11 Real Estate Investing Books Investors Should Read
by Frank Chen

I believe this is a great book for the beginner investor because it has the capability of changing one’s thinking to influence one’s fortune. In this book, Mr. Kiyosaki depicts the lives of two types of parents, the hard working parent who lives in the everyday “rat race” (the book elaborates on the ‘rat race’ in detail), and the smart working parent who invests and is able to build lasting wealth and gain financial freedom.

2. How I turned $1,000 into Five Million in Real Estate in My Spare Time (By: William Nickerson)

This book does not have any “get-rich-quick” methods. What is does have are simple advices and strategies that will guide you and your real estate decisions. It contains proven techniques of real estate investing, which are designed to provide positive results.

3. Nothing Down for the 90s (By: Robert Allen)

This book is excellent for beginners or experienced investors because it will teach you how to…
• Use real estate to build monthly income
• Finance bargain properties for equity or cash flow
• Guarantee and secure your retirement
• Find and profit from foreclosures before they are listed
• Sell and trade for maximum gain
• Increase property value
• Use owner financing to create opportunities
• Obtain direct, legal tax cuts
• Profit from conversions
• Develop effective negotiation techniques,
and much more…

4. Landlording: A Handy-manual for Scrupulous Landlords and Landladies Who Do It Themselves (By: Leigh Robinson)

This is a very popular landlording book that provides great tips on how to better manage your rental properties, how to attract and keep good tenants, and make good landlording decisions. This book has helped many investors eliminate the typical hassles when dealing with rental properties.

5. 5 Magic Paths to Making a Fortune in Real Estate (By: Robert Lumley)

This real estate book offers simple, straightforward explanations of the most common and lucrative approaches to property investment–including fixer-uppers, lease/options, wholesales, buy-and-hold, and single-and multifamily rentals. It also teaches you how to find foreclosed, repossessed, or condemned properties, Negotiate with sellers and buyers, etc…

6. The Pre-foreclosure Property Investor’s Kit (By: Thomas Lucier)

This book offers step-by-step instruction and no-nonsense advice on how to find great deals, estimate fair market value, negotiate with sellers, sell your property on your own, and how to win big in real estate. It also covers how-to utilize simple ready-made worksheets, checklists, forms, and agreements that make getting started easy in the investment biz.

7. Aggressive Tax Avoidance for Real Estate Investors (By: John T. Reed)

This real estate investor book covers every aspect of the real estate market, telling how to avoid paying taxes–legally–in order to make the most out of land and property investments.

8. The 16% Solution (By: J.D. Joel S. Moskowitz)

Mr. Moskowitz simply explains what tax lien certificates are (liens against property for unpaid taxes), why they are safe (certain states insure them), and how they fit into an overall financial plan.

9. Perpetual Income (By: Bryan Wittenmyer)

This real estate book explains in detail how to build cash flow from lower end houses and apartment properties. These are not slum properties, just simple housing for folks on lower income budgets.

10. Land Trusts for Privacy & Profit (By: Mark Warda)

Mark Warda explains the uses and benefits of “Illinois-type” land trusts. He explains in detail all the steps from setting up to closing down a trust and includes 29 different legal forms. These include deeds, a trust, amendments to the trust, financing forms, tax forms and many more. It also has an appendix which includes relevant statutes and court cases from all 50 states.

11. How to Buy and Sell Apartment Buildings (By: Eugene E. Velucci)

This commercial real estate book will teach you how-to…
• Gauge markets so you know when to buy or sell
• Read between the lines of property set-up sheets
• Use the latest computer software to accurately evaluate properties
• Develop a marketing plan to maximize profits when selling
• Take advantage of all the recent tax law changes
• Put together an asset protection plan that will make you judgment-proof

Honorable Mentions

In addition to my Top 11, I would also include these books:
• Think and Grow Rich – Napolean Hill
• Richest Man in Babylon – George S. Clason
• Multiple Streams of Income – Robert G. Allen
• E-Myth Series – Michael Gerber
• Investing in Real Estate – Andrew McLean

In summary, educating yourself and following the strategies of successful entrepreneurs will only make you a stronger real estate investor. Many of these real estate investor books, will change your perspective on how to approach real estate investing, and creatively setup proven strategies that will put extra cash in your pocket.

Thanks for reading, and Good Investing!