Book Description
A good market study can make or break a development project. This new book will equip you with the tools you need to evaluate trends and understand the key factors affecting real estate markets. Using a step-by-step approach, the author shows you how to get started, where to get information, and how to apply it to multifamily, hotel, office, industrial, entertainment, mixed-use, and master-planned communities. Thirteen case studies written by top market analysts demonstrate how they implemented these methods and provide you with models to follow. Ideal for anyone new to real estate development
Customer Reviews:
A Thorough Reference.......2003-03-24
This book is written like a textbook - starting with the most basic concepts - but moves on to discuss the tools and techniques of market analysis in considerable detail. Separate sections deal with residential, office and industrial, retail, hotels and resorts, and mixed-use developments. Case studies are given for each type of property. Technologies and data sources to assist analysis are discussed.
The two primary authors are a real estate consultant and an author/director of the Urban Land Institute. Many other professionals are listed as having contributed to the case studies.
The book includes an appendix of data sources of use to market analysts, a glossary of real estate terms and a thorough index.
Book Description
The governance of natural resources used by many individuals in common is an issue of increasing concern to policy analysts. Both state control and privatization of resources have been advocated, but neither the state nor the market have been uniformly successful in solving common pool resource problems. After critiquing the foundations of policy analysis as applied to natural resources, Elinor Ostrom here provides a unique body of empirical data to explore conditions under which common pool resource problems have been satisfactorily or unsatisfactorily solved. Dr. Ostrom first describes three models most frequently used as the foundation for recommending state or market solutions. She then outlines theoretical and empirical alternatives to these models in order to illustrate the diversity of possible solutions. In the following chapters she uses institutional analysis to examine different ways--both successful and unsuccessful--of governing the commons. In contrast to the proposition of the tragedy of the commons argument, common pool problems sometimes are solved by voluntary organizations rather than by a coercive state. Among the cases considered are communal tenure in meadows and forests, irrigation communities and other water rights, and fisheries.
Customer Reviews:
Addressing the Collective Action Problem.......2007-08-02
Ostrom attempts to refute the belief that only through state and or market-centered controls can commonly pooled resources (CPRs) be effectively governed. Ostrom writes, "Communities of individuals have relied on institutions resembling neither the state nor the market to govern some resource systems with reasonable degrees of success over long periods of time" (p. 1). Governing the Commons sets out to discover why some groups are able to effectively govern and manage CPRs and other groups fail. She tries to identify both the internal and external factors "that can impede or enhance the capabilities of individuals to use and govern CPRs."
The first section of the book examines both state-controlled and privatization property rights regimes, and illustrates failures in both regimes; namely, that central authorities often fail to have complete accuracy of information, have only limited monitoring capabilities, and possess a weak sanctioning reliability. As such, a centralized governing body may actually govern the commons inaccurately and make a bad situation worse. In the case of privatized property rights regimes, Ostrom illustrates two main points: 1) it assumes that property is homogenous and any division of property will be equitable; and 2) privatization will not work with non-stationary property (fisheries, for example).
After discussing the state-controlled and privatization property rights regimes, Ostrom attempts examine the causes of successful CPR governance, and the catalysts which lead to failure. Being part of the "new institutionalist" school, Ostrom seeks to examine the rules, structures, and frameworks within the various CPR governance structures. Ostrom has discovered a number of "design principles" within the successful CPR governance cases. These principles include: 1) a clear definition of boundaries, 2) monitors who either are appropriators of the resource or accountable to the appropriators, 3) graduated sanctions, 4) mechanisms controlled by the appropriators used to mediate conflict and when necessary, change the rules, 5) a congruence between the rules used and the local conditions.
In other words, Ostrom suggests that these "design principles," form a cooperative institutional structure. If the correct institutions are in place, the players will see cooperation as the best means to gain optimal outcomes. These mechanisms create a confidence between players that defections will be minimal, and those that do defect will be sanctioned accordingly. Additionally, the institutional structures create an environment in which resources are distributed in such a way that all (or at least most) players benefit. As such, many of these institutional structures must be accompanied by a good deal of trust between players. This can only be developed over time and is most likely to succeed when the number of players in the CPR is reasonably small.
