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Real Estate: The Ramsey Way: Making Home Ownership a Blessing, Not a Burden
Homeownership is still possible. And it doesn’t have to be complicated.
In fact, real estate can be a fantastic investment—if you do it the right way. That’s why personal finance and real estate expert Dave Ramsey put his decades of experience into one Quick Read so you can apply them to your own buying, selling and investing ventures.
In 70 pages, Dave will help you avoid the costly mistakes and pitfalls of what can be a ruthless industry.
From start to finish, you’ll get a clear plan to help you buy, sell and invest in ways that will let you build outrageous wealth and leave a legacy for your kids, your grandkids and their grandkids.
In fact, real estate can be a fantastic investment—if you do it the right way. That’s why personal finance and real estate expert Dave Ramsey put his decades of experience into one Quick Read so you can apply them to your own buying, selling and investing ventures.
In 70 pages, Dave will help you avoid the costly mistakes and pitfalls of what can be a ruthless industry.
From start to finish, you’ll get a clear plan to help you buy, sell and invest in ways that will let you build outrageous wealth and leave a legacy for your kids, your grandkids and their grandkids.
66 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 6, 2024
35 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
Dave Ramsey
221 books2,665 followersDave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He’s a #1 National bestselling author and host of The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. Dave’s eight national bestselling books include The Total Money Makeover, Baby Steps Millionaires, and EntreLeadership. Since 1992, Dave has helped people take control of their money, build wealth, and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO of Ramsey Solutions.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 7, 2025
Overall, I was not thrilled with this book. It takes a very high-level view of first-time home ownership and provides little additional depth not already present on Ramsey Solutions' website. In fact, throughout the book Dave pastes QR codes sending the reader to the site anyways. So why publish a book?
I was hoping for a more thorough explanation of Dave's key principles, but they were not given.
Below is a rough example (with some unwritten assumptions) that gives you an idea just how conservative Dave's home ownership principles are. First, here are Dave's rules:
*15-year mortgages only
*Do not spend more than 25% of your take-home pay on PITIA (Principal, Interest, Taxes, Insurance, Association Fees)
*20% down payment or more, if possible
Using these assumptions, to purchase a $250k house assuming a 20% down payment has been saved ($50k), someone has to be earning a salary of ~$150k a year in order to meet that 25% take-home pay threshold - this is pretty challenging even if we assume dual income from a married couple - as a single person, it's nigh-impossible. The only way to meet that 25% threshold goal with an average income would be to save up a 60%+ down payment on the home - given the amount of time it would take to accomplish that, we have to seriously consider the drawback of many months of rent payments (assuming you are renting) that could have at least partially been going towards a mortgage instead of down the drain.
I tried running this multiple ways and the math just doesn't seem to work. It makes total sense to avoid debt like the plague and try to pay the mortgage as fast as possible, but with rules this conservative, you are shooting yourself in the foot.
I was hoping Dave would at least address criticisms or critiques more thoroughly in his book, but he does not. I am thoroughly disappointed.
I was hoping for a more thorough explanation of Dave's key principles, but they were not given.
Below is a rough example (with some unwritten assumptions) that gives you an idea just how conservative Dave's home ownership principles are. First, here are Dave's rules:
*15-year mortgages only
*Do not spend more than 25% of your take-home pay on PITIA (Principal, Interest, Taxes, Insurance, Association Fees)
*20% down payment or more, if possible
Using these assumptions, to purchase a $250k house assuming a 20% down payment has been saved ($50k), someone has to be earning a salary of ~$150k a year in order to meet that 25% take-home pay threshold - this is pretty challenging even if we assume dual income from a married couple - as a single person, it's nigh-impossible. The only way to meet that 25% threshold goal with an average income would be to save up a 60%+ down payment on the home - given the amount of time it would take to accomplish that, we have to seriously consider the drawback of many months of rent payments (assuming you are renting) that could have at least partially been going towards a mortgage instead of down the drain.
I tried running this multiple ways and the math just doesn't seem to work. It makes total sense to avoid debt like the plague and try to pay the mortgage as fast as possible, but with rules this conservative, you are shooting yourself in the foot.
I was hoping Dave would at least address criticisms or critiques more thoroughly in his book, but he does not. I am thoroughly disappointed.
March 21, 2024
I was looking for a book more on management for rental properties. This book had a small chapter of that. Mostly it's on buying or selling your first home. Very informative though.
May 25, 2024
Información valiosa!
Opino que lo más difícil es ser paciente, porque es un proceso lento. Encontrar personas que comprendan tus objetivos y necesidades, desarrollar buenos hábitos financieros...Esta es una guía más, con información valiosa.
Opino que lo más difícil es ser paciente, porque es un proceso lento. Encontrar personas que comprendan tus objetivos y necesidades, desarrollar buenos hábitos financieros...Esta es una guía más, con información valiosa.
December 7, 2024
Always enjoy Dave's sound advice. I guess I was hoping for more information on the step 3b on saving for a real-estate purchase. Seems like all his books are super brief and kinda skip right over this area.
March 23, 2024
It was a good read. Dave stays consistent in what he says. Pay cash for everything!
March 27, 2024
Great small book for first-time homeowners!
It's a great small book for the first-time home owner. It's not a book about rental property investment. It's short and to the point!
It's a great small book for the first-time home owner. It's not a book about rental property investment. It's short and to the point!
June 9, 2024
Very balanced, wise information
Loved that this book was a short read, but packed with good information. All of Dave's stuff is really great!
Loved that this book was a short read, but packed with good information. All of Dave's stuff is really great!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews