Buying-the

A friend of mine lent me this book over a year ago, before I bought my current car, and it helped me save several thousand (I'm not kidding!) dollars, by instructing me on the steps I had to take to avoid falling in some of the most common traps Car Dealers set up for you during the process of a car purchase.

Unless you don't want to save yourself some headaches and a lot of money, read this book before you buy a new car.

We all know that common sense isn't alway so common. We all also know that car dealers have many tricks up their sleeves and for many of us we'd rather have a tooth pulled out than face a car salesperson. This is an easy to read book that lays out the different tricks that car dealers are up to and how you should go about buying a car. It has a long section about leasing which for me was a bit unnecessary since I would never want leasing, even before reading the book, but reading about leasing here is probably a good wake-up-call for many. It is brief enough to get through in a few hours, and easy to read. Much of what is in the book is just common sense, but common sense isn't always common :-)

This book should be MANDATORY for first time car buyers!!! It opened my eyes to many things. Let's you REALLY know what car dealers don't want you to know. Because of this book I actually decided to go with a car buying service (Car Bargains) to get the best deal on a 2003 model.

I am having a hard time understanding why so many people rave about this book. From the moment I started reading it I found it one of the most annoying "how-to" books I have read. Here is why:

1) There are way to many quotes in this book. The flow of Mr. GeRue's argument is constantly interrupted by quotes of varying quality and relevance. One begins to wish Mr. GeRue had more original thoughts to share himself.

2) The information provided is often shallow and obvious. The argument gets made over and over that rural areas are more quiet, more peaceful, more healthy, less violent, etc. etc. All of this we already know; that's why we bought this book to find out how to get some rural life ourselves. Mr. GeRue relies excessively on trends, mostly as anticipated by others. Even in the most recent incarnation of this book, many of these trends are already outdated and have been proven incorrect.

3) Mr. GeRue has a problem with California. He used to live in Concord, which is not the most scenic place in California, and he probably has some leftover trauma from that experience. He constantly makes negative remarks about California and Californians, which is very annoying for someone trying to use his book to find rural land in California. This bias shows up throughout the book. For example, in his discussion of bio-regions, GeRue simply lumps the entire state of California together with Nevada and Arizona, as if the climate and land in Sonoma County is at all comparable to the desert outside Phoenix.

So maybe Mr. GeRue's book is helpful if you are looking for a place in the social paradise that is Southern Appalachia (just ignore the casinos), but don't buy this book if you are interested in land in the West.

This is a great how-to book for the person who has no experience with living in the country and hopes to go there soon. It covers a broad group of concerns for the would-be rural land owner, bringing to consciousness numerous important differences between living in densely-populated areas and living far from town. It cautions against living near health hazards (which crop up all too often in unpopulated regions!) or too far from employment, and strongly recommends water and soil tests before buying. These are all good ideas, and the author has many more ideas of equal merit to share.

Unfortunately, the book did not meet my needs since I have already done a fair amount of research on country living, and have some real-life experience in that area. It was too broad and general to be of much help to me. Therefore I caution the informed would-be rural landowner - seek out another source for specifics about buying and settling in your area of choice. If you have reached the level of self-education where you already know to ask about deeded easements and percolation tests, this book is not for you. Also, if you already know which region of the US you want to live in, this book will probably disappoint you. It is aimed at helping people with preliminary decisions such as, "Do you want to live somewhere hot, cold or temperate?"

If you are currently an urban/suburban dweller and you have begun to toy with the idea of getting back to nature, this book will be of immense help to you. After reading it, you will be more realistic and generally informed about country living. If you still have the itch to "get out of Dodge" at that point, you'll be needing another book - one with more specifics.

I think I own and have read just about every book on moving to the country and this book is tops. As the founder of the CountryBound Web site, this topic is a passion of mine and several people recommended this book to me. I really appreciated Gene's insights and logical approach to realizing one's country dreams. His style of writing is reassuring but direct. He does not candy coat the trials and tribulations of country life. When you finish this book, you will know if country life is right for you.

