines, and eventually assemble a book that "defines" the subject. If that's what you consider a good value, then this is a book for you. But don't you think they should be required to add something new to the mix? Heck no, just throw in a very general success story or two from students who did something similar to what they teach and voila, bestseller.
Finkel and Conti have mastered the art of packaging. Do that well, include all the buzz words, pretty charts and forms, and then add a couple testimonials from past students and you will sell millions...to wannabee investors who just don't know better.
Real real estate investors don't care about image or tons and tons of generalized, shop worn ideas that get dragged out every decade or so by the lastest and greatest guru on the real estate seminar circuit. Real investors want to make money in the real estate business and will gladly pay for new, cutting-edge ideas they can use to make money in their investment businesses. This book simply FAILS TO DELIVER ANYTHING NEW that will assist them in doing just that.
26 Great book questionable application
I bought this book and its predecessor in New York recently. Both books are easily readable and detail an excellent way to develop real estate investment without bank funding etc (but conditional on finding motivated sellers). Both books, however, are similar in content and are thinly slanted to get the reader to invest in the ongoing programmes available direct from the authors (an approximate $2,000 of additional investment).
I've been involved in the UK property market for some years and would find it very difficult to lead a motivated seller to a believed sale and then pull out if I couldn't find a tenant buyer for the arrangement (on any purchase terms). In addition, the voicemail telephone sales script for incoming motivated seller calls would be vital to any marketing of this system but is not detailed in either of the books.
The assumed financing (as detailed within a "subject to" trust arrangement) is very American and would have limited success in the UK; personal guarantees would be a must.
Neither books clearly answer what the reader would need to do if the property market became depressed and a number of tenant buyers vacated their intended purchases leaving the reader/investor to meet the monthly payment responsibilities.
All in all, both books provide a good basic grounding to start your creative thinking, if you want to progress in the world of property acquisition with minimal risk, and for this reason alone are worthy of the investment.
27 Ignore the brokers and other leeches...
Real estate brokers are like stock brokers; they lack creativity and hate anybody who comes up with a unique way to way money in their field that excludes them.I was at first taken back by the authors on their first book and what I initially perceived as plagerism using Robert Allens popular titles. Then I realized that nobody has a patent on book titles and the content in both of these books is excellent.I highly recommend these books to all serious real estate investors.
28 Shark Infested Waters
Know who you're dealing with here. There are all kinds of people in the real estate business, and then there are sharks.
...
In terms of the book itself, some of the tactics here are simply unethical. Much of the book relies on owner-financed deals. In order to get the owners to accept below market interest rates, the authors suggest labeling the payments "thank you payments" instead of interest. "Just by labeling the payment this way you de-emphasize the need to get an interest rate" (p. 103). Lessons in how to deceive and swindle, sweet dreams.
They also suggest you push for a same day decision on any property. By all means, don't let the owners sleep on it, they might come to their senses!
These are nasty people, every book has some good ideas somewhere, but this one was too nauseating to wade through looking for them.
29 Read it. Do it. Make Money. No excuses.
Great book. Better people. On the Must read list of RE books.
It was refreshing to learn that you could buy property with a high level of intergrity and help the sellers feel good about the transaction. I have signed up three properties in three weeks of practicing the techniques. The average locked in profit has been $ 43,000. There are real estate " guru's " that spend a lot of time selling books and seminars that are long on theory and short on great techniques. However, I found David and Peter's techniques and business practices to be very sound and ethical. Anyone can do this, be successful and feel great about the experience.
If you read a bad reveiw on this book...check to see if it is written by a licensed real estate agent ? Bottom line. Agents don't make money on Lease options. Naturally they are going to see lease options in a different light. ...
30 Making Big Money Investing In Real Estate:
Peter and David are Real Estate professionals helping out the others. This was a good follow-up book. I highly recommend their other book: How To Create Multiple Streams Of Income.
Both books are clear and concise. Several examples help clear each step towards the Lease Option. Win-Win all the way.
