Estate-tax Books

I bought Profit by Investing in Real Estate Tax Liens: Earn Safe, Secured, and Fixed Returns Every Time and Complete Guide to Real Estate Tax Liens and Foreclosure Deeds: Learn in 7 Days-Investing Without Losing Series (Investing Without Losing. Investing in Real Estate Liens was a better book with more detail.

Arrived quickly and in good shape.

Haven't started to read it yet.

Now in an updated second edition, Profit by Investing in Real Estate Tax Liens: Earn Safe, Secured, and Fixed Returns Every Time is a straightforward guide to making money through relatively safe investment in tax liens (sometimes called tax deeds, depending on one's state). Profit by Investing in Real Estate Tax Liens covers how to purchase tax liens or deeds on the Internet, the difference between tax liens and deeds, a walkthrough of the bidding process at tax sales, the requirements of tax liens and tax deeds as well as how they differ from state to state, how to protect oneself against the most threatening risks, and much more. Author and Florida attorney Larry Loftis has literally millions of dollars' worth of experience in real estate investing; he presents the ins and outs of these lucrative opportunities a straightforward, easy-to-follow terms for readers of all backgrounds. "...many properties can be bought for very low prices, perhaps for even pennies on the dollar. However, many properties are not worth buying! For example, you might buy a vacant lot that is so small it is unbuildable. Or the lot is configured in such a strange way that it is also unbuildable, except possibly for use as a parking lot. In other cases, the property might be under water or next to or part of a drainage ditch! So in tax deed investing, rule number one is always to personally view the property." A "must-read" of both basic and advanced tips for anyone considering investing in real estate tax liens.

I saw a notice for Tax Lien Certificate auction in my local paper. This made me interested in looking for additional information. This book was just what I was looking for. It provided the information I was hoping to get and them some.

This book had some really good information. It is well written by someone who has spent a lot of time buying tax liens. The author does not give any false hopes and is very realistic about what to expect.

Well organized, easy to read, and includes many useful examples.

As a beginner to the rental real estate business, I was looking for a good reference to help me take advantage of current Landlord Tax Law. This book was everything I hoped for and more.

Note: If you already understand tax law concepts like the various ways to deduct depreciation and cash vs. accrual accounting methods, perhaps parts of the book will seem too "simple" but it's likely you will still benefit from reading it.

This book is a wealth of information for a Landlord. I highly recommend it.

This is a really necessary book for anyone going into the renting business. Yes, it does seem like homework when you're slogging through it, but it really is readable, and extremely useful. I'm an accountant but never spent much study time on landlord tax law, but now find myself in need of that info.
Highly recommended, if only to maximize your deductions, and avoid traps.

I want to use my investments as a tax benefit and not get in trouble in the process, this should help with that goal.

Very informative, especially for the first time landlord. Provides easy to understand language with helpful hints and guides for all of your deductions.

Not a bad book. I'm writing this review late in 2008, so many of the items the book talks about would probably be a HUGE money risk right now. Maybe pick it up when the real estate industry picks back up...ummm...maybe around 2012. Unless you have cash on hand now to invest in foreclosures or something along those lines. Good informative read nonetheless though.

i'm currently reading this one and it's full of useful info, tips etc. i have hiliter marks of different colors, post it notes all over it and a notebook i keep handy so as i'm reading i can jot down questions or take notes as reminders of rules i need to follow i.e. invest close to home; buy good property in a good location. i'm finding the book very useful since i'm new to real estate.

This was all great advise for 2005-2006. Now here we are 2008 and everything is upside-down and the best and safest investments appear to be short-sales and various wholesale flipping stategies for investment. As I read the book I kept being reminded of how a changing market requires a changing approach to investing.

Authors Eric Tyson and Robert S. Griswold (the 'S' stands for '$old') do an excellent job of breaking down the often confusing and risky world of real estate. As one of the "common man" I wanted to learn about buying and selling land and hopefully seeing quite a return on my investment. I'm happy to report that this book is a simple entertaining and educational read.

Real estate has always been a fascination for me. When I was 5-years old I remember my father telling me, "Son, stocks may rise and fall, utilities and transportation systems may collapse. People are no damn good, but they will always need land and they'll pay through the nose to get it!"

"Remember," My father said, "...LAND."

