3 comments about California Real Estate Principles.

1. This text, by Walt Huber, is used in teaching a beginning course in real estate principles in numerous community colleges in California. As the title implies the specifics (ie laws, requirements, licensing, etc.) conform to the law in California.

   At the end of every chapter there are a few review questions and important terminology covered in that chapter. Key topics within the text are highlighted and www (Internet) addresses are given for sites that corrospond to subjects discussed.

   I found this to be easy-to-understand and written in a clear and informative manner. Also I believe this to be a good resource for questions concerning transactions within this state. If you are outside California this is NOT for you. Overall a favorable impression of this book.




2. This book will give any real estate novice the information needed to get started on learning the basics of California real estate. If you are planning to take the real estate exam, this book will provide the foundation material that you need to know. Covers the full range of topics in a straight forward manner. The companion Real Estate Practice text contains much of the same information, but with a focus on applying the knowledge in a working environment. I would recommend either title.



3. Pleased with the purchase - just as seller described - shipping went smoothly as well!

4 comments about Retire On the House: Using Real Estate To Secure Your Retirement.

1. This is a great book. Well written and well thought out. I highly recommend it without any reservation, whatsoever.



2. This is the first book I have seen that clearly describes the many ways one can use home equity as a source of retirement income. With Social Security diminishing in importance, shrinking corporate pension plans, and a volatile stock market, using one's home as an investment can be the cornerstone of a comfortable retirement for many Americans. The authors provide very practical ways for using home equity to enhance retirement, including: renting, selling high and moving to other "value" areas, private annuity trusts, interfamily loans, and sales and reverse mortgages. I like that the authors have invested successfully in residential real estate themselves and that they have advised clients on many of the strategies described in the book. This book is a winner with timeless strategies and loads of advice.



3. If you or anyone you know has questions about real estate and the investment aspects of it - particularly as they get older then this is the book. After reading it, I decided to give copies of it for Christmas to my parents and my inlaws.
   
   It does a great job of laying out the options homeowners have of using their single family residence as an investment. The real life examples of using home equity with a variety of reverse mortgages, interfamily loans and home equity lines of credit were very useful. It helped clarify a dizzying array of options available to me and others as a homeowner who may one day need to use my home equity to assist in retirement. I found this book to be incredibly thorough, well-researched and well written.
   
   I highly recommend it to anyone with a meaningful amount of home equity and to those who advise investors on home investment options.



4. I love this book because it is well-written and market savvy, but it doesn't talk over my head. The suggestions for how best to utilize my real estate equity are clear and forthright. The predictions for new up and coming areas to purchase in are so helpful(and worth the purchase of the book alone.) Also, the various strategies for planning for retirement make this book an absolute must-have for anyone who owns or dreams of owning a home. I highly recommend this book. As far as financial books go, this gets my highest rating!

1 comments about The Handbook of Commercial Real Estate Investing.

1. For the well heeled reader interested in diversifying into real estate, McMahan gives many valuable guidelines. Covering topics like how to do due dlligence when scoping out a property, or how to have valid tenant leases that protect your interests. In both these examples, he suggests that you consult real estate professionals who specialise in such matters. In general, for many aspects of owning commercial real estate, you can find people who are qualified to perform these duties for a suitable fee.

5 comments about Real Estate Investing in Canada: Creating Wealth with the ACRE System.

1. After reading a lot of books and taking a lot of courses, this book finally fills the gap. It does it practically and teaches you the basics you need to know to really buy property. No fuss, no muss, just do it using a simple approach. The other guys tell you stuff to sell books, Don tells you stuff to buy properties.

   I have purchased several properties using these exact systems.

   Thanks Don!




2. Don Campbell finally fills in a needed gap in real estate literature. "Real Estate Investing In Canada" is a great book on real estate investing focusing completely on Canada.
   
   Mr. Campbell goes through the basics on real estate investing by telling the story of a new investor. I somewhat liked the approach... only partially because I've done a lot of reading on real estate before and this was a little bit tedious. However I wish I had read this book first and then the other books because this broke down the process really well.
   
   The organization of the book is exceptional and the major points are spelt out. It is also an easy read with a lot of great information, particularly the mortgage binder.
   
   On the downside, the book could have used a little more detail in specific Canadian techniques that an investor can use as well as in structural analysis (major points to look out for). However the book still deserves it's 5 out of 5 stars rating.



3. Please be aware that all the 5 star reviews you see below are all probably written by the auther himself. You will notice that all the reviewers have posted within a very short time from each other, most have a common single name, and if you click on their name this is the only review they have written on Amazon.
   