31 The name of the game
Peter and David's book gives you a broad overview of some of the creative financing techniques used in RE investing today. The techniques presented REQUIRE motivated sellers and the authors are generous enough to tell you how to go about finding them. Please note that motivated sellers are not a dime a dozen in most markets, but they do exist all over the country. As for the man who says the techniques don't work in the Midwest, my very first call was to a seller in Kansas who accepted an offer using these techniques. Getting deals done is methodical and requires perserverance and practice. Also note that one single book will not be all you need to become an investor in RE, continuous education and hands-on experience are a must. Combine what you learn here with information from others, meet with real investors, talk to real estate attorneys, and then decide for yourself. To the doubters, at the very least do yourself a favor and read about Peter and David's methods for rent-to-owning your current home when you decide to sell it, you WILL earn thousands in profit.
32 Robert Bruss loved the book...
I've been a fan of these guys books since I read their first one two years ago. I've read a ton of other real estate books and think there stuff is quite good. I thought a few of the personal attacks posted were out of line and wanted to say to anyone who is reading a few of the , listen to what Robert Bruss said (I've been reading his syndicated real estate column for four years now.)
He says, "This book contains the best real estate negotiation strategies I've ever read. I wish I had known their techniques when I started investing in real estate... On my scale of one to 10, this outstanding book rates an off-the-chart 12."
Then read the few negative reviews with a grain of salt. THe book is worth it if you're into real estate. That's all I wanted to say.
33 Innovative
This book gives you good practical ideas on how to get started in investing in Real Estate. There are some key items left out that you cannot get unless you sign up for their mentor program. For a beginner in Real Estate investing using Lease option purchase agreements it is a lot to chew. An experienced Real Estate investor will be able to apply these concepts immediately. This book is not for the lazy or faint of heart. If your are a first time investor this book will only take you half way to your goal of getting started. The rest is left up to you.
34 Buyer Beware
I have read both of Peter Conti's books and received personal instruction from him at a seminar in Colorado.
You will find no useful additional material in his new book. Their techniques only have a slim possibility of working in locations of the country where real estate prices are rising rapidly. The current economy makes this even more difficult to achieve.
I live in a area of the Midwest where I didn't make a dime after a year of following Peter's strategy outlined in the book. Watch out for these guys, their techniques and false promises.
The book can easily be summed up as follows: Lease options can trigger the "due on sale" clause of the mortgage which can lead to serious complications. You own personal finances including your home could be jeopardized.
The reaction of Peter's company to critical book reviews in the past has been to E-Mail former students asking them to post positive responses to bury reviews like this further down in the list. They sent out an E-Mail to their students on July 16 ... notice how 'magically' 18 reviews were posted the same day?
Buyer beware. I feel there are much better resources on Amazon than this book.
35 Excellent Techniques for New Investors!
I am a real estate agent, and real estate investor, and I found the book informative with some very interesting twists to some of the creative techniques I'm already using. Get the book if you want to learn how to invest in real estate without the landlording problems, invest for cash flow, and use little money down techniques. It was easy reading, and a lot of good how to, and examples.
36 Yes, It's Well Worth Buying.
I've read hundreds of real estate books and this is one of the best five I've read. David incorporates his neuro linguistic programming so that when you approach a house seller, you'll even know better what to say to assure you will get the answers you want. I've met both David Finkel and Peter Conti personally and they sure seem to me like honest entrepreneurs. They are contributors to the real estate world...Once you listen to him, you will understand what I mean when I say he contributes to the real estate world.
37 Excellent info
Not many books can separate the wheat from the chaff. These authors have done just that with both of their books. If you have doubts then simply give their system a try and prove it to yourself. Most real estate lawyers and real estate agents haven't a clue as to what is possible, besides why would they want to cut their own throats by losing commissions etc. Read both books and judge for yourself.
38 Why a Real Estate Licensee would not like this book
I am a RE Licensee in the state of Oklahoma. I like this book and others like it because I also choose to invest in Real Estate. Those who say that such techniques seem unrealistic haven't invested in real estate. What is unrealistic is trying to invest in real estate using the traditional financing model on every home you buy. Some in my industry fear these investments strategies because it forces them to become relevant in a progressive marketplace, or else face obsolescence.
39 Making Big Money Investing in Real Estate: Without Tenants,
Priceless information! A must read book if you are serious about investing in real estate. Real world techniques, with proven results. I know, I've done it.
40 Very good book. Yes this is a true testimonial.
This book gives you a good outline on investing using lease options. I'm a real estate agent in NC and I can tell you that real estate is a very profitable business. After reading this book you can't go out and make a million, but with a little time and work you could make some very profitable investments. Real estate deals aren't born they are made. This book gives detailed
examples and good techniques to use when you start to Create a deal. Most books give you just enough information and then tell you to buy their $250 program to find out more. Mr. Conti took one real estate investing technique (lease option) and went into detail about it. The only thing they don't give you is the actual contract they use to invest for themselves, but they do give some great claues that will help you.
41 Do Not Listen to the Skeptics!!!!
I thought the review from the person from Miami was WAY off target. The persons comments indicated that the book "seemed unrealistic". This indicates that the person has not tried the techniques. Well I have, long before I met Peter and David and the techniques do work. David and Peter have simply added more perfection to an already great system. I will back that up with the actual paperwork of the deals I have done if you are interested... Real estate agents are not experts at investing. Many are not even experts at selling real estate! A real estate license is often a mind barrier to some of the creative techniques that make so many of me and my friends so much money investing each year. Talk to the investors in the field actually doing these deals...not those who "seem to think they are not real". The concepts work and will continue to work. Buy the darn book, and follow the script! Joe
42 I disagree with the above review!
As a physician who is interested in real estate investing, I have found this book to be enlightening and enjoyable. It teaches you to "think outside the box". There may be a "win-win" deal that you can put together by simply using these concepts, which would have eluded you using traditional thinking. For the price of a movie, I have found it much more useful and entertaining. I consider it a "must read" for those who are taking their money out of the stock market and putting it into real estate.
43 Get Rich Quick (for the Author)
This is a get-rich-quick book... for the author. Save your money.
44 Worth every penny!
I've read a lot of books on real estate investing, and this is by far the best! Most real estate investing books give you a lot of general ideas, but no step-by-step information of how to apply those ideas. This book gives you very specific information that will take you as far as you want to go IF you apply the knowledge.
45 This Book Is For Real!
I first heard Peter and David a few months ago when they were in Texas at a 2 day event that they put on at our REI Club and got a lot of great ideas. Before the event, I had heard of them from some friends of ours that lived in Nevada who had been though their Protˇgˇ program and which now have about 15 houses using the techniques they teach in this book.
So when I saw their book released, I went out and bought it the first day. I'm so glad that I did because I had a house that I had just picked up and was getting everything together to do a lease/option on. So because of this I started with chapter 5 "Selling Your Properties for Top Dollar". From that chapter I pick up some new ideas that I used on my latest deal that allow me to get $2000.00 dollars more from my tenants and have someone in the house before I had to make my first payment.
Bottomline the book helped me make $2000.00 dollars more than I would have and saved me a lot of time and money finding some new tenants.
"If you think you can or if you think you can't, YOUR RIGHT"
46 Great Fiction
The authors are among the most skillful *marketers* I've seen - I'm unsure about their real estate competence. I've received emails hyping this book for several weeks through their mailing list, and I'm sure book sales reflect these tactics. Overall the book is well-written and easy to read. The success stories are highly motivational, but I don't believe the average investor should bet the farm on this method. The book is entertaining, but not a foundation to build a long-term investment plan upon.
47 Misleading and self-indulging
Being the second licensed RE agent to rate the book, let me say the following:
I could not finish this book. I am always looking for ideas that offer an experienced investor a "lightbulb" moment. Unfortunately, I did not get that here.
My feeling is that this book is the result of an ego trip. After reading a portion of the book, I got the feeling that Conti/Finkel had written this book based on the mistaken belief that they could explain it better than those who had gone before.
In my opinion, they failed. Not enough depth to be of true value to a seasoned investor, but just enough depth to get a beginner into BIG trouble.
48 Misleading and self-indulging
Being the second licensed RE agent to rate the book, let me say the following:
I could not finish this book. I am always looking for ideas that offer an experienced investor a "lightbulb" moment. Unfortunately, I did not get that here.
My feeling is that this book is the result of an ego trip. After reading a portion of the book, I got the feeling that Conti/Finkel had written this book based on the mistaken belief that they could explain it better than those who had gone before.
In my opinion, they failed. Not enough depth to be of true value to a seasoned investor, but just enough depth to get a beginner into BIG trouble.
49 Great Information
I highly recommend this book to anyone that is serious about investing in real estate. The information is not the standard fare that most real estate investing books provide. Peter and David share strategies that anyone can use, regardless of their economic situation and provide great case studies that prove their methods work. This book shows a much more more profitable side to investing versus the standard landlord trap or the fixer upper nightmare. If you're looking for a manual that will provide you with good, solid information, the information that you need to know to make a PROFIT in real estate investing this book is a great place to start. BUY IT, READ IT, DO IT!