Those words still resound with me today. And, after reading Real Estate Investing for Dummies I've slowly been buying land east of the San Andreas Fault, so if indeed the "big one" hits, I'll see quite an increase in my initial investment as I'm sitting on the new west coast.

For people interested in my strategy I'd also like to recommend the book -Predicting Earthquakes: A Scientific and Technical Evaluation - with Implications for Society by The Assembly of Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

This book is super if you are considering real estate as an investment. I like it so much, I take it with me virtually everywhere I go! It is a suberb resource and caters to almost everyone in every situation! A great book and will definitely get my use out of it! Delivery was super fast too!

Informative especially if new to the field. Gives basic legal and personal implications of real estate: i.e. how to get tax benefits for couples with high income (if one is involved in real estate); options for type of real estates, etc.

I bought my first property just before I purchased this book. I received it just before an international business trip, and didn't get any sleep on the flight because I was pouring over the basic concepts and ideas that fill this wonderful book.

If you are already in real estate and know the basics, you may not need this book. If you already have your team of advisors and know who to go for when you have questions, you may not need this book. If you understand the differences between LLCs and LP and why one is better in California than in Nevada, you may not need this book.

For most beginning real estate investors, this book is just the right amount and just the right speed to get started. Garrett and Sharon don't look at the buy-and-flip models, but rather at the advantages of staying in real estate, building a portfolio, and intelligently upgrading your properties (1031 Exchanges). They also go over the long-term planning aspects of inheritance and how to move your properties to family members with minimal taxes. They don't profess a silver bullet, but rather a rational plan to financial success through real estate.

Verdict: Highly recommended.

What can you say? It's another rich dad book. Very informative and written primarily by professionals with an in-depth view. The book is a good read for anyone. It gave me a lot to think about and some things to discuss with my team. No dull spots in this book. Read it cover to cover in a few days. Worth reading twice.

It certainly should be in your library. You're sure to find at least one or two nuggets that will more than pay for the book.

Perhaps you'd like to look into this one too:

The WealthLoop Series Beginner's Guide to Building Wealth Buying Houses: The Foolproof Roadmap to Real Estate Riches Without the Risks and Hassles of Landlording.

This book does for real estate investing what Pimsleur does for language learning: it teaches you to speak the real estate language, to ask knowledgeable questions, and to make informed decisions.

I have been through dozens of books, tapes, and CD programs on investing in real estate. Some are strictly motivational with little useful information. Others are like reference works and cannot be read from beginning to end. Still others hope to be meaningful forever and so dare not give you anything too current, or disputable and likely to change. Lechter and Sutton, however, wrote a book to turn a dreamer into a real estate investor. If that's what you still want at the end - but you have all the info to make the decision. Other reviewers might say that there are no "secrets" in this book - true, I suppose - but if YOU don't have a tutor for the subject, then for YOU common knowledge is a secret!

The authors give separate advice for dealing with primary residence and for investment properties. Most other books blur these separate cases. Special cases where individual state law might differ from the general situations are pointed out. Case studies and repetition are used throughout - much like Pimsleur uses conversation in each language lesson. The reader brings everything learned earlier to each case, but is stretched just a bit to see why each case is unique. Each chapter builds on prior chapters. Included is the required amount of math, but this is clearly not a math book. On the contrary, it is an enjoyable read cover-to-cover. Some of the material is current as of 2006 and this is clearly noted. I hope this book gets updated every few years.

While technically part of the Rich Dad series, the book stands on its own. The reader is fully aware of the few tacked-on references to the Rich Dad philosophy.

This book is a must-read for anyone thinking about a career in real estate investing in all its forms. Consider it the second book you read - after something like "Home Buying for Dummies."

I could not believe how easy it was to read and understand some of the complex issues in this book. The authors not only really know their stuff, but they can explain in a clear fashion. It's excellent!

The book is poorly written and largely a superficial analysis of the issues. It was not until after the first 150 pages that I first learned something. This is clearly writen as a marketing piece for the authors. And, when you do go to the website where various additional promised information is supposed to be, it is not there.

That is not to say that I did not learn anything, I did. But on those subjects, I still need to turn to other materials to learn anything that can be put into action.