One of the most important works in the social science literature published in the last 100 years.......2006-12-30
"Governing the Commons" has become a classic, not only within the literature of political science, but more broadly throughout the social sciences. In the book, Elinor Ostrom argues brilliantly and compelling for a third way of avoiding Garrett Hardin's "tragedy of the commons," in addition to privatization (conversion of the commons to private property) or government regulation (conversion of the commons to public property). Though numerous examples, Ostrom demonstrates how users of common property resources have managed, in various places around the world, to sustainably manage those resources through local, self-regulation. In other words, common property regimes can avoid the "tragedy of the commons."
Ostrom recognizes that common property management regimes do not always work. Indeed, the seem to fail as often as they succeed. To explain why this is the case, and to help predict the likelihood of success or failure, Ostrom develops an elaborate and very useful model of common property success/failure. In the 15 years since she published "Governing the Commons," that model has not been significantly improved by other scholars. Her book remains as current and important today, as it was when she first published it in 1990. It is required reading for all social scientists, indeed anyone, interested in resource conservation and property systems.
conventional theory applied to odd cases.......2002-05-22
Ostroms' book covers a variety of cases where allocational difficulties arise. She employs sound economic reasoning in analyzing a number of cases where ordinary property rights enforcment is difficult. This book illustrates how vital institutional arrangements are in managing natural resources. Self-described environmentalists should read this book to see how many of the problems that concern them can actually get solved. The history in this book is made interesting through the application of economic concepts. This is not light reading, but it surely is interesting- for serious readers.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent for Urban Planning!
- Power and ample information and graphics
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ASIN: 0874208866 |
Book Description
One of the hottest trends in real estate is the development of town centers and urban villages that include a mix of uses in a pedestrian friendly setting. This new book will help you navigate the unique development issues and options and show you how to make all of the elements work together. You will learn about the economic and social forces driving this trend; how these projects are being developed in master planned communities, infill, and redevelopment areas; special regulatory, market and finance issues; and how suburban planners and developers are pursuing town center concepts to create attractive gathering places for their communities. Illustrat-ed in full color, the book includes case studies and examples that describe how leading professionals met the challenges and developed innovative and successful projects.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent for Urban Planning!.......2007-01-10
I was put on to this book by a professor at USF School of Architecture. It contains not only the history of placemaking but real examples of placemaking and tools in how to achieve the notion of "place." Not only is this a great resource, but it is easy to read and follow along.
Highly reccomended!
Power and ample information and graphics.......2006-08-24
I found this book to be one of the best out on the topic, of which there are too few at present for such an important topic. The depth and breadth of place-making topics and their coverage makes this a very excellent easy-to-read-and-understand as well as a long-term reference tool. The graphics are very well done. Having recently attended a Harvard program on retail for cities and new towns and urban center given by Bob Gibbs and Terry Shook, I especially found the book right on target. I want to see more of these types of books.
Book Description
Trump Strategies for Real Estate offers unbeatable insider advice for every serious real estate investor—beginners and old pros alike. For more than twenty-five years, author George Ross has been one of Donald Trump’s chief advisors and intimately involved with many of Trump’s biggest real estate deals. Now, Ross teams up with bestselling real estate author Andrew McLean to present Trump’s real estate investment strategies so that even small investors can invest like Trump. You’ll learn how Trump identifies potential properties and how he finances, negotiates, and markets his big deals. Not everyone has Trump’s money or name, but everyone, even you, can use his tactics and strategies to win big in real estate.
Download Description
How to do it like Trump¿from start to finish
This is the first real estate investing book to reveal the principles and strategies of the world¿s most famous real estate developer¿Donald Trump. Author George Ross is Trump¿s celebrity costar on the hit TV show, The Apprentice, and has been Trump¿s right-hand man and business advisor for 25 years. Ross has advised Trump on all of his most famous real estate deals including Trump Tower on 5th Avenue and the Grand Hyatt on 42nd Street. In this book, Ross explains the core real estate investing and negotiation strategies Trump used to make his fortune, and how any investor can apply these strategies to their own real estate investments.
Small investors may not buy land on 5th Avenue, but the same principles Trump used to negotiate the purchase of his Trump Tower site apply to any real estate investor who wants to use Trump-style negotiation principles to buy property for below-market value. The small investor buying a fixer-upper may not have Trump¿s budget for marble and gold-tinted windows, but this book explains how to add "Trump-style glamour" to any fixer-upper¿and charge tenants and buyers a hefty premium they will willingly pay. Other key "Trump Strategies for Real Estate" include:
- Think huge; change the way your property is used and valued for maximum ROI
- Use showmanship to get higher rents and sale prices for your properties
- Be willing to overpay for a prime location, if it will get you prime tenants.