50 Peter does it again!
I am only 17 but have been interested in Real Estate for my whole life. When I was 16 I ordered Carleton Sheets 'No Down Payment' course. The course was fairly good, but I didn't feel it was a very safe way to start. Someone recommended I download a free E-Book written by Peter Conti and David Finkel called 'Multiple Streams of Income', it was eye-opening. The techniques that Peter teaches make so much sense and can work anywhere. Then Peter came out with his new book Making Big Money Investing in Real Estate: Without Tenants, Banks, or Rehab Projects and he just continues to write amazing material. I don't know where I'd be without Peter's books. A big thank you goes out to Peter!
51 A solid Read
This book is one of those "must reads" in Creative Real Estate Investing. Lately, I've read on so many investing strategies, techniques and a handful are "fun and interesting", but this book really makes sense to me. Why would I want to be a landlord if I can reap the benefits without being one and maintain long-term profits AND low down payments, etc....I've read about lease-option, but this books talks in plain English what I need to know to get started---you will probably need more materials to move forward, if you have little or no experience in real estate. (I also read their first book, "Buying Properties in Nice homes with nothing down" immediately after reading this one, another solid book) This book talks in plain English, how to utilize different lease-option strategies and really gives a good `step-by-step' action plan to get you buying properties. This is something you would have to put into action and try it out for yourself to see it work, opposed to just reading about it.
52 A Solid Read
This book is one of those "must reads" in Creative Real Estate Investing. Lately, I've read on so many investing strategies, techniques and a handful are "fun and interesting", but this book really makes sense to me. Why would I want to be a landlord if I can reap the benefits without being one and maintain long-term profits AND low down payments, etc....I've read about lease-option, but this books talks in plain English what I need to know to get started---you will probably need more materials to move forward, if you have little or no experience in real estate. (I also read their first book, "Buying Properties in Nice homes with nothing down" immediately after reading this one, another solid book) This book talks in plain English, how to utilize different lease-option strategies and really gives a good `step-by-step' action plan to get you buying properties. This is something you would have to put into action and try it out for yourself to see it work, opposed to just reading about it.
53 Making BIG Money Investing in Real Estate: W/O Tennents,etc.
This Guideline for any level investor is Absolutely, unequivacobly, the best, most practical, nuts & bolts source of information and assistance I have read in my three years of Real Estate work and investing. I ave paid so much more for LeGrand, Sheets, Bronchick, etc. All are good and have valuable ideas and techniques, but this text is brilliant for the price !
54 great book
This is the best real estate book I have ever read.I have a lot of books on real estate and none ever as informative as this one. I have been telling all my friends and associates about this book. All the info you need to start your creative investing with little or no money is right there.Wish I had this book before I spent all that money on the others.With this book you can start your real estate investing now.I am so excited. Thank you for this book.
55 Great Information Book
I have read several books on real estate investing and I truly believe this can be rated as one of the best..very thoughtfully written with many great ideas.
56 In theory works, but reality is difficult
Many of the techniques are working on paper, but the reality is not so easy. It seems to me the easier way how to make money in real estate investing is writing book like this.
57 Making money Investing in real estate
The information is priceless! This book is the best book on the subject of real estate investing. Anyone interested in being a serious investor must read this book. It works, I've done it!!!
58 Good read with an interesting perspective
The ideas presented in the book are creative and great ways for people to make money in real estate without following the "traditional" system. The real world examples and processes are what make this a great read and a beneficial book. The only negative review of the book that I've read comes from a Real Estate agent which makes sense considering the mental box that most, but not all, real estate agents are in. The book empowers people to make it on their own through knowledge.
59 I love this Book, highly recommend
I have read this book cover to cover for two days and it so informative, everything that need to do and say and how to say it ,, to the seller and buyer of real estate home, it's Here.
Folk ,i highly recommend this book and you will enjoy and learn the whole process of Lease Option in short time.Down to earth aproach.
