Great Real Estate Books

I remember when I first started looking into real estate as an investment and as a profession, I would go to Barnes & Noble and buy books off the shelf that looked really good and informative.  Well after some time I realized that the majority of books you find at Barnes & Noble and other bookstores are fluff.  They have a lot of filler, opinion, and make big promises.  Where are the facts??  When I earned my real estate certificate I asked my instructor if he could recommend any good books.  He said he could and recommended a few to me that had to be ordered.  Once I received these books it was like the dark clouds opening up to bright sunny blue skies!

The books that I'm referring to are basically text books that you can find online at the major book retailers.  It is still tough to sift through all the books, but you can generally tell them apart because they are much more expensive than your garden variety books.  I have seen them anywhere from $30 - $300.  Once you get past the fact that there is no quick & easy secret to success you will be able to tell them apart.  They make no promises, they just provide mass amounts of factual information.

Here are a couple that I have really liked: 

 

Essentials of Real Estate Investment

by David Sirota

ISBN: 0-7931-2630-4

I can't remember what I paid for this book, but Barnes&Noble.com has it used for $10.  This book is good because it provides theory and real life practice.  I don't know how many times I've needed a quick answer and been able to grab this book and find out.

 

 

Landlording

by Leigh Robinson

ISBN:  0-932956-30-0

I just bought this book as a Christmas present for my Dad because he has been wanting to get into rental properties.  I actually found the book at Barnes & Noble and I think I'm going to have to keep it and buy him another one.  It has a lot of really good information and is actually a pretty decent read as far as these books go.  Found it brand spankin new for $30 

 

What books have you found useful?

 

Bryan Maynes - Realtor

Dwellings Real Estate