Estate-planning

This book,excepting 2-3 paragraphs of little value, could be entitled Estate Planning in...West Virginia, South Dakota or any other state. Florida has some unique procedures and ramifications for domiciling which are basic to financial and estate planning, which are conspicuous in this book because of their absence. I had not intended to purchase a generic primer covering various forms and documents known to all mankind. Perhaps my expectations were falsely elevated by those recommending it.

This is the best book yet I have read about estate planning in Florida. Very clear and thorough explanations.

This book is a good place to start if you're thinking of moving to a town of 15,000 or less. It will point you to many interesting communities. However, having used his previous book to guide my last move, and as a resident of one of the towns highlighted in this book (Grinnell), I can honestly say that data only carries you so far. Crampton could provide readers with a great benefit by lengthening the amount of description and flavor for each town. In particular, one key element missing is the 'dynamic' of a town: is it progressive? conservative? excited about education? quick to vote down taxes and bonds? These elements form the 'culture' of a small town, and believe me, the culture of a small town will be *very* important to you!

As a resident of one of the 120 "best small towns" recommended by Norman Crampton, I was delighted to see Silver City on the list.

While Crampton's book is a good place to start your search for small town living, it is important to realize that each small town offers a unique personality. Some generalizations simply do not apply to Silver City. For example, it is not necessary to join a church (or country club) in order to fit in here. Even a small community like ours has diverse sub-populations: recent retirees, most of whom have some affinity for the arts; old-timers, most of whom are the conservative church-goers Crampton describes; and Hispanic families, many of whom have worked in the mines.

These groups rarely interact, although we usually get along very peacefully. We also have a number of folks who teach at the university -- and we rarely see them around town.

To learn about Silver city, you won't get much information from the Chamber of Commerce or the editor of the newspaper. You'd do better to spend some time hanging out at the AIR cafe, talking to whoever comes in. The morning and afternoon groups are quite different and everyone is friendly.

The author gives some nuts and bolts about each small town. Unfortunately, with the exception of weather, much of this information will change by the time the book is printed. And your decision may well be made by factors that can't be added up.

The best part of the book is the section on economics of small town living. Here, he's right on. You have to budget for travel to a large city now and then. Air travel will be more costly and you need time to drive to a large airport. His view of housing prices seems optimistic. If you move to a desirable city (such as Silver City) expect to pay more for a house than he allows.
And if you move to retire, your economic picture will be quite different. Many newcomers to Silver City are beginning a second career as an artist or writer. Moving without a job is scary -- and I do not recommend it unless you fit the profile I describe in my own book, Making the Big Move.

This really isnt very helpful. Just sloppy steps, theory free, derived from some fast dated case studies, revealing nothing.

I am a facility planning consultant and have looked at practically every book about aligning the built environment with business needs. "Strategy and Place" will be the one book I will be recommending to my clients because of its broad and deep coverage of the strategic and organizational issues which impact facility decision making. O'Mara clearly describes the numerous ways in which facility resources enhance organizational vitality. Its most significant contribution is a description how business uncertainity impacts decision making. A must read for anyone who has a part in formulating facility strategies.

Most of the book did nothing more than tell you that "paying taxes is bad," and the "tax man is evil." It convinces the reader that giving to charity is more effective for helping the poor than giving to the government. However, the book doesn't give you REAL tips on reducing your taxes, and I believe it is geared toward people who are rich -- not middle class.

The book is for people who are new to the concept of Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT) or need a quick refresher. The book does an excellent job describing the fundamentals of CRT and gives numerous hypothetical scenarios in which this method of financial planning would be beneficial. Although rather simplified, each scenario is illustrated with $ comparisons of Assets, Cash flow, and Estate tax, with and without the use of CRT. (This comparison got a bit tedious towards the end.) The book also contains a short glossary for reference. As with any beginner book on a highly technical and complex subject, the reader is left with more questions than he/she had started with. A good beginner book answers most of the questions that the reader started with and elevates the reader's curiosity to seek answers to a more refined set of questions. I believe this book has been successful in accomplishing that.

It did not meet my expectations. I feel that there are many books on this subject that give much more information

If your looking for a book to give you the basics of living trusts...this book is for you. I purchased it so I could ask an attorney intelligent quesions regarding my estate. At 150-200 per hour I didn't feel like going in totally in the dark. This book gave me some good ideas and allowed me to better understand what to expect and ask when meeting with my attorney

Brownfields Redevelopment -- Programs and Strategies for Fehabilitating Contaminated Real Estate takes a survey look at the varied programs available to developers, municipalities, non-profits and environmental professionals. The book is not geared towards professionals or others familiar with the basics of Brownfields Redevelopment. Futher, the book addresses numerous state programs (all which vary from one extreme to the other) and touches on several topics related to funding sources (public and private grants/loans).

The Brownfield Redevelopment market is rapidly changing, as is the government approach towards Brownfield properties. This book was written using gross generalities and relatively dated case studies. When I read about the book, I expected more detailed information on the varied case studies. Instead, upon purchasing the book, I got simple announcements that simply stated "my town, USA, received a US EPA Brownfield Grant for $200,000. The Regional contact representative is John Doe." Do not expect more detail.

They do have a relatively comprehensive section addressing contact names and numbers with most regulatory agencies. However, if one can surf the web, most of the information can be easily obtained via the internet.

The book may prove worthwhile reading for someone interested in gaining a survey knowledge of the Brownfield industry. Those with more advanced knowledge. . . yawn.

When I finished seven chapters I wanted to ask Amazon to refund my money! Hardly a page goes by that the authors don't tell me that I am just too dumb to handle this mess without the help o f a professional estate planner..so go ouot and hire one of our profession. It may cost you an arm and a leg, but it is better than giving it to the IRS!

This book is an informative guide to the wide spectrum of career possibilities in the Real Estate profession. For those who are thinking of a career in Real Estate but don't know where to start or what kind of Real Estate jobs are out there, this book is perfect for you. It gives you a total of 25 possible career routes you can have in real estate: developers, brokers, property managers, urban designers, teachers, to name only a few. Each career is discussed in depth with useful information about its work/lifestyle. It also tells you how to get your foot in the door, how much does it pay, and the kind of skills that are needed in each case, etc. The book is well organized and very easy to read.

The very good chapter here on determining your net worth helps emphasize the effect of debt on your planning and projections.
Michael Pellecchia

The book is fairly informative for people who want an introductory guide to the Singapore Real estate markets. This is a good book to get you started on choosing a good investment. However, the fast pace of change in Singapore, with a lot of new properties coming into the market makes this book a bit outdated by the time it comes out. Also, additional details on the laws related to real estate dealing and financing options available would have been invaluable.

Overall a good buy.