If you have not been really exposed to real estate investing this is probably a good book to understand how you can work with OPM (other people's money). However, for the more advanced investor it is quite disappointing. I would not even recommend it as a "refresher" course.
Review #2
THE best I've read, and I've read many
I've bought many expensive courses and books on real estate investing, from the late-night TV guru to classic books on the subject. They all have some valuable information, BUT I WOULD TRADE HAVING BOUGHT THEM ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ONE LITTLE BOOK UNDER $20. Whereas many real estate experts turned authors would have you believe that their courses give you tricks and secrets to wealth that you won't find anywhere else, Mr. Cummings explains in detail how all of these methods of finance are used all the time in real estate and are the foundations of amazing fortunes through property. Each technique is explained with examples, benefits, and potential pitfalls, each over the course of four to five pages. You can read this book in short snippets and walk away mentally charged with the possibilities or more likely get engrossed in the reading and not break for 100 pages. This isn't pie-in-the-sky, might work for somebody else stuff. This is how it's done all the time by the people that know how to maximize their return while minimizing their risk. I'm an avid reader and for books on financial success, I would place this book at number 2 on the must-read list, right behind Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad, Poor Dad. That book tells you why you must turn to property. This book tells you how to do it. I can't recommend it highly enough! Great, great book! By the way, any reviewers thinking the use of OPM (other people's money) to buy property is only useful if you just crawled out of a cave or just landed on earth must have paid all cash for their houses, otherwise, they used OPM. Any kind of financing IS the use of OPM!
Review #3
3 1/2 stars
One reviewer obivously stopped reading. Yes Jack Cummings has a chapter on cosigning and one on borrowing against a life insurance policy, but he also has 38 other chapters on very creative ways to finance real estate. But lets face it, these books are written for novices, so cut him some slack. He's covering all bases. And there are a one or two other just as cheesy ones such as chapter 37, "The Root Beer Float" (And in fact, this type of advice is why I didnt rate the book higher - but if you can gleen a couple of ideas to use then I feel a book is worth it).
Every type of financing one could think of is covered in this book from syndication to yes, using a family cosigner. Each idea also includes possible pitfalls. I rate this book 3 1/2 stars and feel it is a solid purchase.
