I would like to say thank you! Thank you for putting real estate in terms that anyone can understand. No one likes being left dangling by a string with too much theory and no application. I am a proud supporter and look forward to your future works.

I give this book to friends who want to get started in real estate investment. It is the best beginner book I've found as it touches on many concepts such as leverage, passive inclome, tax advantages that are foreign to the minds of too many Americans. This copy is for me since I obviously gave away my last one.

This Audio program goes over all the different benefits or real estate investing versus investing in stocks or mutual funds. You will learn many valuable lessons from this program including how to find good investments, how to put deals together, how to manage properties once you acquire them. It will expand your mind as to what is possible for you to achieve. It changed my thinking!! Also, more importantly,it changed my actions. No product is worth anything if not acted upon. Thank you very much!!!

The main purpose of this book, as the author clearly states in the beginning of it, is not to tell you how to invest in real estate but more why you want to invest in real estate vs. the stock market and other investments. The author clearly knows what he's talking about, and his insights into the tax loopholes and financing options a real estate investor has are more than worth the price of the book. If you're a beginner, this is a great book to start out with. It's not going to tell you what to do, but it is going to tell you why you want to do it and give you some insight into the virtually unlimited leverage options a real estate investor enjoys as compared to a stock market investor who might as well take his/her money to Vegas.

If there's any doubt in your mind that real estate is the way to go, read this. I'd even recommend it for experienced real estate investors, for the reason that even though you won't learn anything new on how to go about your business, you might learn a few things about creative financing and tax loopholes that you'll wish you had known all along. Buy this book, read it over a weekend, then lend it to friends. It's not the real estate bible of the universe, but it is definitely worth reading if for nothing more than the author's upbeat, positive outlook and enjoyable writing style.
I especially like the author's anecdote about how he went through all those years of college to get a Ph. D. in engineering, then when he received his Ph. D. he was offered a job at $32,000 a year (this was the early 80's, I think, so that was a good starting salary for an engineer back then). But the week before he was offered the job, he had completed a real estate deal in which he made $35,000. So he turned down the job and to this very day has never had a job. Imagine that..... living your whole life without ever having to rent out your labor to the Man for a pittance and put up with the expectations of some moronic, terminally blue-collar boss. This guy has never had a job. He has always made his money--more than enough of it--working for himself rather than slaving away for fifty hours a week making someone else rich.

I recommend this book. It's definitely worth reading. I'm glad I have it.

The good thing about this author is he's very easy to listen to and he keeps your attention no problem. As opposed to the famous book "Blink" the guy has great information but he has a one tone voice that puts you to sleep.
The information is great but its not neccessarily a "how to" guide.

Dolf brings good points about property
1) having more control than paper assets
2)Leverage
3)Tax benefits
4)How inflation works in your favor
But a bit of it is overly simplistic.Anyone would know La is a hotter market than Idaho.

Dolf brings good points about property
1) having more control than paper assets
2)Leverage
3)Tax benefits
4)How inflation works in your favor
But a bit of it is overly simplistic.Anyone would know La is a hotter market than Idaho.

There is nothing detailed or even intellectually satisfying in this book. But I think the one thing that it does do is, (as another reviewer put it,) is to cheerlead. This book was exciting as it was the first book that I had ready on the subject. But now that I have done numerous transactions in real estate and handled millions of dollars worth of real estate and having experienced the ups and downs, DON"T DO REAL ESTATE AFTER READING THIS BOOK!!!!!!!! This book is so simplistic one does not know where to begin. For instance, Mr. Dolf, doesn't delve into possible set-backs seriously enough. He assumes that as long as you buy in a densely populated area, it is a safe bet. And he gives an example of "California" as one such place. There are many contingencies too numerous to list that destroys such a simplistic theory. Markets do have their time and in real estate, if you are stuck in a loan and a property you can't move, you are illiquid and repositioning is not as easy as it might seem. Therefore, being incapable of averting financial ruin is mmore difficult.

Real Estate is something that is experienced. You can't just "buy by the beach" and then just earn equity growth because no one is making beach front. And how many people have the kind of money that allows their first deal to be a fixer in Malibu. His other formula to look at a hundred-pick three-and buy one is really idiotic. There are no formulas in a mechanism that is continually shifting. The real estate industry is continually evolving. There is always an element of risk involved in any purchase. And buying single family homes is a mistake unless you are in a rapidly appreciating environment simply because there is less income potential to hold notes. And the more units, the better the rate (commercial properties). Also, the diversity of loan products just about allows anyone to buy their own home--no need to rent. None of this is even mentioned in these pages.