This book covers a lot of ground. As other reviews have pointed out, one consequence of this is that there is not very much detail on the implementation of most strategies. If you decide that you are interested in implementing a particular specific strategy you will likely need to look elsewhere for full details about that strategy.

pro:
* Good overview of a large number of topics including some very important ones like IRD (Income in Respect of a Decedent).
* In my experience, the authors are responsive to email inquiries.

con:
* The book refers to the website for details on a number of topics (mostly for state-specific information). The website, unfortunately, does not have this information on it (as of April 2006),
* Although most examples in the book were fairly good, I found the one for the Charitable Remainder Trust (p326) to be missing too much detail and to be outright misleading. This example compares the average payment over 40 years from two strategies and concludes that one is greater than the other because (in part) it has a higher average payment. The example should have compared the present value of the two cash flows rather than their average over 40 years.

This book will be good if you want to review the components that might make up your wealth protection strategy. However, the book comes up short on the detail needed to understand those components well or to structure a comprehensive plan for yourself.

To get a feel for the lack of detail take a look at the Table of Contents, note that it seems very comprehensive but when you look a little closer you will see that most of the chapters are LESS THAN 5 PAGES! The subtopics in each chapter usually make up a single paragraph with a large font bold heading that takes up a lot of the page.

In short, if you want to get an overview of the components you might ask your advisor to explain to you, this would be a valuable purchase. If you want to understand these things yourself, you will be disappointed.

I am a 49 year old executive and have been doing retirement planning in earnest for at least a decade. I have read many books on retirement, wealth, and other personal financial topics. Most of those have either been overly general, too mathematical, or have been far too narrow in scope. This book is written in clear, concise language and is a treasure of knowledge...including the pitfalls in our tax and legal system and how to avoid those pitfalls. There are great ideas in here and some eye-opening revelations for those unfamiliar with some estate and tax issues. I highly recommend this book for anyone seeking to structure their will, trusts, and overall personal financial structure so that after-tax and after-death returns are maximized for you and your loved ones.

I learned so much about inherited or stretch IRAs on the first read. Now I read selected chapters over again and really like Ed Slott's style of writing and his sincerity. A real life changer and highly recommended!

This is both a very good and very bad book. Slott is a CPA and his bio indicates that he specializes in IRA law and estate planning. The retirement column in the Wall St. Journal uses him as an IRA expert. If you've seen Slott on PBS, you know he is also a pitchman and showman. This book is a mixture of expert IRA info and advice and wild overselling.

On the plus side:
This book is full of IRA information and good IRA advice presented in a very readable manner. I made dozens of notes in the front cover while reading this book. An excellent IRA reference. And I think the book does a service by pointing out that the IRA code has (sort of) a loophole that allows the 'effective' taxes paid on the IRA to be greatly reduced if the IRA is passed on to younger family members who should (Slott recommends) only take out the minimum annually over their lifetimes. Slott calls this the 'stretch' IRA.

On the negative side:
Your IRA can grow into a FAMILY FORTUNE, he screams, with pages of tables showing a 100 thousand IRA growing to millions (in one case to nearly 300 million if left to grow into well into the 21 century!). Nonsense, what about the time value of money? Slott never heard of it (or pretends he never heard of it). The reality, of course, is that if your income tax rate is, say, 33% then when you withdraw IRA funds you lose 1/3rd of it to taxes. The best that even a perfect tax strategy can do is recover this 1/3rd. Nice, but hardly a fortune.

Slott provides a useful check list of features an IRA contract should have. You would think that maybe he would read the IRA contracts of top IRA providers (like Fidelity, Vanguard) and tell us how they stack up? Nope, that's our job, not his.

Convert to a Roth IRA and your money will grow TAX FREE he screams. Slott's very positive on Roth IRA's, too positive. I worked through a Roth conversion example and find that the extra shielding that a Roth IRA allows can boost your after-tax returns a little. (Calculation details are in 'Roth Primer' section of the 'Charity' essay on my home page.) I calculate in a 6% market environment that Roth IRA will yield 6% vs an after tax yield for a traditional IRA of approx 5.4%, or an extra 0.6%/yr investment gain. However, there can be a serious downside to doing a Roth conversion that Slott doesn't mention. A large Roth conversion will likely be taxed at a much higher incremental income tax rate than normal minimum withdrawals, and since Roth has only a tiny yield advantage over a traditional IRA it could easily take a decade or more just to get even.

