After beating back a slump a decade ago, real estate has rebounded in a big way for the Millenium, offering a hot investment vehicle that even novices can ride to riches.
The Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing clearly shows that the secret in getting rich lies not in get-rich-quick schemes but rather in investing in a commodity that has been around since the beginning of time -- terra firma, property. A small capital investment today can be leveraged into huge profits tomorrow.
Readers learn how to:
- Buy and manage every type of investment property, from houses to condos to large units to commercial property to land for development
- Value property correctly
- Live through the "due diligence" period
- Handle tenant problems without turning into an 'evil' landlord.
If you think the only path to riches is through the stock market, then think again. In The Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing, Martin Stone and Spencer Strauss show how to generate financial security one property at a time. The authors, both real estate brokers, illustrate basic concepts such as researching and valuing properties, obtaining financing, managing tenants and expenses, and dealing with taxes. They believe that the "biggest little secret" in real estate is the tremendous leverage that investors can enjoy. They write, "If you have $9,000 to invest, for example, you could buy $9,000 worth of stocks, bonds, coins, or art. With $9,000 to invest in real estate, however, you could purchase a four-unit FHA apartment building worth $300,000." The book includes hundreds of tips on everything from how to minimize vacancies and be a good landlord to making an offer and working with contractors. Well written and easy to read, The Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing is a solid introduction for anyone seriously considering real estate as full- or part-time source of income.