Then why three stars? Because, fundamentally getting excited is half the battle. And this book WAS exciting. Its simplicity is actually very appealing. In essence, he is right about one thing: Real estate is about debt acquisition ultimately. The SELECTION of the type and structure of debt and the INSTRUMENT against which a deed of trust is written is all-important. But Dolf miserably fails on these issues.There is a tremendous lack of serious dialogue and this book is simply an attempt to sell less than a mediocre work to a less than average society. For God's sake--HE TELLS YOU ABOUT THIS ONE HOUSE SOMEWHERE AND HE PAINTED IT AND LIKE MADE $20,000!! WOWIE!! $20k! You can buy gas for six whole months. Truth is, REAL ESTATE IS MORE COMPLICATED than one would ever assume. If you want something simple....buy an Index fund.

If you want to raise your I.Q. read another book. If you want to understand the simplest of simple items in real estate and get excited, read this book as a starter. But promise yourself you will wait before you jump into a ridiculous formula of see 100:make offers on three and buy one by the beach you cant afford!

There is nothing detailed or even intellectually satisfying in this book. But I think the one thing that it does do is, (as another reviewer put it,) is to cheerlead. This book was exciting as it was the first book that I had ready on the subject. But now that I have done numerous transactions in real estate and handled millions of dollars worth of real estate and having experienced the ups and downs, DON"T DO REAL ESTATE AFTER READING THIS BOOK!!!!!!!! This book is so simplistic one does not know where to begin. For instance, Mr. Dolf, doesn't delve into possible set-backs seriously enough. He assumes that as long as you buy in a densely populated area, it is a safe bet. And he gives an example of "California" as one such place. There are many contingencies too numerous to list that destroys such a simplistic theory. Markets do have their time and in real estate, if you are stuck in a loan and a property you can't move, you are illiquid and repositioning is not as easy as it might seem. Therefore, being incapable of averting financial ruin is mmore difficult.

Real Estate is something that is experienced. You can't just "buy by the beach" and then just earn equity growth because no one is making beach front. And how many people have the kind of money that allows their first deal to be a fixer in Malibu. His other formula to look at a hundred-pick three-and buy one is really idiotic. There are no formulas in a mechanism that is continually shifting. The real estate industry is continually evolving. There is always an element of risk involved in any purchase. And buying single family homes is a mistake unless you are in a rapidly appreciating environment simply because there is less income potential to hold notes. And the more units, the better the rate (commercial properties). Also, the diversity of loan products just about allows anyone to buy their own home--no need to rent. None of this is even mentioned in these pages.

Then why three stars? Because, fundamentally getting excited is half the battle. And this book WAS exciting. Its simplicity is actually very appealing. In essence, he is right about one thing: Real estate is about debt acquisition ultimately. The SELECTION of the type and structure of debt and the INSTRUMENT against which a deed of trust is written is all-important. But Dolf miserably fails on these issues.There is a tremendous lack of serious dialogue and this book is simply an attempt to sell less than a mediocre work to a less than average society. For God's sake--HE TELLS YOU ABOUT THIS ONE HOUSE SOMEWHERE AND HE PAINTED IT AND LIKE MADE $20,000!! WOWIE!! $20k! You can buy gas for six whole months. Truth is, REAL ESTATE IS MORE COMPLICATED than one would ever assume. If you want something simple....buy an Index fund.

If you want to raise your I.Q. read another book. If you want to understand the simplest of simple items in real estate and get excited, read this book as a starter. But promise yourself you will wait before you jump into a ridiculous formula of see 100:make offers on three and buy one by the beach you cant afford!

Real Estate Riches: How to Become Rich Using your Bankers Money, by Rolf De Ross

Dolf talks about how real estate blows the doors off other investment vehicles because of the leverage available. The book is a bit basic and conceptual, but for those investors either just getting started in real estate or thinking about it, this book will give you the push needed. It explains how the returns can be explosive on the capital invested because of the use of leverage. It's true, understanding how the implications of leverage affect total return is very important, however I would have likes more real life examples. In my book, A 20,000% Gain in Real Estate, I go over in detail deal after deal to illustrate this point.

Another key concepts covered are: productivity, and how it is affecting middle America, oceanfront or seaside property, and how it appreciates 50% more than other areas and the time needed to look at 100 properties before finding a real deal. All these are must know for the real estate investors of tomorrow.

This book as well as the others in the Rich Dad series are great starting points. I read all that were available while building my real estate company which went from $0 to $25,000,000 in holdings in less than 5 years.