The other part of this book that I found extremely useful was the maps and detailed illustrations. I have found no other books that have the detailed info that this book has. And if its any further indication on just how much I liked this book, I bought several copies and gave them to friends and family.

You will not be disappointed with this book.

This book is an invaluable resource for someone looking to buy their first home: Glink takes the reader through the home buying process step by step, and the amortization tables in the appendix definitely come in handy. However, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for someone looking to buy a co-op or a condo. When I was looking to buy a co-op apartment in the city, I found the CO-OP BIBLE to be much more helpful--it was the book I turned to when I needed help with every aspect of that process.

I bought this book about a year before I started looking for my first house (when I knew ABSOLUTELY nothing beyond the fact I wanted to buy) and I found this book to be an indespensible aid. The real beauty of it, for me at least, is Ms. Glink's ability to get you thinking about all the myriad issues involved in buying a home (including the biggie - do you even want to do it) in a constructive way with language that is easy to understand. I love that she includes the emotional issues (that are so often overlooked) alongside the financial, legal and practical issues. The breakdowns of real-estate language and the worksheets are nice touches, too. I have recommended this book to everyone I know who utters that magic phrase, "I'd love to buy a house someday...".

I am a 25 year old looking into buying a condo in Chicago. I just finished the book and it taught me so much about what to expect going into this major purchase. The author explains what you can reasonably assume a bank will loan you, different financing techniques and important emotional and financial issues you will have to resolve before choosing a home. Its easy to read and engaging. I usually have a short attention span for manuals, but I read this cover to cover in a week. I never lost interest. If you're a renter and at the point where you're starting to think you want to buy, read this book for some great tips and advice so you don't fall into any "gotchas" ahead.

Eldred guides you through all the questions you must ask and answer before you buy any home, but of course with special considerations on buying a second home. Midlifers who have that chunk of money from a house sale, inheritance, or investment can ensure that money will be well spent to set them up for later years. Eldred has both been there (bought real estate) and done that (his research) and you will benefit from his experience.

I have read and re-read this book. I just bought a second home in the Arizona mountains with the idea of renting it out part-time and this book helped me to solidify some ideas and develop an action plan. I recommend it for anyone who has a second home or is thinking about it..

Following this author's techniques and advice we bought a second(future retirement) home on a lake in Georgia. Just as he forecast, homes like ours have jumped $100,000 in the past 2 1/2 years. Thanks for giving us the kick we needed to make the buy we've considered for years.

The book was okay. However, I thought the author threw in too much unnecessary information in order to keep the book from only being 30 pages long! For instance, do we really need a rehashing of the history of value investing? Also, there are lots and lots of charts, which I think is overkill.

Other than that, the book is fine!

Here is a rarity in value investment literature: a more or less complete system for finding RELATIVELY cheap stocks. And the system described is indeed useful enough that nearly anyone with a value disposition might take at least a portion of it away to incorporate into his or her own approach.

Ostensibly, the heart of Tengler's book is the use of relative dividend yield or relative price to sales ratio (relative to a stock's prior trading history). However, the most useful portion of her method concerns her thoughtful use of a checklist/scoring system to help avoid "value traps" --purchasing stocks with dividend yields which are high for good reason, for example. The described scoring system is at once disciplined and somewhat flexible, two key attributes to wade through a crowded, value-driven market.

The book is exceptionally clear and concise in terms of the general methodology offered by the author. However, the scoring system as modified by Tengler for assessment of bank stocks should have been more clearly defined by way of example, especially since banks are such a large part of the relative dividend investment universe. This is a small quibble as compared to the useful general approach given to the reader.

The best value investment literature offers both a general way to recognize value and practical means to find it. The approach offered here is somewhat novel, very useful, and well-described. The book is one of the more useful works to appear in value investment literature over the past several years, and even if the reader chooses not to embrace the entire approach, he or she will probably find a few useful ideas to discern value.