Ed Slott is excellent in his field. I find his other books full of good information and alwasy watch when he is on PBS. The book has good informative for leaving your money to your loved ones, but, I wonder if the loved ones will leave the money in the IRA for it to grow or automatically take it out for immediated spending once they inherient it. A lot of people are in extreme debt and would see this as an opportunity to correct some of that debt. The concept is easy to understand, but I was looking for something for those of us who plan to spend every dime before we go. I will keep the book as a reference in case I change my mind.Parlay Your IRA into a Family Fortune: 3 EASY STEPS for creating a lifetime supply of tax-deferred, even tax-free, wealth for you and your family

[[ASIN:B000HT2P1Q Parlay Your IRA into a Family Fortune: 3 EASY STEPS for creating a lifetime supply of tax-deferred, even tax-free, wealth for you and your family].]
This is a great book. Really can be helpful if you have professionals who know what they are doing as the key is doing the correct thing at the correct time and making sure that those you bequeth the IRAs to also understand what to do.
I work in this area of financial planning/management so am not sure whether the "regular" person would understand it, but just having read this, it will be helpful if more professionals read it

This book shows you basically two options. Give most of your tax deferred assets to the government after you and your wife's death, or set it up so your kids and/or grandchildren get it. It is amazing how many financial and legal types that I have shown this too that didn't know about Stretch IRA's. Great book to teach you how to keep your hard earned dollars in the family instead of sending to the government.

the book came to me well packaged. i didn't care for the taxCut software, i liked the turbo tax they had in 2008 better. but over all the book is a grood study tool.

I was completely happy with my purchase, it was the best price around, and the textbook was in great condition. Thank you amazon, you saved me a lot of money, I will definitely come to amazon.com again when I need to purchase my next textbooks next year!!

The wording is a bit confusing at times and I find the problems to difficult to work out without examples in the text to look at. I had not choice it was for a class.

The Comprehensive 2009 Federal Taxation instruction book provides detailed information in easy-to-read wording with examples to explain every law and code. At the end of each chapter there are more dicussion questions and problems. I definitely recommend this book to anyone with a basic accounting background who wishes to learn the finer points of tax law.

Product was in GREAT condition as stated in item's description! Fast shipping and book is same as Domestic version except for cover.

Michael Pellegrino provides some very good information about investing in tax liens in New Jersey. A great deal of the information and common sense advice will also be very helpful if you're considering investing in liens in other states, as long as you do your research and become thoroughly familiar with that state's and county's statutes and procedures. I definitely recommend this book as a good resource.

I was looking for further information about the NJ lien process. This book gave me further details to work with since NJ differs then other state liens.

this is by far the best bang for your buck. this book was very well written and easy enough for a 5th grader to understand. the details were also very helpful im looking foward to my 1st auction

Doesn't cover all states and only covers New Jersey, should have changed the title.

This is a book that I refer to often for my tax lien investing in New Jersey. New Jersey has very complicated tax lien laws and has become a very competitive state to buy liens in. I recommend to anyone who want to get involved in investing in New Jersey tax lien certificates that they read this book first. I found the chapters on foreclosure and what can go wrong very helpful.

Sandy Baker covers the immense detail of personal estate planning in her "Complete Guide to Planning Your Estate--a Step-by-Step Plan to Protect Your Assets, Limit Your Taxes, and Ensure Your Wishes are Fulfilled."

Baker knows what it takes when it comes to putting your plan together, and helps the reader understand the entire process. Each chapter is easy to comprehend for anyone interested in their , or their loved ones future financial security.

The book begins with helping you find what you're financially worth, the value of your home, and separating your debts. Baker then describes how you can then figure out what it will take to make sure those actions are carried out.

Although the information is basic, I like the way the author reviews the steps in an easy to read fashion. Baker's step-by-step plan includes what it takes not just to save money, but to make sure that your financial decisions remain intact.

Estate planning isn't exactly a topic for leisure reading; cracking any book on the subject, one expects, will mean trudging through dry and excruciating legalese.

Fortunately, The Complete Guide to Planning Your Estate makes the subject far less painful. A practical, usable guide for the layperson, The Complete Guide to Planning Your Estate breaks the topic down into easily digestible pieces. Part readable narrative, part reference book, the guide covers estate planning considerations from the most basic (what is an estate? What are you worth?) to the more complex (various legal statutes, for example, and understanding estate taxes).