...I learn a Lot....Thank David
60 This book is great
I read this book, as well as the earlier Peter Conti/David Finkel book, and 2 from Dolf de Roos. This one and the others educated me a great deal on the real estate market and opportunities available. Not all the ideas are for me..but some are, and I've since purchased 3 different types of properties using what I've learned, and I'm still looking for more opportunities. It's working in several ways. You use the concepts--the ones that work for you. It's not a bible--its an education and you apply it to your own situation and reality. My own real estate agent was scepticle too, and didn't think the techniques were on the up and up, or that the authors were really successful RE salespeople. But the results speak for themselves, if you use the tips to your own advantage in your own comfort zone. Yes, it does take some work no matter which choices you decide to use, and ethics. The book by Finkel & Conti is written very optimistically although it does tell about pitfalls. After reading it, you may decide to do nothing, but just be more aware, or take action in a different way for the real estate opportunities. But the financial rewards are there if you pick and choose how you want to apply them in your own situation.
61 A great read for starting investors to seasoned veterans.
Peter and David have put together a clear, concise book that is a great read for investors of all levels. For those starting out it offers great techniques to get your business off the ground in an easy to read format not loaded down with the usual jargon. For the seasoned investors there are revolutionary ideas to help them take their business to the next level. A must have addition to any real estate investors library.
62 Great for a Beginner!
As a beginner in real estate investing, I found this book to be invaluable in setting all the wheels that I need to in motion to move towards that first deal! Having only had this book for a week, I am not there yet, but I have no doubt that much of my future success will be attributable to the tactics taught in this book!
No "guru" should be the end all and be all of your real estate investing knowledge - I have read many and take away gems from all of them. These authors seem to have pulled together a solid instruction on how to find motivated sellers, negotiate with them to close the deal, and then resell to your buyer - that is a good place to start for a beginner, or to fill in some new ideas for the experienced investor...
"Save your money" (from another posted review)?? Is [price] too much to spend to figure out if their advice and experience could help you to be a success?? Not in my book! Of course, this is just my opinion, but those people who will doubt and discount something without trying it would probably not have been a success anyway...Happy investing, all! : )
63 Intelligent, open-minded readers only!
In response to the reviewer from Florida (who did not list his name and take responsibility for his ignorant remarks):
I have met the author of this book, attended his seminars, and read his previous book, as well as this current one. The techniques described in detail ARE viable and REAL INVESTORS are making a living with them, myself being one of them. You only have a real estate license, which has handicapped you to thinking creatively about real estate investing. Leave the real investing to people like myself who are intelligent, creative, and hard-working enough to implement the book's strategies. My advice to you is to stick to selling houses in the traditional manner. To all others, read this book. The information will help you become even more successful in your real estate investing endeavors.
64 GREAT, Real Life Step-by-Step System
I purchased this book while traveling and read it twice before I arrived back home. Last week I got the courage to "try it" and was surprised at just how easy it was to find motivated sellers and present offers without offending them... and still make a profit. I had my first offer accepted within three weeks of reading it. Way cool!
65 Shameless Self Promotion
From multiple emails that I have received and which have also been sent by the author to countless novice real estate investors, the author is shamelessly trying to pump this book to the top of Amazon.com's best seller list. Honestly, there is nothing new in the book and you have to ask yourself if there are so many millions of dollars in real estate, why is this guy taking time and working so hard on promotion to tell you how to do it? Save your money and check the Net for free advice.
66 THIS WOKED FOR ME!
This is the second book I have read form Peter and David, and I can tell you that I am NOW a full time investor and that I have David and Peter to thank for the 1.5 Million Dollars in property that I have secured in just 7 months using the methods discribed in thier new book.
The new book has reinforced all the wonderful methods that any investor needs to make no money down deals. I do not understand why anyone would invest in Real Estate without reading this book first... Oh Well, more deals for me!!
Thanks Peter and David!!
GENE
67 Are these testimonials true?
I have a real estate license and I must say the techniques used in this book seem unrealistic. In my opinion I'd say save your money. I read the other reviewers and bought the book because it was reviewed so highly. if you buy it, remember amazon.com has a great return policy. Don't allow authors to write garbage and get paid for it, but that's just my opinion.
68 Wake up call for the clueless in RE investing
There are a ton of books on Real Estate investing out there and I read a lot of them. Peter and David written a real world Mini-manual on making money in a multi-guru Real Estate info fest. This Book will give you clear insight to investing without all the risk and headaches most people will think goes with business. Don't think..BUY IT..READ IT!
69 great examples!
I loved this book so much I read it twice. The different techniques and real life, real people examples, their fears and down falls and how they over came them is what I believe makes this book so worthwhile to read.