One of the best and most informative pieces on fundamental investing. A well written, step by step overview of how to look at and analyze a company's future prospects, while not paying too much currently. Following this formula will certainly help readers outperform overall equity indices, over long periods of time. A wonderful strategy for retirement plans, college savings accounts, and any fund with a time horizon of three years or more. What you will learn from this book is how to find those companies that have become fallen angels; once the high flyers, now the value stocks, and how to assess there future prospects.

I bought this book after reading the rave reviews and editorial, as I'm in the process of selling a home for the first time, and renovating 2 apartments to rent. I thought it would contain helpful tips on getting far better prices. Wrong! This book should have been called "Cleaning for Dummies, Lazy Teens & Completely Clueless Adults". It contains nothing but common-sense and the obvious.

The first 3 sections are insultingly simplistic, i.e., "the buyer will see your clutter", "clean the stove", a list for cleaning ("sponges, bucket, glass cleaner"). If you have to read that broken tiles, whether on the floor or bath, should be replaced prior to showing your home, and that you need to clean the windows, wash down cabinets and tighten loose doorknobs, I'm afraid that you have far worse problems than selling your home!

Section 4 basically tells you not to paint your kitchen orange and yellow, or your bedroom pink, but rather paint everything white, as a base for a buyer to use for "their" color, and so as not to distract from key features.

The 5th and last section is still more from the "Dummies" series... "don't display empty flowerboxes, put fresh flowers on the table, serve coffee, don't have blank walls yet don't display provocative, political or religious items, clear debris." I now know that I can make a living as a writer, with little effort, as this one does.

Basically, if you've ever rented a white-wall/beige-rug apartment in a complex, that's the look to which she's aspiring, perhaps adding a few no-controversy items from a mid-range hotel lobby, like a simple wreath or inobtrusive floral display...

I did and I made $66k MORE than I thought I would. I did everything I possibly could right down to how I folded my towels and sheets in the closets and decorating, that's right, decorating my outdated pantry to look quaint instead of old. My family said "we can't live like this" and I told them this isn't for living, this is for marketing! My husband was unemployed and I am a housewife so the only way I could generate income for my family was by maximizing my profit from my home. I did, with this book.

I have no immediate plans to sell my house, but I bought this book anyway. I'm following the author's suggestions and I'm very pleased with the results.

If I need to move, I'll already have myself positioned to list my house quickly. If I stay where I am, I will still have a nicer looking home. By taking care of the small things now, I won't have as much stress down the road.

Don't think that dressing your house for success is "fast" process, as the title implies. Some of us just don't have the time to get everything done in a short time frame. Still, this book has a lot to offer, and when I'm ready to sell I'll be very glad I read it.

This book is readable and nicely planned out, but it may oversimplify selling by owner. It reads like a Tony Robbins/Up With People/Judy Garland-Mickey Rooney let's-put-on-a-show MGM musical. I wanted an MLS listing to help with advertising but the flat fee listers don't do it in every state. This book makes it sound like there are many advertising avenues available to FSBO listings (without being very specific), but I couldn't find any in my state, and the Internet listings aren't much good in areas where many people don't have computers. (Yes, there are such places even in 2004.) Plus, the FSBO sites I found were connected with flat fee listers, so prospective buyers aren't necessarily going to find them. I had to give up and list with a realtor. If you want the book for general information and/or you live in a state with a hot real estate market, it isn't bad, but don't expect selling to be as easy as the book makes it sound.

I used this book to sell my home myself and it worked like a charm.

I got the book because I saw a story about it in Business Week and Smart Money Magazine. They recommended I get the book before I put the house on the market so that I would make any mistakes I'd regret later.
They were right! I sold the house in about 3 weeks following the advice in the book and I saved about... When I tried to calculate the return on my investment from this book my calculator short-circuited because the return was so great!

I made the mistake of buying a couple of books in the bookstore written by "experts" that were real estate agents. Fortunately I found Supple's book here and followed its advice. Those books that are written by agents are full of incorrect and counter-productive info. Supple's book is useful because it is based on tried and true results from his FSBO magazine business.

This book took me step-by-step through selling a home and was there with me at the closing...just so I knew what I was doing.

