The Complete Guide to Investing in Rental Properties

by Steve Berges

Helps you maximize your investment, minimize your time and effort, and make the most of the real estate market. This title shows you how to: select a house and negotiate the best price and terms; perform a financial analysis to maximize value; secure financing and prepare for your closing; find qualified tenants; and, draft lease agreements.

Genres: Business

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 16, 2004

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the principles presented remain timeless, the methods used to apply those principles come across as dated and out of touch with the current needs of the rental real estate investor. The author also frequently names his own company throughout the book, which quickly comes to resemble an ill-conceived and repetitive advertisement. A re-release of the book with updated methodology would go a long way toward making it feel more applicable and timely.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you forget the fact this book was written before the largest real estate upset in recent time, the book material is quite good. It's no fault of the author, but his projections on growth and improvement are now outdated, but overall the information contained within this book is very applicable.

I learned a good deal about tenant laws (general), pricing properties, purchasing your first and additional rental properties.

I would recommend you still give this one a read, i'd love if the author would update the material, but not sure if that will happen.

[Alex Caravaggio · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main reason I picked up this book is because I was interested in real estate investing. Although the growth projections and advertising/research methods are outdated (he talks about the Internet as if hardly anyone has used it before, I suppose it was 2004), I still found a lot of value in some of the basics regarding utilizing leverage, valuation methods, negotiating deals, managing tenants and trying to maximize your return. I will say the book is strangely poetic at times which seemed out of place, but overall I found the read worthwhile.

[Tony Bradshaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

Because I am not investing directly in rentals, I didn't read every chapter of this book. What I did read, was just enough to get me asking more questions. It really is just a tip of the ice berg for the things I was looking for (financing, options, and some real sound real estate advice). The last chapter was a disappointment because I was expecting HIS 5 gold rules for wealth and not the Richest Man in Babylons. If I had the choice between this book and the Richest Man in Babylon, I'd read the Richest Man in Babylon.