Each year I read at least 52 real estate books. Most are pretty good. A few are awful. But today is the time to honor the 10 best real estate books of the last year. All these books are available in stock or by special order at local bookstores, public libraries and www.amazon.com. In no particular order, here they are:
1. How To Save Thousands of Dollars on Your Home Mortgage, by Randy Johnson (John Wiley and Sons, New York), $14.95, 249 pages. Ideal for both home buyers obtaining a new mortgage and homeowners contemplating refinancing, this book explores virtually every home loan alternative. Readers quickly become knowledgeable about the pitfalls to avoid and how to save money.
2. Top Dollar Property Claims, by Les Watrous (TGWB Publishing Inc., Orange, Calif.), $24.95, 150 pages. This unusual real estate book is designed to help homeowners who suffer insured losses but have difficulty collecting from their insurance company. It explains the insurance claims routine and how to thwart uncooperative insurers. The book includes forms to use.
3. Investing in REITS, by Ralph L. Block (Bloomberg Press, Princeton, N.J.), $21.95, 345 pages. The well-informed author has written the most complete and easy-to-read book about real estate investment trusts yet. The stunning graphics are matched by the excellent detailed information concisely arranged.
4. The Real Estate Investor’s Tax Guide, Third Edition, by Vernon Hoven (Real Estate Education Co., Chicago), $27.95, 300 pages. Every homeowner and real estate investor needs this very complete tax book, which explains the most important income tax aspects of property ownership. These include homeowner tax exemptions, tax-deferred exchanges and much more. The author simplifies the complicated and makes readers almost enjoy learning about taxation.
5. Home Remodeling for Dummies, by Morris and James Carey (IDG Books, Foster City, Calif.), $19.99, 381 pages. These professional home remodelers created the best book about renovations by making the complicated easy to understand. Their wise advice covers virtually all aspects of home improvements.
6. Real Estate: The World’s Greatest Wealth Builder, by Carleton H. Sheets (Bonus Books, Chicago), $16.95, 286 pages. This book by the TV real estate guru shows readers how to become wealthy by investing in real estate, starting without any money of their own. Forty-one investors who used the Sheets techniques share their experience.
7. Reverse Mortgages for Beginners, by Ken Scholen (National Center for Home Equity Conversion, Apple Valley, Minn.), $14.95, 123 pages. The author, an expert on reverse mortgages for senior citizens, shares his insights in this well-organized book. He explains the pros and cons of reverse mortgages.
8. 101 Ways to Buy Real Estate Without Cash, by Wade Cook (Lighthouse Publishing Group, Seattle), $16.95, 284 pages. This book briefly explains 101 methods of acquiring real estate without money from the buyer’s pocket. It is easy reading, filled with lots of examples.
9. Walk Like a Giant, Sell Like a Madman, by Ralph R. Roberts (HarperBusiness Books, New York), $25, 197 pages. The author, a real estate broker, sells more than 500 homes each year. He shares his supersalesman techniques in this “how to do it” book for real estate salespeople.
10. Real Estate Confronts Reality, by Tom Dooley, Stefan Swanepoel and Michael Abelson (Real Estate Education Co., Chicago), $24.95, 210 pages. This one-of-a-kind book by three real estate insiders explains their thoughts on the future of the real estate brokerage business. The authors give their opinions on where the realty sales business is headed in this computerized age.
