How to Get Started in Real Estate Investing Paperback – July 3, 2008

Nicely formatted book on real estate

Simple narrative, easy to understand.

If you are complaining about the book being too basic, or it did not give you info on what to do if you already own a home, read the title. This is a beginner's book. I have read the book and it was a great investment for beginners. It takes you through the beginning processes of investment and what you need to be wary of. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone thinking about real estate investing. I would not recommend it to someone who is knowledgeable about investing. Overall the book is very basic, yet detailed. It is not about pumping you up, but instead gives you valuable info about.. (get this)HOW TO GET STARTED.

The author seems to have a lot of experience and gives agood overview of various ways to invest in real estate.Key points are summarized in blocks of "tips" (with athumbs-up icon) and "traps" (with a thumbs-down icon.)He warns novice investors about potential pitfalls. Forexample, in a foreclosure "you might...think you're biddingon a first mortgage only to find out that it's a second orthird." In another example, an investor bought an apartmentbuilding, and had to refund security deposits that were paidto the previous owner because he failed to address thedeposits in his purchase offer.The book is an easy read, although there are some annoying,obvious errors. Such as p.141 (2x$1000=$1000???) and p.153where it states that "contractors can... handleconstruction for far less than an investor... Thus acontractor's margins are lower." Clearly he means thecontractor's margins are higher. I wonder if anyone atMcGraw-Hill actually read this book before it went to press.The author frequently plugs his other books for moredetails on specific aspects. Personally, I found thatto be cheesey, as if I just paid for a book that's reallya marketing tease.Anyway, I bought this book looking for a primer on thetopic. Overall, I think it served that purpose well.

This book is amazing! I own two rental homes, bought with difficulty, and never realized how I could have done it so much easier and with less money down.This book's first chapter actually walked me from example to example showing how to find and acquire rental property. Then it showed how to hold them for long term or flip quickly for cash outs. I never knew what I was missing or how easy it is. And the later chapters deal with all sorts of high-end investing including industrial, commercial and land.This book is a must read. I don't think it matters whether you're getting started or are an old investor. It's a money-maker!Bill Leary

I bought this book after reading a review by Rober Bruss (the book reviewer for the LA Times) who gave it a 12 on his scale of 1 to 10 and I wasn't disappointed. It showed me how to change my current house to a rental and buy a second one. Now I'm getting rental income and I have a new house to live in! I'm working on buying a small strip mall next. Compared to the other real estate books I've bought in the past, this is the first one that really showed me how it's done. I won't sell this book for anything!

Borrowed this from a friend and bought my own copy now. I liked the easy going intro and it is a beginner's guide / summary of all the investing options for real estate.

Robert Irwin has written a good book on how to get started in real estate. His beginning story with Leslie, David, and Leo really simplify the thought process of investing. It was a great idea to use one's first residence as an investment property. This gives a fresh outlook on real estate investing. Now real estate could be purchased on 2 fronts. He gives good points to the beginner which seasoned investors may already know. Unfortunately he only scratches the surface of real estate without giving real world examples and numbers. All in all the tips and traps illustrations should serve as a good outline to all real estate investors.He definitely followed the KISS (Keep it simple ...) acronym and it is a refreshing read.