   I have not read the book, but if the publisher/author had to resort to abuse of the Amazon peer review system, then his advice can't be worth taking.



4. This is an excellent, step by step, clear and consise approach to how to acquire good revenue property. Much like a John Grisham novel, it is hard to put down before you're done! Excellent network supporting the process available to you too.



5. I agree with the review written by John Vantel on July 16, 2005. I am disappointed at this book. I can find much more valuable information at the small "real estate" section of "Personal Finance for Canadians for Dummies" than this whole book. The book has compiled a simple to-do-list for people who will be interested in doing real estate investment. It is an ok job. I think the main purpose for this book is rather to get people sign in for their monthly paid membership program or attend their seminars. Just to be aware.

3 comments about The Complete Guide to Investing in Undervalued Properties.

1. I enjoyed the majority of this author's book. Good insight into developing relationships with referral sources for undervalued properties. I know he has a great deal of knowledge, I like more in depth information.



2. I bought this book and was pleasantly surprised at how informative it was. Finding undervalued properties in any market is tough, although it appears author Berges has found some. He lays out the pitfalls and encourages everyone to invest, but be cautious. He owns a building company and knows what to looks for, so don't be foolhardy and fall in love with the first property you see. Overall, a good read for those wanting to invest, or start investing.



3. Not worth the buy. I am an avid fan of Real Estate books and this one doesn't cut it. It is your basic real estate investing book. Synopsis of them all: Generalization of how to find undervalued homes, generalization on how to obtain financing, generalization on how to fix the place up, generalization on how to market the home, and a generalization on how to sell the home. With as many books as I've read I could write this book without ever having to sell a home.

5 comments about Leading Change : An Action Plan From The World's Foremost Expert On Business Leadership.

1. Very well written book and easy to read and follow. Since change is a modern requirement for any business, it simply makes sense to focus in on what it takes to provide the necessary leadership to do so.



2. John Kotter is a business professor at Harvard University who writes "Leading Change" as a guide to business leaders, helping them to transform their stagnant, ineffective, hierarchical companies into more effective, responsive, team-oriented ones. To help companies and leaders make this transition, he presents eight sequential steps that must be followed in order and done well.
   
   These eight steps are:
   
   1. Establish a sense of urgency (fight complacency)
   
   2. Create a guiding coalition (both influential leaders and effective managers)
   
   3. Develop a widely inspiring vision and strategy for achieving it
   
   4. Communicate the vision, communicate the vision, and communicate the vision even more.
   
   5. Give the employees authority to creatively experiment concerning how to best make the vision a reality
   
   6. Make sure you point out things to celebrate as you make progress toward your goals; it rewards appropriate behavior and, besides, people need to celebrate once in a while.
   
   7. Understand Bowen Family Systems Theory--that when you change one thing, everything else changes with it. Systemic change is difficult work that produces a whole lot of anxiety and unintended consequences.
   
   8. Make sure that, once the changes are made, they become engrained in the new culture of he company; make them "the way we do things around here."
   
   Kotter does get credit for being comprehensive and for being among the first to write a leadership book of this sort (copyright 1996). He appears correct in all of his arguments and this reader has difficulty finding flaws in his eight steps. He appropriately balances task-orientation and relationship-orientation and distinguishes between leading and managing. Furthermore, he is the only author I've come across that understands how Family Systems Theory plays out in an organization undergoing change.
   
   However, the book is outdated. Newer authors like Jim Collins, John Maxwell, and Kouzes & Posner have refined Kotter's ideas and presented them in a more readable, more applicable, and more modern way (again, 1996 copyright).
   
   Kotter limits his ideas and examples to the large, highly structured business world; other authors deliberately address leadership within smaller businesses, schools, non-profits, and other environments. Kotter writes before the internet was widely used; other books keep rapid communication advancements in mind. The obligatory quotes from people I've never heard of who praise the book say over and over again how highly readable Kotter's prose is; I found the prose dry and could cite many examples from this genre which are much more readable.
   
   The ideas Kotter presents are not bad; in fact they're quite good and have blazed the trail for other leadership books. However, "Leading Change" could certainly use an updated edition. Other authors have taken many of Kotter's ideas, refined them, re-worked them, and present them in a manner much more helpful to a wider audience.
   
   I neither recommend this book nor do I contest it. You would do well to read "Leading Change," but you would do better to read some of the authors listed above.



3. This is one of the founding titles in the field of Organizational Change Management. For those who are just entering the field, I recommend reading this book to gain a sense of what the field used to be like in the mid 1990s. It will help you to baseline your current insights and understanding about Organizational Change Management today. The book below is another must read, must understand for those just entering the field. Happy reading!
   
   Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change



4. This book is what I needed and I enjoy the book. I received fast service.



5. BUY THE BOOK! If your organizaiton is failing in its re-organization then read his book. He will describe in infinte deatil the correct steps that your organizational leaders must perform. He provides real life examples of success and failure.
   
   Louis

1 comments about Dolf de Roos' Real Estate Investor's College - Real Estate Inversting For Everyone! (Audio Success).

1. After having Dolf De Roos', "Real Estate Riches" recommended by a fellow Realtor, I stumbled upon Real Estate College. At first, I was worried about the high price tag, but I later found out that it was highlights from a seminar that De Roos personally conducted where students paid top dollar.
   
   The negatives first:
   1. Have patience while listening - There's a great deal of audience participation and testimonials you have to either fast-forward or torture yourself listening to it. While it may be a cultural difference, I perceive folks from New Zealand to speak VERY S-L-O-W-L-Y. At one point, I almost ripped my hair out everytime this investor named "Margaret" spoke.
   2. No indexing - several of the CDs only have (2) chapters where if you lose your place during a break in listening, you have to fast-forward to where you left off.
   3. Some laws & strategies do not apply in the United States and other countries or are outdated. Depending on the market, most sellers will not accept offers under some of the terms he recommends.
   
   Things I liked:
   1. The last 2-3 CD's - If you want a cliff's notes version or simply the highlights of the seminar, listen to the last CD's first. With these CD's, it is only Dolf talking and he goes moves very fast.
   2. He justifies WHY you should be investing in Real Estate - he shows the most common techniques used to measure a traditional investment and how it's flawed to use the same techniques in Real Estate investing.
   3. Use of Technology - Although I haven't bought his REAP software package, Dolf places a great deal of emphasis on NUMBERS -- not emotion. He even has a motto, "Don't fall in love with the property -- fall in love with THE DEAL!"
   
   I'd recommend Real Estate College to anyone considering investing in Real Estate.

5 comments about Risk & Grow Rich: How to Make Millions in Real Estate.

1. What a terrible book. I cannot believe that anyone should have to suffer reading it. It is sad to think that many people will lose a great deal of money in the coming years based on taking such poor advice. A fool and his or her money are soon parted, say goodbye to your ARM!
   Do not worry, you can start over perhaps a little wiser...



2. I have picked the book up and put it down several times since I received it. It doesn't hold my attention for very long. Don't get me wrong, I'm learning some interesting stuff about investing, but it's too drawn out for me.



3. Kendra Todd is an excellent business woman which she clearly demonstrated to Donald Trump on the second season of The Apprentice. Her book demonstrates her business acumen but is mainly an inspirational work to try and show the reader that anything can be possible. She explains how she ended up in real estate after starting a luxury magazine with friends that was $66,000 in the hole after just the first issue. She tells of all the obstacles she had to overcome after graduating college and being unemployed and how much work it took to break into property sales and investing.
   
   
   
   Through out the book Kendra gives personal examples of mistakes she's made, risks she's taken, and how she runs her business so that you can see that making it in real estate isn't easy. It's clear that hard work, determination, and perseverance were crucial to all her successes.
   
   
   
   Chapter 7 finally gets into to actually taking the steps to buying properties. Her 10 Steps To Turning Risk Into Opportunity can be broad but they do offer some good tips for how to set goals, plan, and achieve. The 10 steps are...
   
   
   
   1. Decide What You Want
   
   2. Figure Out What You Must Do To Get It
   
   3. Identify The Risks Involved
   
   4. Figure Out How To Minimize Your Risk Factors
   
   5. Mitigate
   
   6. Make Your Risk Plan
   
   7. Take Fast, Decisive Action
   
   8. Think On Your Feet And Deal With Surprises
   
   9. Reap The Rewards
   
   10. Repeat!
   
   
   
   This book is by no means the all inclusive guide to investing but it has good ideas and shows the reader that with the right mind set and the right knowledge, anyone can be an investor. It leaves you with a good feeling and really makes you want to get out there and take those risks. The key is if you really have it in you to try.



4. Shorting the real estate market at the release of this book would have been the smart play.
   
   The book is superficial and lacking in content. Not worth buying.



5. How does winning a reality game show qualify you for giving out real estate advice. Here is some good advice, buy a better book.

No comments about Real Estate Investing in New York City: A Handbook for the Small Investor.

No comments about Everything Investing Book: Make Money, Plan Ahead, And Secure Your Financial Future! (Everything: Business and Personal Finance).