Gary W. Eldred
1 Excellent overview of the real estate domain
I think the book has done a good job of introducing the real estate investment domain to the reader. Important concepts(like leverage) are explained with real-life numerical examples and that makes them easier to understand.
Overall, a very good read and a great starting point for anyone who is interested in real estate investment. Note that if you are looking to buy your first home etc then in my opinion Ilyce Glink's "100 Questions Every..." is a better buy. Gary Eldred's book focuses more on various techniques to make money in real estate. I think the readers need to decide what their goal is and then decide on what book they want to read.
2 Very helpful
I havent as yet completed the whole book. I am done with the first 9 chapters and have found the book helpful. So far so good. The only thing that has bothered me a little bit is that the author tries to put stock/finance market down in every single comparison with real estate. He tries to prove each time how real estate investment is better than other investments. I guess people who understand the finance/stock market can be wise and make money with calculated risks just like in real estate. The question is not whether real estate investment is better than money market etc but how much you understand or have knowledge about any given field to reap revenues from it.
Anyways, apart from that I dont have any complaints so far. The book has really helped me to understand some of the things. I will write another review when I am done reading it. I am half way through and it has come up really good so far.
- Rahul Dhond
3 Gigantic value
Usually, when I buy an "intro to the subject' book I seem to find a general guide of (almost) obvious dos and don'ts. Not this book. It covers the territory of real estate investing with dozens of specific pointers backed up with examples. Great detail on financing, buying at a bargain price, and increasing the value of a property. Easy-to-read writing style plus lots of whitespace, headings, and boxed major points for quick scanning. All in all a gigantic value for a mere $10 or $11 bucks. I think even pros (as well as first-timers) could profit by reading this info-packed "how to" guide.