A great book, everyone should get it

I RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT A FEW MONTHS BACK ... BECAUSE I AM INTERESTED IN FENG SHUI I READ IT IMMEDIATELY ... YES I BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE INVALUABLE FOR THOSE SELLING THEIR HOME ... BUT ALSO FOR REAL ESTATE AGENTS TO GIVE TO THEIR CLIENTS ... BUT IT IS SUPRISINGLY USEFUL TO EVERYONE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIVING IN THEIR HOME ... I HIGHLY RECCOMMEND THIS BOOK ... NANCY SINGLETON

A Feng Shui Practitioner

I was so impressed with this book I gave my Realtor a copy! Because the author is a Realtor herself, my broker "got" it immediately. He told me the most successful brokers in our area are increasingly using Feng Shui to market properties for clients, especially at the high end - but that even modest homes are selling better with Feng Shui.

He was particularly enthusiastic about this book because he says it is the BEST FENG SHUI REFERENCE GUIDE he has seen, for both real estate professionals and homeowners alike.

I highly recommend Holly Ziegler's book to my clients because it is written so that a complete novice can understand how to use simple Feng Shui techniques to sell their house, or to simply improve the Feng Shui in their existing homes.

The Feng Shui teachings in this book are also of the highest quality. It guides the reader to a deeper understanding of the ancient wisdom that makes these Feng Shui principals so effective in selling a home.

I tell my clients that using Holly Ziegler's book to sell their house is good karma, because the result is a "win-win" situation, where both Seller and Buyer come away with better results they ever expected!

Okay, here's the bottom line: I bought the book. My house had been on the market for four months. I had tried everything (lowered the price twice), fired one agent, hired another, offered incentives, I was about ready to pray to some Catholic saint in charge of selling homes and my real estate agent said, "buy this book." So I did. I did the stuff the quack author recommended (cost me about $$$ and two days of my time) and four days later, the first person to see the house after I made the changes, wrote an offer for full price. I'm not into miracles. Guess that does not matter. The house is now sold. That's the bottom line. Do I recommend this book? Only if you want to sell your house.

This book is chocked full of tips and solid advice about the process leading up to a new home. It clearly outlines the options for getting a design and a builder, and points out how choices affect the cost and the resale value.

Very helpful. I found this book to be more helpful that all the rest, and I have gone through a ton of them. Sure, the design of the book is unfortunate, but the author's actual imput outweighs that. Shame on those who can't see past it.
Great book. Essential. My contractor finally recommended it after I'd read too many other books...and it's great. The Kitchen section was especially helpful.
God bless you, Katherine Salant.

This is a great comprehensive book. Lots of options are discussed with the pros and cons of each.

We recently sold our house ourselves. It worked. It was definitely worth it.

I bought this book to help me better understand the issues I was facing when we got started. It was helpful and definitely worth the money. The language was easy to understand and it did highlight a number of issues that made the process easier for me.

Unfortunately there was a lot of information that didn't apply to a fairly normal situation and a number of things weren't covered (one issue is that real estate laws can vary a great deal from state to state). I think a lot of people could find the important stuff mentioned in this book on the internet or from talking to friends.

I wish I had read this book BEFORE hiring an agent, it would have saved me a lot of grief and maybe some cash. Don't think that this book is just for people selling a house themselves -- there is a lot for those who choose to work with an agent. If you go into the selling process without knowledge, you're largely at the mercy of someone who interests don't overlap yours in every way. This is the most important financial transaction of most people's lives, self-education is the best way to prevent stress and getting burned.

The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is the relative lack of information about how to leave your house -- what is expected of the seller in terms of patching walls, cleaning etc.

This book was indispensable while I was selling my house. The numerous practical tips on preparing a house for sale and the explanation of the legal ins and outs were certainly helpful, but what was absolutely invaluable was the advice on avoiding the emotional pitfalls that can make you miserable and keep you from making the best business deal. Using this book's advice, I priced my house right and staged it well, and it sold very quickly for above the asking price.

This is a very small investment that will help you with a six-figure financial transaction, so it's well worth the cover price.