Book Description
Written with humor and insight, 21 Things I Wish My Broker Had Told Me provides hands on advice that will help agents start, or maintain, a sucessful career in real estate. This has real life stories from dozens of sucessful, top producing, real estate professionals will help new agents know what to expect and how to succeed.
Customer Reviews:
A Great book on what real estate is all about.......2007-10-17
This is one great book about what it is like being a real estate agent. It gives you the good and the bad. Read this before deciding on a real estate career.
Gary
FIne book, Easy read--.......2007-09-21
This book is ok. It's nothing really new that most people with some common sense don't already know....If you can get it in a library or borrow it, go that route. Not worth it.
Brass Tactics.......2007-07-30
Excellent book! I have been taking classes online and this book has kept me interested in real estate. It gives you plenty of tips on how to gain the edge in real estate.
Must have for new agents.......2007-06-14
If you are new to real estate, this is a must read... I still have mine 3 years later and although I haven't gone back to read it again - I won't get rid of it!
Great for a new agent!.......2007-06-12
Not knowing what to expect as a brand new agent, I found this book to be a really excellent training resource. It was a great way to get a glimpse of what to do and not to do. I highly recommend it! Also, it's a very easy read.
Average customer rating:
- The INDISPENSIBLE history of building a business from one store with zero sales to a $100 BILLION company.
- Home Depot provides a horrible experience
- I'm rich. I started a company. I wrote a book.
- Full of Lies
- A great story...
|
Built from Scratch: How a Couple of Regular Guys Grew The Home Depot from Nothing to $30 Billion
Bernie Marcus ,
Arthur Blank , and
Bob Andelman
Manufacturer: Crown Business
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0812930584
Release Date: 1999-04-27 |
Amazon.com
Built from Scratch is about two businessmen who achieve the American Dream by fundamentally changing the realm of home-improvement retailing. Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, cofounders of the Home Depot, explain how they established the first national chain in the industry by concentrating on low prices, customer service, and strong leadership values.
Ultimately, this is a book about grit and determination. "Building the Home Depot was a tough, uphill battle from the day we started," they write. "No one believed we could do it and very few people trusted our judgment." The two cofounders launched the company only after they were fired by a California hardware retailer because of politics. The Home Depot lost $1 million in its first year of operation in Atlanta. Today it's one of the great successes on Wall Street, with more than 700 stores across the country and 160,000 employees.
One reason the book is so engaging is that it includes corporate anecdotes. A favorite: the company banned wild parties after several employees were demoted and a couple were fired in the wake of a drunken annual managers' meeting. Another yarn involves Sears, which made one of the worst financial mistakes in retailing history when it passed on a deal to purchase Home Depot in the early 1980s. The authors are self-serving at times; for example, they whine too much about paying $104.5 million to dispose of a sex-discrimination lawsuit. But there's no denying the smashing performance of Big Orange. Marcus and Blank paint a story with some sparkling advice for practically anyone in business. --Dan Ring
Book Description
One of the greatest entrepreneurial success stories of the past twenty years
When a friend told Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank that "you've just been hit in the ass by a golden horseshoe," they thought he was crazy. After all, both had just been fired. What the friend, Ken Langone, meant was that they now had the opportunity to create the kind of wide-open warehouse store that would help spark a consumer revolution through low prices, excellent customer service, and wide availability of products.
Built from Scratch is the story of how two incredibly determined and creative people--and their associates--built a business from nothing to 761 stores and $30 billion in sales in a mere twenty years.
Built from Scratch tells many colorful stories associated with The Home Depot's founding and meteoric rise; shows that a company can be a tough, growth-oriented competitor and still maintain a high sense of responsibility to the community; and provides great lessons useful to people in any business, from start-ups to the Fortune 500.
Great Stories
"Ming the Merciless": The inside account of the man who fired Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus
"My people don't drive Cadillacs!" How Ross Perot almost got involved with The Home Depot
"Take this job and shove it!" The banker who put his career on the line to get The Home Depot the loan that enabled it to survive
"Folks, I tell ya, if these Atlanta stores were any bigger, we'd be paying Alabama sales tax." Home Depot's first good ol' southern advertising campaign
A Company with a Conscience
When disasters like the Oklahoma City bombing or Hurricane Andrew happen, Home Depot associates don't ask for permission to respond. They react from their hearts--whether that means keeping their store open all night or being on the scene with volunteers and relief supplies.