By Kevin Kingston, Author of, A 20,000% Gain in Real Estate

This book was excellent. I am a "beginner" real estate investor at best (I just purchased my first rental home) and this book was EXACTLY what I needed. Dolf's advice was to the point and inspiring. If I had to pick at something it would be his references to his webpage where you can purchase some of his software and other books. But then again, I would probably do the same.

If you still have doubts on why real estate is the best place to invest your money then you need to read this book!

This book has some very good points, but it's more motivational than anything else. The examples seem very extreme and are given without much detail. Most of the methods seem overly simplified and lack clarity, others are quite vague. This does not seem like a great book for learning about investing, but it does get you really excited about real estate! It makes for a great introduction into the field as it compels readers to learn more.

What appealed to me about this great book by Dolf de Roos is

1) It was written by an actual real estate investor who was
writing from his own personal experiences

AND

2) This book is different from the other real estate books which
all more or less same the same things.


Dolf does a great job showing that that real estate is still the best investment, actually tens and hundreds of times better than any other investment including and especially the stock market.

Dolf will show you how to find the deal of the decade every week!

How to massively increase the value of your property without spending too much money.

olf also explains how the government can subsidize your real investments and how to create passive income using your bankers money so that you only work if you want to.

My main business is network marketing. I have found Dolf de Roos real estate advice not only providing me with an additional stream of passive income, but also taken a chunk out of my tax bill as well.

If you looking for another "Nothing Down" or "Get Rich Quick" book on real estate, look elsewhere. This book can however show you how to get richer quicker with proven strategies.

Great book. Highly recommended.

I have to admit that I am a fan of the Rich Dad series of books. I also have to admit that Dolf de Roos was not initially my favorite author in the advisor series. When I came across the first edition of this book, I thought it was slim and the weakest of the series.

Then I bought Dolf de Roos Real Estate College Program at Costco which includes a audio version of this book. I was impressed both by Dolf de Roos knowledge and ability to explain complicated real estate terminology in easy layman terms. He made learning easy and fun.

I went out and bought the revised version of this book and love it. Having the printed version makes looking up information easy. I play the cd's in my car to reinvorce the material.

Also recommend The ABC's of Real Estate Investing by another Rich Dad advisor Ken McElroy and Nothing Down 2000's by Robert Allen.

The author begins by explaining the historic movement of the real estate market upward. Unless you are a professional portfolio
manager, real estate is still the best investment. There are
important tax benefits/write-offs and it is one of the only
investments where you can make money when you buy. For instance,
suppose I purchase a home from a motivated seller at 60% of
its value. If I obtain a loan up to 80% value, the difference
can be instant cash pocketed from the deal. Properties that are
bought and quickly resold can produce huge piles of cash with little work except for the effort in finding the deal and
cultivating the buy and ultimate resale of the property.
As an asset, real estate retains its value in contradistinction
to an auto which depreciates the minute you drive away from
the showroom. In real estate, location is paramount because
this attribute will cause the property to have a high buyer
demand and rental value. The author asks that we always buy
from a motivated seller and do so with no money down. The no money down can be done in various ways. i.e. flipping a property
or purchasing a distressed property and obtaining a loan for
the fair value of the property

As a general rule, the author asks us to purchase from a
motivated seller in order to obtain the property for the least
cost. The book names several inexpensive ways to make a property more valuable i.e. building a carport. There are more real estate tidbits at www.dolfderoos.com for the curious.
A strength of this book is that it is not a get rich quick scheme. The methodologies are classic and time-tested.
They work provided that you do the all-important analysis for
each real estate deal attempted.

Roos is part real estate investor, part cheerleader. If real estate investing were as simple as getting excited about real estate investing then we'd read this book, leave our 9-5s, and, ahhh, riches. Real Estate Riches inspires me to invest in real estate the way Bruce Lee inspired me as a kid to become a kung fu master. It's great to dream about, but the hard work between the dream and the reality is usually enough dissuade.

His basic plan-of-action is 1) use as little of your money as possible and as much of the bank's money, to, 2) --he skips this part about how hard it is it find and identify a positive cash flow property, then, 3) buy a place that continues to increase in value, while it simultaneously delivers cash in your pocket each month, and finally, 4) when you need more money to invest, drain the equity from your property and repeat.

I think the best advice he gives, and the one insight you might find to be part of the real work of real estate investing, is the 100:10:3:1 rule. Look at _100_ properties, make offers on 10, negotiate financing on 3, and you MAY buy 1. Real estate investing is hard work. Roos show you all of the glamour, but little of the daily grind that's involved to make it happen for yourself.

For a more balanced approach see Real Estate Investing, 4th edition by McLean and Eldred.