- There is no "right price" for the wrong property
- Personal relationships and loyalty are the foundation of a long-term investing career
From the search for the right property to "cashing out" of a property, this book has it all.
Customer Reviews:
a good book for investors .......2007-09-29
its a good book for anyone to read and its been a big help to me.
i suggest you read it if you intrested in investment.
Great!!.......2007-08-31
This book is very informative about how to change your thinking as well as your practices when it comes to real estate. Very great book for a begginner investor.
George is great!.......2007-05-12
This book is great for somebody looking to find the 'big picture' in real estate, with some very helpful thoughts to guide decisions. Working in real estate, I have already used much of the advice in this book with my real estate clients with great success. Though not all thoughts apply to my area, the book as a whole was a great read.
Very good book.......2006-12-26
I've been in real estate for 12 years and this is one of the few books worth buying and keeping in your library. Many of the things I already knew, but it's good to have this as a source of reference. I like the info on negotiation and research (the party that spends the most time/energy on project tends to want to complete the transaction). Trump believes in hiring the best experts available and "value added," which is another way saying adding glitz to his properties. The author is also right on when he states that most people take the path of least resistance. I agreed with 90% of what the author wrote about.
Good reading.......2006-09-06
You know, if you want to be the best, you need to learn from the best. George & Donald are the pinnacles of success in the real estate business. George Ross presents how things work with him & Donald in the business world, from his perspective. I highly recommend it. I have far more respect for George now after reading this book.
Amazon.com
To read the latest Trump tale is to be reminded of writer Fran Lebowitz' comment that there are only two social classes in America--the celebrities and the audience. Business biographer Robert Slater, who spent 100 hours with Donald Trump, provides an intriguing link between the two in No Such Thing as Over-Exposure: Inside the Life and Celebrity of Donald Trump. About the man who made bragging an art form, Slater wonders: Does Trump have any definable business strategies and leadership strategies? Why did he become a business celebrity? Why did The Apprentice become a surprise hit?
The result is a surprisingly fascinating profile of a man who shattered the CEO public relations paradigm by branding himself rather than his product. The Slater timeline begins with Trumps' spit ball throwing, football playing, military school youth. He describes dear old Dad's philosophy of development ("Get in get it done, get it done right and get out.") This is followed by an engaging recap of how Trump changed the New York skyline by leveraging Atlantic City properties and then became a poster boy for the recession of the 1990s. His much reported rise and comeback is deconstructed in terms of his capacity for self-branding (force of personality, willingness to broadcast private life, delivering the goods, and "truthful hyperbole.")
Slater spends too much time on getting Trump to say yes to the book and trying to create a management roadmap from Trump's unique career. But he gets the details right. Trump tends to stay close the office, doesn't use computers, thinks e-mail is for wimps, avoids germs by withholding handshakes, broke up with his second wife in a gossip column, and calls himself the biggest star on television.
Slater interviewed 150 people, yet the most revealing moments are when Trump speaks for himself. For example, when he insists that he is "worth the salary of six actors on Friends." When ex-wife Marla Maples comments about his virility, he says, "That's what sells condos in New York." Such comments derail Slater's desire to extract leadership lessons from Trump. Whether you find him brilliant or a carnival barker, Donald Trump is one of a kind. His success represents a moment when a celebrity and his audience are merged: Neither can stop looking at him. --Barbara Mackoff
Download Description
"With The Apprentice, Donald Trump has gone beyond celebrity to become a true legend. He's the one billionaire everyone recognizes, the only one whose name is its own global brand. But, for all the ink that's been spilled about him, nobody's ever fully captured the man¿until now.
Donald Trump agreed to give Robert Slater unprecedented access to his world: over 100 hours of private conversations and meetings. Wherever Trump went, Slater was there: as a ""fly on the wall"" at deal-making sessions, on Trump's Gulfstream...everywhere. Slater interviewed 150 of Trump's former and present employees and colleagues, even his toughest competitors.
Now, he reveals the man in full: the businessman and dealmaker, strategist and survivor, celebrity and personality. You'll learn how Trump transformed himself from an unknown local real-estate developer to a global magnate. You'll see how he really does business, discovering lessons that go far beyond anything he's revealed before. You'll witness his brilliant media management...and watch him leverage his celebrity to save his casino business, not once but twice. Most remarkable of all, you'll discover how Trump really feels about his celebrity, his empire, his outsized American life.
- Why there's no such thing as over-exposure
- From celebrity to legend: larger than life¿and lovin' it
- Not just a billionaire: a global brand
- How to build a multi-billion-dollar global business on your own name
- One tough hombre: coming back, again and again
- From $9.2 billion in debts to the Forbes wealthiest American list
- A ""fly on the wall"": watch Trump operate, for real Trump at work: real Trump dealmaking, decision-making, and leadership
The real Donald Trump: the most revealing Trump profile ever written!
Based on an unprecedented 100 hours of private, personal access to Trump...plus over 150 interviews with associates and rivals!
The first book to capture all of Trump: executive, dealmaker, strategist, survivor, celebrity, student of the media...and the man behind the legend
Beyond the art of the deal: Trump-powered business lessons you won't find in his own books
Who is Donald Trump?
You think you know. You don't. Even if you've watched The Apprentice.
Even if you've read his best-selling books.
Want to know what really makes him tick? How he really operates?
When Donald Trump heard about the book, he threatened to sue. Then, he changed his mind...and gave Robert Slater more access than any other journalist or author¿ever. Slater sat beside Trump at buy-out sessions and building inspections, on his helicopter and jet plane, at QVC and at Apprentice rehearsals. Slater watched Trump in public¿and in his most unguarded moments. And Slater talked to everyone...from legendary rival Steve Wynn to publicity-shy Trump family members.
The result: the most intimate and powerful Trump profile ever written.
This, finally, is the real Trump: totally uncensored, and utterly riveting. "
Customer Reviews:
Interesting Insight into How Trump Thinks!.......2007-10-22
I found this very interesting especially the bit where Trump gets into serious financial difficulty and how he pulled it off. This bookshows you how
Trump is a great PR guy and uses this to get the banks tofinance his deals. Knowing how touse the media to generate free publicity for your business is something Trump is great at.
The book is well researched and written in a way that keeps you reading through.
No such thing as journalism.......2007-04-26
Robert Slater wants you to know that Donald Trump threatened to sue him, to prevent him from writing this book. "Odd and chilling," is how the author describes the letter he received from one of Trump's lawyers, during the height of the success of The Apprentice.
The lawsuit didn't happen, and after wasting several hours of my life reading "No Such Thing as Over-Exposure," the reason is evident. Trump -who must indeed be a very charming person--brought Slater to his side, and used him as a stenographer for his endless hype and self-promotion. Slater doesn't question anything, not even the most ridiculous of Trump's assertions, such as saying that he could go into the Middle East, and bring peace to the area, faster than you can say, "You're Fired."
Slater -who must have picked up something from his subject in terms of hyperbole--wants the reader to believe that he did a tremendous amount of research (More than 150 interviews! Flights in Donald's plane and helicopters!) but the book comes across as nothing more than a quickie job and one more pamphlet proclaiming the wonders of The Donald.
A Good Read!.......2005-08-29
This admiring biography of real estate billionaire Donald Trump begins with a reference to Trump's "swept-back blonde mane" - although his thinning forward comb-over is probably the most famous weird hairdo in America. Perhaps author Robert Slater picked up a bit of his subject's tendency toward what Trump calls "truthful hyperbole." Slater's writing is interesting and accessible, in a breathless sort of way. However, despite being based on 150 interviews, this biography doesn't contain a lot of information that Trump has not already disseminated through his books, TV show and softball press interviews. Slater seems to regard Trump's exaggerations as charming foibles and, given tremendous access, apparently accepts Trump's self-assessment that he is a skilled negotiator, shrewd investor and efficient administrator - even when the author's own anecdotes show Trump in another guise: as a bullying micro-manager. Of course, the insight that negative publicity isn't always a bad thing is a primary theme. We recommend this close-up meeting with Trump to general readers who find that his outsized ego, lifestyle and accomplishments hold a certain fascination and to businesspeople who just want to know how he always lands on his feet. (Hint: he delivers the goods.)
Showman, Showoff Or Sage? .......2005-06-19
If you are interested in the business world or not, there has been no other business leader consistently in the news more then Donald Trump over the last 20 years. If you think he is an attention starved ego driven showman or just a smart business leader in the right place at the right time, the fact is you have an opinion of him. Few other business leaders share his celebrity. It is this celebrity that prompted me to pick up this book for no other reason then to see what all the fuss was about. As a bit of a perspective to this review I have not watched one episode of his TV show and I have always felt that his biggest skill was an uncanny knack for finding television cameras. If you mentioned Trump to me the only thing I would think was oversized ego.
So I needed a lot of convincing to be done to move my view of Trump into more of a positive light. This author did make me rethink my position, but unlike the subject of the book and his in your face M1A1 tank approach to image, the author laid out facts and present his story with limited bias. The author does cover some history, but the area I found most interesting was the focus on the current Trump activities. The one thing I came away with is that you have it hand it to him, he is driving to have his business empire catch up to his ego. Overall I enjoyed the book. This is the first book on Trump I have read in a long time so there was an element of freshness to the subject. I also found that either the author had an engaging method of writing or the subject mater was just so interesting that I kept moving from page to page excitedly.
Trumping the Business World with "Truthful Hyperbole".......2005-05-26
I have read and reviewed many of Slater's previous books and consider him to be among the most perceptive and eloquent commentators on the contemporary business world. It came as no surprise, therefore, that Trump agreed to cooperate with Slater on the writing of this book but only after checking him out with those who had already had a close working relationship with him, notably Jack Welch. There is probably no other executive who has a tighter schedule than does Trump. However, on numerous occasions, beginning in June of 2004, he agreed to meet with Slater or talk with him on the telephone. Trump also arranged for Slater to attend various private meetings related to Trump's building projects; to travel with him to a building site in Manhattan and observe his inspection of it; to journey with Trump for a book promotion appearance at QVC, the shopping channel; and to fly with him on his jet to a "demolition party" in Chicago where Trump planned to build a 90-story $800-million luxury tower on what had been the site of the Chicago Sun-Times. Slater was also allowed to observe a casting call for the third season of The Apprentice television program at during the filming of one of the episodes for its third season. Finally, Trump helped to facilitate many of the interviews of those best qualified to discuss both his business career and the celebrity synonymous with it.
Trump is as protective of the privacy of his three children as he is eager to discuss almost anything and anyone else. Nonetheless, he allowed Slater to meet with one son (Donald Trump, Jr.) and apparently set no restrictions on what they could discuss. Presumably Trump allowed such direct and extensive access, both to himself and to countless others, because he trusted Slater, was favorably impressed by his professional credentials, sensed his inherent integrity, and believed that he would receive fair and circumspect treatment in what later became this book.
With regard to its title, it is Slater's opinion that, at least for now, "there seems to be no downside" to all the attention Trump has so actively sought and has so substantially achieved. "His look of giddy pleasure at the amount of attention he is [currently] getting says it all. He savors having so many choices to make [i.e. he is inundated with participation proposals of various kinds] that put him in the public spotlight. If he could, one imagines, he would not make a choice at all. He would do everything. After all, in Donald Trump's world, there is no such thing as over-exposure." At least for now.
Proportionality is a key element in Slater's earlier discussions of other prominent executives such as John Chambers, George Soros, and Jack Welch and it is also true of what he has to say about Trump. Obviously, there is much that Slater admires but much else which Slater finds irritating (at best) and sometimes infuriating (at worst). Of greatest interest to me is Slater's explanation of how and why Trump "openly names his products after himself and markets his name as synonymous with his products: his luxury residences, his casino hotels, and so on. [Trump] insists, as well -- correctly, at it turns out -- that using his name on his company products enhances their value." (Please see Chapter 8, "Branding a Name.") I was also interested in learning about certain differences between the public Trump and the private Trump. For example, that he seldom fires anyone in the Trump organization and, generally, is far more patient, forgiving, generous, and deferential than his public persona suggests.
More a quibble than a complaint, I wish Slater had included (perhaps as an appendix) an annotated Timeline of the key dates and defining moments in Trump's career thus far. For example, when and why he decided to become a commercial real estate developer in Manhattan, Atlantic City, Chicago, and Las Vegas; also, when and why he agreed to produce and star in The Apprentice television program. Slater addresses these and other issues within his narrative. However, given the complexity of Trump's various business activities, it would be helpful to have a chronological frame-of-reference to consult periodically, one which clarifies when, what, with whom, where, etc.
Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Slater's earlier work, notably Jack Welch and the GE Way: Management Insights and Leadership Secrets of the Legendary CEO; Microsoft Rebooted: How Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer Reinvented Their Company; SOROS: The Unauthorized Biography, the Life, Times and Trading Secrets of the World's Greatest Investor; The Wal-Mart Decade: How a New Generation of Leaders Turned Sam Walton's Legacy into the World's #1 Company; Saving Big Blue: Leadership Lessons & Turnaround Tactics of IBM's Lou Gerstner; and Get Better or Get Beaten!: 31 Leadership Secrets from GE's Jack Welch.