The Home Depot doesn't just contribute money to organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Christmas in April, but also provides its people to help lead and grow these community efforts.
Great Lessons
Know your customer: In The Home Depot's case, customers don't pay for wider aisles and a pretty store, but for a wide assortment and low prices
Why everyday low prices mean more sales overall: The marketing philosophy The Home Depot learned from talking with Sam Walton
Market leadership: Why The Home Depot never goes to a major new market with plans to open just a few stores
The strategy for profitable growth: How The Home Depot redefined its U.S. market from its $135 billion traditional "do-it-yourself" base to a much larger pond of $365 billion
How to change the rules of the game: How The Home Depot bypassed almost all middlemen, allowing it to pass on huge savings to customers
Built from Scratch is the firsthand account of how two regular guys created one of the greatest entrepreneurial successes of the last twenty years.
Opening the First Store
"What the hell happened? Who screwed up the store? . . . Whatever time remained before the doors were scheduled to open for the first time, we sped around in forklifts, stomping on the brakes, scuffing up the flooring so it would once more look like a warehouse."
Customer Service
"If ever I saw an associate point a customer toward what they needed three aisles over, I would threaten to bite their finger. I would say, 'Don't ever let me see you point. You take the customer by the hand, and you bring them right where they need to be and you help them.'"
Giving Back
"When The Home Depot went public we realized that we had the financial capacity and wherewithal to give back to the communities where we did business. There is a concept in Judaism called tzedaka, which means 'to give back.' It is considered a mitzvah, a good deed, to give to someone who doesn't have, and we believe strongly in giving back to the community."
Selling the Vision
"We had to be psychologists, lovers, romancers, and con artists to get vendors aboard. Our ability to paint a picture of how that would take place--lowest prices, widest selection, and great customer service--was what convinced skeptical manufacturers to sell merchandise to us during the early years."
The Importance of Values
"I have never had anybody work for me in retailing who didn't work for me out of love, as opposed to fear. We carried this approach into building The Home Depot. We care about each other and we care about the customer. The things that we do for customers inside and outside the stores demonstrate our commitment to them. And then when something happens within the company, we circle the wagons. We help each other."
Customer Reviews:
The INDISPENSIBLE history of building a business from one store with zero sales to a $100 BILLION company. .......2007-01-18
It never ceases to amaze me in what it takes to satisfy a reader. When I read a book like this, I am basically asking myself several questions. How on earth did these guys do it? How did they come through the funnel and get it done. What was at stake? What were the major premises of the concept? Could it have failed, if so how? How close did it come to failing? Could some one else have done this, or replicated it, or perhaps have done it better.
A lot of life is pure fantasy. You have your own template of how things works, and you look at the world and you see that template everywhere. If you go out and try to apply this system and superimpose it onto the real world, it either fails or it succeeds. Sometimes the template is a good one, but the execution gets screwed up.
When I look at Home Depot, a story that I have an intimacy with, I found this particular book to be fabulous. There is nothing boring about it; in fact I found every page worthwhile. Having spent 35 years in Wall Street running money, and figuring out how does a company make a buck, I found this book even more worthwhile. If you are involved in the investment business, this becomes a particularly worthwhile read.
If you run a company or have aspirations towards a career in management, you better read this book, because there is something in it for everyone. For most of us, there is more than one thing in it. Peter Drucker the ultimate management mind of the 20th century probably said it best when he talked about the corporation as a living, breathing organism that required nourishment on a daily basis. You just can't assume that corporations will continue to exist simply because they exist now.
Every day a company fights for its corporate life, for its right to continue to exist. Those corporate entities that assume that they will always be around - NEVER LAST. Other entities out there either eat them up, or they suffer the slow final death of arrogance, and go out of business without even knowing why they went out.
Home Depot is the story of two guys that got up in the morning every morning, fighting for the right to keep doing it a better way. They lived by the credo that you have to keep moving or they will throw dirt on you. Some of the lessons and ideas you will learn from this book include the following:
· CUSTOMER SERVICE - You have to take care of good people, and constantly be on the lookout for them. If necessary hire them, even when you don't have the jobs for them because you may not get a second shot at them.
· DOING THE RIGHT THING ALL THE TIME - It can cost you money doing the right thing, but it comes back in spades. Something else happens when you do the right thing. People realize your efforts, and some will take advantage of you, but that will be more than offset by the multitude of others who will become loyal customers for life.
· NOBODY LOVES A COMPANY- They may love what you do, and what you do for them as customers, but there is no real loyalty to companies, at least in this generation. Home Depot always tried to make as many of their employees stockholders as possible, so that they could align the employee (associates at HD) goals with the corporate goals.
· THIS IS A TOUGH PLACE TO WORK IF YOU ARE INFLEXIBLE - This lesson was lost on the current Chairman, CEO Nardelli who was fired by the Board for his IMPERIAL management style. He also possessed no understanding of the Home Depot culture as he tried to superimpose his General Electric template on the company. He failed miserably but that's another book.
· IF YOU CAN SAVE THE CUSTOMER MONEY, DO IT - Always do the right thing by the customer, and you will have a customer for life. Go the extra mile for the customer. CULTIVATE the customer.
· THE FOUNDERS WERE LIVING ON THE FUMES OF DREAMS - I loved these stories. These guys Marcus and Blank were honest about what they faced, and several times this company was touching or facing bankruptcy. This is an important lesson. The way around it is to have twice as much capital as you think you need. This by itself was worth reading the entire book. This is priceless knowledge.
· IT'S ABOUT PRICE, SELECTION, AND CUSTOMER SERVICE - Never lose sight of this statement and act on it in your own business goals. Give people the best price you can, and the finest selection of merchandise. If you back it up with the industry's best customer service you have found for yourself a business model for success. It may sound simple, but try executing on it.
So let me let you in on a secret. I spent years with Bear Stearns well over 20 years ago as a limited partner. When I read the early financial stories of Home Depot on Wall Street, I knew that what the founders in this book were saying was the complete unvarnished truth.
The story of how Ross Perot, one of America's wealthiest men in the early 1980's blew having dominant control of this company is now the stuff of myths. Nevertheless it's a true story. The founders ultimately turned down Ross Perot as a shareholder. They believe Perot to be a control freak. Yes, Perot didn't want the founders driving around in a Cadillac. Perot was a Chevy man. Well, the Chevy man blew a $60 billion dollar fortune by not investing a couple of million in Home Depot.
Then there's Ken Langone, the financial guy behind this phenomenal story. Langone may be the only guy in America to be the IPO maven behind two all time American success stories. He successfully brought public both Ross Perot's EDS, and the Home Depot. Who else can say that? He also made a billion dollars in the process. Langone is a unique, fabulous, walk to the well with you kind of guy. Among Wall Street types, he is unique, and the Street needs many more like him.
There is a story in the book where Langone is involved in a stock sale to a very nasty executive who is very prominent in his own right. Every time the executive refuses to give in to Langone's price, Langone just keeps upping the ante on him. This goes on for pages. It is uproariously funny, and is deserving of retelling over and over again. You will love this book, and learn an enormous amount about business in the process. It should probably be required reading for all MBA programs in management.
If you have any desire to understand what it takes to dedicate your entire life to building something, especially in the business world than this book is a read for you. There's one more thing that I must get across that is compelling. Having spent my life involved with companies like Home Depot, and high-powered successful people, I have come to the conclusion that it does not have to work out successfully.
There is no such thing as one must succeed, or it was ordained that this must happen. As an example Home Depot could have gone out of business a half dozen times before becoming so financially solvent that the business model had to work.
Steve Jobs at Apple could have decided 20 years ago, to license that Apple operating system to the PC industry, and Gates and Microsoft would never have happened. GM could have decided to build quality cars 25 years ago, instead of building [...]for decades while the Japanese took the market away.
Al Gore could have concentrated just a little bit more on Florida in 2000, and George W. Bush would have never been. John Kerry could have fought off the challenge of the Swift Boat accusations, and Ohio would have gone his way, and with it the election.
In the end, it's really a question of who comes through the funnel, and that is not always predictable. As I read this wonderful book, I came to the conclusion once again, that yes, you have to go for it, and dedicate all to getting there, but there is no certitude that you are going to make it. Just make sure you follow YOUR PASSION, because no matter where you wind up, a PASSION FILLED LIFE is a life WORTH LIVING. Good luck.
Richard Stoyeck
Home Depot provides a horrible experience.......2006-12-29
If you like wandering around with no service, ringing yourself out at the register, and watching a bunch of orange outfits ignore you, try Home Depot. The bigger the company gets, the more horrible the experience. Try True Hardware.
I'm rich. I started a company. I wrote a book........2004-08-24
What a laugh. Yes you!!! The average American with your wealthy silent investor in your pocket. You too can open a store.
Home Depot has spent a good deal of money trying to improve its image; including writing these books. HD has serious problems with women suing them.If you tell the customer that you are serving them well, and beat them over the head that they are receiving top notch lip service, then eventually some will believe it.
HD has spent millions improving their stores by widening ailses and better lighting. They claim to be industry leaders yet can't seem to shake Lowes from opening stores all around HD stores and even in HD's home Atlanta market.
They are very aggressive and drive their employees to bring shareholder value. They do offer products for less and have had great financial backing.
They also control costs by "Rifting" which means they fire people that start earning enough money that it becomes cheaper to train someone else.
Its one thing to write a book to laud yourself. Why not write about all the dirty tricks you pulled to get there.
Full of Lies.......2003-10-03
Let's face facts: home depot is known for abysmal service and really, really shoddy haphazard installations. They probably spend more on defending lawsuits than on store development. This book makes them look like such wizards, such brilliant and benevelont businessmen, when in fact they have done studies to see what the minimum level of customer service they can get away with is - and then tried to stretch that envelope.
I am sure Ken Lay could write books full of accolades to Enron. It would be just as true, and just as much a waste of time and money to read.
A great story..........2003-09-07
and very well told, which really makes this book a fast read (I had a hard time putting it down).
Provides, IMO, valuable information that will be useful for any business owner. I am glad these guys took the time to share their story, and I hope I get to meet them one day.
What a great way to spend a rainy weekend. You'll love it as it reads like a novel. And you'll never look at Home Depot the same way.
Book Description
The 2003 International Residential Code brings uniformity to construction of one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses up to three stories high. A comprehensive code for homebuilding, this book brings together all building, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical provisions for one- and two-family residences. It establishes minimum regulations using prescriptive provisions, and is founded on broad-based principles that make possible the use of new materials and building designs. This 2003 edition is fully compatible with all the International Codes published by the International Code Council (ICC).
Customer Reviews:
Faster than a speeding bullet.......2007-05-19
I was shocked to recieve the Code book at least two weeks before I expected it and it was in perfect shape. The service is excellent and I could not be happier with the material.
Great Story.......2006-10-06
I liked the fonts used quite a bit, but the story was slow at times. There was almost no charicter development and the plotlines were dated. Still, the surprise ending does what it intends.
Codes are Codes but Your Service is the Best.......2006-07-17
IRC Codes are as the say "standard". It is good to have a single code book for residential building. However, the ability to go to one location, click on what I need when I need it, and have it delivered at a reasonable price where I need it...is the best.
Building Code - 2003.......2006-03-14
Very good reference book for understanding the details of what the building inspector is using for acceptance criteria. Not for the novice, unless you have a good dictionary available. It does leave some of the minute details in the referenced industry standards (National Electric Code, ANSI standards, etc.). Provdes an excellent way to communicate specifics with the general contractor/builder.
Would you like to purchase the corrections supplement, too?.......2006-02-11
Ask yourself why you want your own code book. Do you want instant access to the same information as your city building inspector?
I have a fourth printing (March 2004) and have found dozens of mistakes, items where my code book differs from the one adopted by my state and city, the first printing (January 2003). You would think that given the stated goal of the building code to standardize building practice, that the ICC would either be more careful, or they would put corrections in the public domain. For sure, you shouldn't have to proof the copy and then go looking for corrections. If you want a compendium of all of the known mistakes in all of the ICC code books, you can purchase the bound volume for an additional $13 directly from them. You just have to then figure out which changes go with your edition. It's too bad the ICC doesn't make the corrections edition available at Amazon so that it can be sold "Better Together". My advice? Find out what edition your city uses and get that, it's probably the first printing. If you can't get the same book, wait a couple of years for your city to adopt the next new code (2006?, 2009?) and get a first printing. That way you can borrow your building inspectors' corrections.
Customer Reviews:
Not for the beginning Inspector.......2005-03-07
I used this book as a text to getting certified and my foot in the door to starting my own business. Thank Heavens I have a fair amount of background in many of the fields already. The author strikes me as someone who used a filing cabinet of notes and articles to assemble a book without refining the thoughts before they went to press. I was disappointed that a school would choose this text for it's students. Despite that, and the typos, some good information can be gleened from it's pages.
Solid foundation but not covering all details.......2004-12-17
this is a good book to start with but the problem is it tried to cover everything in just 1 book. if you really want to become a professional home inspector you definitely need to read more on each individual topics (HVAC, Plumbing etc). but as a textbook for the prelicensing course of home inspector this book is ok.
Forget about it.......2003-04-12
As mentioned by other reviewers - This book has many typos and incomplete sentences that don't make sense. The diagrams in the book are so grainy that they're almost useless. The material content of the book is not detailed and only barely scrapes the surface of the most important items. My suggestion - forget about this one!
The Bible of Home Inspection.......2002-12-04
If your serious about a career in home inspection or your curious about how your home works, this is the book. Well thought out and full of information on the systems, components and construction of your home.
Mildly Disappointed.......2000-12-26
When one pays for a book, one expects to receive something a little special. The subject matter is, of course, limited to a small target population, resulting in limited distribution and higher unit cost. Having said that, no matter what the cost, one does not expect to encounter typos or incomplete sentences and topics, as found in this book. On page 75, for example, the last sentence in the left column reads "Wall sectons are" and that's the end of the thought, the topic ends there! The new topic, Platform Framing, begins in the right colum of that same page. Also, some of the illustrations are not completely clean and clear, like they've been copied on the copy machine too many times. I almost expect a hardbound edition with color photos or illustrations. What justifies this book costing more than most of its competition? Yes, I'm happy to add it to my library. No, I don't consider it a good value. And, once again, typos and omissions are unforgiveable. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Book Description
When it comes to making your business more profitable and successful, don't look to re-engineering for answers. A better way is to apply the concept of kaizen, which mean making simple, common-sense improvements and refinements to critical business processes.The result: greater productivity, quality, and profits achieved with minimal cost, time, and effort invested. In this book, you discover how to maximize the results of kaizen by applying it to gemba--business processes involved in the manufacture of products and the rendering of services--the areas of your business where, as the author puts it, the "real action" takes place.
Customer Reviews:
Go to Gemba in Software Development.......2006-10-24
"Gemba" is a Japanese word meaning "'the real place' where real action occurs: where products are developed ... and made, and where services are provided. [Improvement] should be focused [in gemba] where they'll do the most good."
Software developers and testers: enjoy reading a quality improvement book that puts you and your work at the center. Managers and executives: be refreshed about what your workers need from you, and what you can expect of your workers.
Masaaki Imai has half a century of experience helping companies continuously improve. The quality challenge for software companies is how to interpret these ideas in software development as opposed to manufacturing. Read this book and ask yourself: where is gemba in your company?
Brief and to the Point.......2006-08-25
This is a delightful little book that provides important insights into how an organization can be successful by continuously looking at improving its operations, enhance efficiencies and refining operations. This would result in improved quality, productivity and ultimately profit for an organization but without the upheavals and pain associated with the likes of business process reengineering which is advocated by some people.
The author advocates the adoption of lean manufacturing principles, just-in-time processes, and Kanban, which should result in increased company profitability without adversely impacting employee morale and trust. The concepts highlighted in the book are well-known and the author consolidates these in a small book that makes easy and fast reading and a convenient reference guide for practitioners.
The book is recommended reading for managers involved in the implementation of lean manufacturing and Kaizen principles.
Texan's don't like it!.......2001-08-01
Not as good as others out there, especially the Kaizen Event Implementation Manual. No details or real life information.
Gemba -- Place where action happens.......2001-05-22
As a practitioner and instructor of lean and six sigma, I recommend this book a lot. Gemba is a vitally important concept that often gets overlooked or gets overshadowed by our data, especially in an increasingly e-driven world. Gemba Kaizen is especially useful for engineers and supervisors, who may not have extensive TPS experience, who need a practical guide for applying lean principals in their workplace. It has a nice glossary at the beginning. It has good sections on visual management (5S) and standard work. In addition to the 10 Rules for Gemba Kaizen, the following Imai quote is one of my favorites: "A lack of the five S's in gemba indicates inefficiency, muda, insufficient self-discipline, low moral, poor quality, high costs, and an inability to meet delivery terms."
Insightful!.......2001-03-20
Author Masaaki Imai argues that companies can become more profitable by constantly looking for efficiencies, instead of seeking huge leaps, as is the Western custom. The Japanese philosophy of kaizen says businesses must mercilessly cut waste by eliminating anything that's even remotely inefficient. These strategies will lead to more profitable companies and better employee morale. Imai makes compelling arguments, and supports them with a number of case studies and real world examples that show kaizen in action. We at getAbstract recommend this book to managers, particularly executives of manufacturing companies.
Book Description
The new edition of this best selling classic discribes the major functions of property managers, and details specific practices and problems in managing a variety of properties. Inteneded for anyone seeking the latest, most practical information. Highlights include:
* Format can be adjusted to fit varied classroom hour requirements.
* New chapter covering federal laws affecting property management, including civil rights, fair housing, ADA, and environmental issues.
* New appendix of research resources, including professional associations and organizations related to property management.
* Over 60 samples of forms, advertisements, agreements and leases.
* Includes chapter overviews, learning objectives, chapter ending case studies of real life situations, quizzes and answer keys.
Customer Reviews:
A solid introduction to property management.......2005-08-27
This is a good general introduction to the business of property management. This textbook includes chapters on
1. Professional Property Management
2. Property Management Economics and Planning
3. Managing Owner Relations
4. Marketing Management
5. Managing Leases
6. Managing Lease Negotiations
7. Managing Tenant Relations
8. Managing Maintenance and Construction
9. Managing Reports and Insurance
10.Managing the Office
11.Managing Federal and State Laws
12-16. Managing Residential/Specialized/Office/Retail/Industrial Property
17.Managing Life Safety and Environmental Issues
There are chapter questions with elaborated answers in the back of the book to guide your studies and a pretty decent glossary for many of the business-specific terms.
Obviously, as a general course, it is not intended to address ANY topic in great detail and it is unlikely that most readers will find a need to cover the management of such a variety of property types. But this is the starting place.
I have owned and managed rental property and the parts of the book addressing residental property rang true. If you are considering getting into the rental business or property management business, this is a good initial resource.
Full of good statistics.......2002-03-13
Took this course a few years ago, and we used this book. It is a good starter book. There are others out there that could be used also, but this one is written at the average persons reading level. It also is good becuase it covers all properties not just apartments or retail etc..
Good summary.......2000-05-01
This book is good at the summary at the end of each chapter, but some details in the chapter is not cover. For example, like the law requirement in TX. There is mistake in the book on page 9. On the figure1.3, supposed Heavy Manufacturing instead of Industrial Real Estate repeat twice. This book should provide some excerise to work on. For example, like the math problem, let us know how to calculate the formula.
Book Description
Life can be tough for real estate professionals these days. Even with interest rates at historically low levels, the uncertain economy makes homeowners hesitant to relocate or trade up. There just aren't that many clients out there, and the few who exist generate fierce competition. In fact, it seems the single ""hot area"" is foreclosures. But that's not necessarily bad news.
Conti and Finkel's book is a good ""crash course"" for real estate brokers and agents wanting to understand this area and explains the intricacies involved in funding investment deals, using various buying/closing methods and employing exit strategies. Thanks to the book as well as workshops and seminars offered by the two authors, thousands of people each year learn the art of lucrative real estate investing.
Customer Reviews:
Investing in Foreclosures.......2007-10-17
Easy to read and understand. The Foreclosure process and strategies are presented with real life examples that help you to apply and to formulate your own strategies. It is also a good reference book.
Powerful evidence .......2007-05-25
Making Big Money Investing in Foreclosures without cash or credit is a morally courageous examination of real estate investing!! Peter Conti gives powerful evidence of new ways of investing. In this successful oriented book the author minimizes risk taking and explores objective ways towards successful investing. Must read!!
Excellent overview of Foreclosure purchasing.......2006-12-22
I had run across my first pre-forclosure deal and needed to get a basic understanding of the steps and processes. Peter and David's book provided that wonderfully. I was able to use the steps and scripts to sign up a deal, provide help to a stressed-out seller and reach the proper department at the lender. The suggestions of how to talk to both the seller and the lender have been very helpful with dealing with the human side of things. I felt very comfortable with the style and the seller has been very appreciative. I didn't feel manipulative at all.
Making Big Money Investing in Foreclosures: Without Cash or Credit by Peter Conti.......2006-11-09
An official Library Weekly book review.
REVIEW:
This book generically highlights a few ideas on how to invest in
foreclosures and how to finance it without using cash or credit.
Part of the formula is the use of "double closings" which allows
you to simply invest with a minimal amount and use the sell price
as the payment during the title closing. The difficult aspect of
this is it doesn't truly describe certain foreclosure techniques
available in each state (generically applied). Additionally,
you may need to read this with a grain of salt with the current
real estate market conditions.
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS ON FORECLOSURES:
1. The Beginner's Guide to Real Estate Tax Lien and Tax Deed Auctions [ISBN 0978834607]
EXCERPT:
"There's never a better time to invest in real estate."
RATING:
3 of 5
Another Finkel disaster.......2006-06-28
How to get the most money for your property. This topic, worthy of a book, gets a couple of pages which are platitudes. This is the second book of his I've read recently in which he talks about determining the market price. The approach he advocates will result in a variance with the market of 40%, if not more. And, he lumps apartment buildings in with houses as if they were valued the same way. Of course, they are not.
On the plus side, in this book he recognizes that people do tend to get legal advice before signing a contract. He tells you how to diffuse the lawyer's criticism before it happens.
During my years as an apartment broker, I dealt with more than a few lawyers, including clients. Maybe his approach will work, but I'd think not.
This is another feel-good, cheerleading book. Rich Dad, Poor Dad does a better job of cheerleading, but has even less substance than this lightweight work.
Once again, the author has silly sales techniques that don't work. Once again, let me point you to the best writer in sales: Neil Rackham.
Spare yourself time, money and effort. Pass on everything David Finkel writes or promotes (as I shall hereafter).
Average customer rating:
- Useful and interesting - STRONGLY RECOMMENDED
- Superlative! A must have!
- A secret weapon for the energy auditor
- Everything you always wanted to know, in plain English
- Provides practical advice for avoiding pitfalls
|
Energy Efficiency Manual: for everyone who uses energy, pays for utilities, designs and builds, is interested in energy conservation and the environment (Energy Efficiency Manual)
Donald R. Wulfinghoff
Manufacturer: Energy Institute Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0965792676 |
Book Description
This is the primary reference, how-to guide, and sourcebook for energy conservation. It lets you improve efficiency and save money in all types of buildings and plants, ranging from individual houses to commercial buildings to large institutions and industrial plants. It is organized around 400 logically grouped energy conservation actions, presented in language that everyone understands.
It's for everyone who uses energy, pays for utilities, manages property, operates energy systems, designs, builds, and values conservation and the environment. It's loaded with features that help you quickly find the right information for each application. "Ratings" and "Selection Scorecards" identify your best conservation opportunities. "Traps & Tricks" ensure success. "Economics" estimate savings and costs. It has been acclaimed by professional and non-technical users. Publishers Weekly says it "answers just about any question [from] homeowner, plant manager, energy policy guru ... as practically useful as it is informative." 830 photographs and drawings illustrate the methods. Hundreds of examples give you a feel for real applications. A complete index makes it easy to find every topic and term.
Customer Reviews:
Useful and interesting - STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.......2005-02-08
Despite the intimidating name and size of this tome, I found it fascinating to read. It covers everything from light bulb selection to rooftop chiller maintenance. The depth and breath of coverage is amazing.
This is not a hippie guide to backwoods eco-conservation. It is a practical manual, firmly grounded in science and economics that explains different strategies for maximizing comfort while minimizing energy use. In every case, the author examines both the pros and cons of the measure, and calculates the expected payback term. It is so helpful to have a book that is realistic in its treatment of energy conservation. Lots of books outline promising energy saving techniques, none I've read before talk so frankly about the problems you will encounter when you implement them.
Quite technical in many places, the text excels at explaining important concepts that are often ignored in other texts. I have a background in physics, but not until reading this book did I have a good grasp of the operation of absorption coolers or how the spectrum of a light bulb affects the visual comfort of the scene it illuminates. The concise overview of heat transfer mechanisms is more thorough than any thermodynamics textbook I've ever read.
Most important of all is the practical advice that is clearly based on a huge body of real experience. As the book so frequently points out, energy saving measures are useless if they break or are defeated by building occupants. Hundreds of (non-obvious) examples of these failures are given, with pictures.
This book would be great for anyone with responsibility for designing or maintaining buildings of any size. If you are hesitant to pay the high price, find it at a local library. I don't write many Amazon reviews, but after reading this book I felt compelled to strongly recommend it.
Superlative! A must have!.......2003-12-08
Superlative! The ENERGY EFFICIENCY MANUAL by Donald Wulfinghoff is a "must have" for professionals, libraries, facility managers, policy makers, homeowners, and anyone else who is serious about saving energy and cashing in on lower energy bills. It is the ultimate energy saving resource for businesses, industry, and government. PLUS, it will save money and reduce pollution, satisfying corporate bottom lines, policy makers, and environmentalists all at the same time. This book is unique. Highly informative, illustration-rich, and user-friendly, it is treasure trove of everything you need to know about energy efficiency from A to Z. Don't bother looking elsewhere -- the ENERGY EFFICIENCY MANUAL simply has it all. This book will pay for itself almost as fast as you can spot a hot air leak or install an energy-efficient light bulb!
-- Amy Vickers
A secret weapon for the energy auditor.......2003-07-01
As an energy auditor I'd almost call the Energy Efficiency Manual a secret weapon, except it has so many good ideas that I can't help but show it to many of the customers and prospective customers I meet. The diagrams are very useful, as is the self contained but well cross-referenced way in which each improvement measure has been written. For example, talking to the maintenance manager of a hospital, we looked at the diagrams of hot/cold deck multi-zone systems while discussing the pros and cons of upgrading a constant volume air conditioning system to a variable volume system. It is by far the most useful book on energy management that I have ever read (well, in the case of the Energy Efficiency Manual, that I have partially read - its an enormously large book!), and the ratings of each of the measures are particularly useful, along with the practical, no-nonsense approach. The book is extremely well cross referenced and Wulfinghoff has covered an enormous body of knowledge in writing the book. As someone fairly new to the field I'm grateful that he went to the effort of documenting and making available his knowledge and 30 odd years experience in the Energy Efficiency Manual.
Everything you always wanted to know, in plain English.......2001-04-25
I nodded my head in agreement while reading Wulfinghoff's philosophy about energy savings in commercial and light industrial facilities. He distills 20+ years of experience in this field with practical, no-nonsense how-tos to gain energy and dollar savings in a wide variety of facilities and end-uses: lighting, water use, steam systems, space heating, water heating, air conditioning, scheduling, pumps, energy management controls: its all here in a well-written, well-illustrated book.
Perhaps best of all, the author goes beyond theoretical considerations of high-tech efficiency products, with precautions of what works and what might fall short. He also reminds facility managers to be mindful of the human factors that can foil our best efforts. He offers suggestions on how to plan and manage efficiency upgrades complete with information for building operators and occupants, so that the savings persist.
Highly recommended for anyone managing energy use in facilities, ranging from individual buildings to college campuses to government facilities. [I am a local government energy manager myself.]
Provides practical advice for avoiding pitfalls.......2001-02-04
Donald Wulfinghoff's Energy Efficiency Manual is a massive, 1,536-page reference work that is organized to guide the reader quickly to the right information for their particular energy project, problem, or inquiry. The first part of this "user friend" manual has 400 logically grouped activities for improving energy efficiency. each activity begins with Ratings and a Selection Scorecard to help the reader judge the merits and difficulties of that particular activity. "Economics" sidebars estimates the savings, cost, and payback period. The "Traps & Tricks" sidebars provides practical advice for avoiding pitfalls plaguing energy conservation efforts. Energy Efficiency Manual will earn back its cover price over and over again and is an essential, core reference for personal, professional, and community library energy conservation and energy efficiency reference book collections.
Book Description
Running a small business can be daunting to the contractor whose expertise is in building -- not finance or law. This book helps to demystify the day-to-day challenges that contractors face. Running a Successful Construction Company is acknowledged as the leading book in its field. Includes 50 color photos and drawings.
Customer Reviews:
Running a successful construction company.......2007-08-10
This has been a real eye opening book. This book has helped me to organize my accounting system in more stream line manner. I have put a plan together ot implement more of the systems into my business. This book is a must for anyone getting in or already in the construction business. It explains so many aspects of the business that no one tells you about.
Running a Successful Construction Company.......2007-01-16
Good solid guide that is informational and to the point, and not overly wordy.
Excellent book for those considering construction .......2006-10-10
This is a must read for anyone considering going into the construction business. As somebody who was in the business for almost 20 years, I wish this book was around when I first started. It covers all the bases and offers good advice on where to obtain the necessary items you'll need to get up and going.
shortcut to being informed .......2006-09-03
Although some of the content does not apply directly to Ausralian construction this book has given me a much better understanding of some key business components, in fact it has delivered more than i expected and helped me to focus on systems that i need to implement. It has also made me aware of the fact that some of my priorities needed to be re-aranged. I believe that this book will help my company keep up with the massive growth phase we are currently experiencing.
David Gration. Director, Home Morph. Pty Ltd.
This is a great book.......2002-12-17
This is a great book for start up and existing construction companies alike. It explains many aspects of the business and how things should be done to ensure profitability and longevity. It has helped my company tremendously.
Jim Paulin
Rubicon Construction
Lincoln Park, MI
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