70 Entrepreneural and Wonderful
This is one of the best books I've ever read. I have always been interented in learning about various ways to save and make money. This book describes techniques for making money by being a real estate investor part-time or full time. The book is also very motivational as it gives case studies of students of David and Peter's system who have used the techniques listed in the book to make tremendous profits. The book does not say that this is the easiest thing to do in the world (it's not a get rich quick scheme), but for people who are willing to put in the effort of learning the techniques and going out there and carrying out the actions, wealth is unlimited. I seriously could not put this book down. Now that I have read the book, it's time to put this into action. I am going to follow their techniques to do this for myself. I'll keep you all posted on the results. For others of you out there who are thinking about purchasing this book, STOP THINKING ABOUT IT! Start reading this ASAP because it might just change your life.
71 One of The Best Books Available On The Subject
After reading numerous books on real estate investing during the past year, this book, and their first book, are the most detailed books I have ever read. Many books give you the basics and try to upsell you to spend additional $ or more to learn the actual techniques. These 2 books give you all the detail you need to actually feel confident in beginning a successful real estate career.
After reading and studying the dialogues with potential buyers and sellers, I finally feel confident enough to begin my new career in real estate investing.
72 They did it again!
I've already read David and Peter's first book called "Multiple Streams of Income" and I also couldn't put it down at all. I finished it within two days which is really a record for me!
Anyway, the techniques and ideas are priceless, they will have you thinking faster and harder about taking control of your future and getting into this type of realestate investing. They share a lot of details on how this works and they tell it like a story from the beginning to the end. Don't get me wrong, you cant just read the book and run out there, you probably need to get legal advice, forms and learn how to fill them out but the book really gets you up to that point. I'm going to put these ideas into practice and I have no doubt about my success. Like they said "It's not that things are difficult that we don't dare do them, it's because we don't dare that they become difficult" or something like that!
I loved their first book and I love this one! Thanks David and Peter for sharing all your knowledge and best wishes for success.
73 Couldn't Put It Down
I bought this book at a book store the day it was released (purely by chance), and by the next day had finished reading it. The authors use a very readable style, combining lots of good information with just enough "fluff" to make it flow along nicely.
I am planning to get started in real estate investing within the next 12 months, and I am devouring just about every good book on the subject I can get my hands on. I have read more than a few diverse books on real estate investing, which have provided me with a solid fundamental background of the concepts involved. However, Conti & Finkel's books are the only ones I have come across which provide any significant level of detail into the advatages and mechanics of "purchase option investing."
The objective of this technique is to lease a property with the option to buy it from a motivated seller (one who has moved and is paying double rent or who is facing forclosure, etc.) and turn around and lease it (again with an option ot buy) to an eager tenant-buyer for an upfront option payment, a larger monthly lease, and greater option purchase price. The key is to structure the buy contract to be contingent upon finding an acceptable sell match, guaranteeing that the property will create a positive cash flow from the start, with little or no up-front money outlay.
As I alluded to above, I have not personally tried this technique (yet), however, I found the concept to be interesting to say the least. Throughout the book, Conti & Finkel suggest consulting with quality advisors, such as a real estate attorney, who should be able to provide some good input concerning the viability of this strategy and help you draft the necessary legal documents for your area and strategy.
Although they don't include the full text of the contracts they use, there is plenty of discussion of the necessary clauses, which should be sufficient to ensure the documents you draw up with the assistance of your attorney will be adequate. The book is chock full of examples and experiences that review both the good moves and mistakes that Conti, Finkel, and their students have made throught the years.
Readers of Robert Kiyosaki's books on financial freedom (Rich Dad, Poor Dad, et. al.) will recognize a familiar tone in Conti & Finkel's work. This book compliments Kiyosaki's quite nicely, and fans of that series should appreciate it. (And those who detest Kiyosaki's works may likewise hate it!) In fact, I would recommend this book ahead of Kiyosaki's Rich Dad's Advisors series on real estate by Dolf DeRoos, as it contains quite a few more details on just how exactly to get started and put the strategy to work, and not just a lot of theory.
About the only detractor are a few subtly-pitched advertisements for the authors' web site and seminars, but these are few and far between, and are actually quite sparse for most entrepreneurial books.
Even if you never put these techniques into practice, reading this book will broaden your knowledge base and open your mind to another aspect of real estate investing.