Practical advice includes how to select your key supporting players (attorney, financial planner, accountant, insurance agent) and how to plan for long-term care, retirement, and unexpected events like divorce and disability.

Compact easy-to-read case studies put the concepts into real-life context, and the inclusion of a handy glossary of common estate terminology and an appendix containing useful, reproducible forms including a living will and power of attorney, make The Complete Guide to Planning Your Estate an asset to any home library.

If you are an adult, this book is relevant to you regardless of what your stage in life is; it is important to have proper estate planning in place. This book is an excellent source of information on what goes into estate planning, providing both an excellent overview and attention to a myriad of specific circumstances. Ms. Baker describes the types of professional help available in estate planning and how to evaluate credentials. This book even provides time tables involved in the length of time to make these plans.

The reader of this book will be provided information regarding real estate, debt, taxes, and how divorce affects estate distribution. This book can help you determine what steps to take in order to avoid probate, how different types of insurance are handled, and how to make sure that wills and living trusts are enforced.

There are several case studies throughout this book, which provide helpful insight into the necessity for proper estate planning.

Many people think estate planning is complicated and is only necessary if there is a substantial estate to consider, but after going through the process courtesy of Sandy Baker's manual, I highly recommend this guide to planning your goals, protecting your family and for the preservation of your hard-earned assets. Let's face it, many of us still think divorce or death when the subject of estate planning comes up, and we may want to postpone what we feel to be a chore until a later date. I found Baker's text to be non-intimidating and instructive, beginning with the how-to's on choosing the right Attorney, Accountant and Insurance Agent, the intricacies of avoiding Probate, creating Trusts, and my favorite, lowering the Federal estate taxes. Baker's thorough examinaton lays bare a few myths I had, and covers every eventuality in dealing with the FAQ's of creating an ironclad will. Through presenting several case studies, the author makes the entire planning process as simple as ABC, and a much more pleasant exercise than I had expected!

Let's face it, no one likes to think about dying. But, the harsh reality is that we're all going to go sometime, so doesn't it make sense to leave your affairs in order? Sandy Baker's comprehensive guide offers invaluable advice for avoiding some of the pitfalls of estate planning. Whether you have a healthy portfolio of stocks and bonds or just want to make sure that your favorite cousin gets your hunting rifle, pick up a copy of this book.

Baker's book provides clear explanations of wills, living wills, trusts, as well as suggestions on who to consult for professional help when you're planning your estate. More than half of the adults in America today haven't made the necessary plans to provide for their loved ones, which means the government can step in and assume control of their assets. Don't assume that a hand-written, or holographic, will be accepted, either, because they are not recognized as legal documents in every state. In addition, Baker offers sound advice on establishing clear goals to protect your assets, and deciding how you want them dispersed, as well as provision for everything from paying taxes to selecting trustees to handle funds for minors.

The guide discusses the pros and cons of the probate process, which can sometimes take at least one year to complete. While Baker does lean a little heavily in favor of insurances, something not every person can easily afford these days, she closes her book with a useful glossary that clearly explains legal terms related to the estate-planning process. Baker will help you to make sure that your heirs get everything to which they are entitled.

Ordering directly from amazon saved money, and the book was in brand new and great condition.

Some stuff seems archaic, but some other stuff kind of difficult to decipher, but pertinent.

easy to read book, have examples. only thing is if you need it right away, spend them money for shipping. i got the free shipping but it awhile before i got it.

This publication covers a preponderance of topics to provide objectivity to what can be a highly subjective matter. Concepts and principles are delineated in meaningful ways and the applications are expounded upon.
A must for all persons involved with land management, use, development, and preservation.

While preparing for my licensing exam, I read this book from cover to cover. It addresses every principle of retracement (sequential and simultaneous conveyances), public lands, and riparian issues thoroughly. The highlighted "principle" at the heading of each new topic makes remembering the main points simple. I can honestly say that every question on the NCEES exam that dealt with general principles and practice was answered in this book. I passed on my first sitting, and this book was one of the main reasons why. If you can only study one reference, this is it. Every practicing surveyor should also refer to it regularly.