Product Description
Today's most exciting trend in the shopping center industry is the creation of retail entertainment destinations. This book describes how the industry has evolved, best practices in development, and how this concept has been incorporated into mixed-use, town center, and shopping center projects in the U.S., Germany, Hungary, and the Philippines.
Book Description
Density by Design provides innovative solutions to the challenge of developing higher density housing that will be successful in the marketplace. Case studies of 14 projects show how others have implemented the best new ideas in residential develpment and design. Projects covered range in density from single-family subdivisions to downtown high-rise apartments and illustrate many up-to-the minute concepts: new urbanism, transit-oriented development, mixed-income and mixed-housing types, urban infill, and adaptive use.
Each case study is loaded with full color photographs, drawings, site and floor plans, and covers project data such as development costs, sales prices, lot sizes, setback standards, street and alley dimensions, and parking ratios.
Customer Reviews:
good resource.......2000-11-29
good resource of options for the designer
Customer Reviews:
usefull advice, one man's success story.......2007-10-19
Turner's tale of his search for rural land is a fun read. anyone looking at this page and reading this review obviously has a little dream of buying a piece of land - and this book is not only full of good advice for your own search, but it's inspiring. Turner used tactics that I certainly wouldn't have though of. The books is not written like a how-to book, in fact it almost resembles a journal more than anything. But sometimes a little down to earth anecdote is nice to read before bed. It's a very fast and pleasant 230 pages that will likely leave you optimistic about your chances of finding a piece of rural land. Good luck!
A great guide by example.......2007-09-09
For those that are looking for an A-B-C, follow the list type guide to finding cheap land, keep on looking. Though there is a list of the steps used, it takes only a couple of pages near the end. If you are too lazy to read the rest, and instead skip to the list, you will miss out on a lot of good advice.
Now for the rest of you that are smart enough to enjoy Mr. Turner's tale of how he found it, and glean the tidbits of information bestowed throughout the tale, you will walk away with invaluable information that will let you find the land that you want at a price you can afford.
Well written and easily read.......2007-04-30
This book is an excellent and quick read- I finished it in one day. Although not directly suited to my purpose, the book contains great advice on finding a small acreage (4-12) property in the country.
Most of all the book made me feel even better about our opportunities- as the writer repeatedly commented on how much easier his search would have been if he was looking to buy 40 or more acres of land. Wouldn't you know it, that is what we are looking to do.
The author has a flowing and folksy writing style, that doesn't get bogged down with too much technical real estate jargon- and footnotes are provided in the rare instances where technical terms occur. This book is in many ways much more than a book about how to buy property cheap, it is the author's life story- his dreams and aspirations for a place in the country since his boyhood.
I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to purchase land in the country.
Low density but valuable information.......2007-02-26
The information in this book is worth the price you pay for it. I had fumbled around looking for land and only found a couple of the many tips he offers for finding and buying land. The author presents the information as his experience finding and buying a piece of land to be used as a get away and week end home. He explains why small parcels of land are more expensive per acre compared to large parcels of land.
His tips on buying land are summarized in a two page appendix. I think the one thing he left out of his summary was "get lucky and stumble across someone who will sell you land for cheap". If this was a "how to" book, it would be a pamphlet.
While not an exciting story, it is engaging. I found that I lost track of time while reading it. I have no need to be as thrifty as the author, however.
READ ME! A good argument for land.......2006-11-15
This book and another book made me re-think about land. In the past, people considered it as dangerous, but sometimes investing in land isn't such a bad thing, especially if you want to keep it for long term or for your children.
I would also suggest buying this book on how to purchase land below market value:
Investing Without Losing (ISBN: 0978834607 NOT on amazn, on other stores)
Book Description
In Last Harvest, the award-winning author of Home and A Clearing in the Distance tells the compelling story of New Daleville, a brand-new residential subdivision in rural Pennsylvania. When Witold Rybczynski first heard about New Daleville, it was only a developer's idea, attached to ninety acres of cornfield an hour and a half west of Philadelphia. Over the course of five years, Rybczynski met everyone involved in the transformation of this land -- from the developers, to the community leaders whose approvals they needed, to the home builders and sewage experts and, ultimately, the first families who moved in.
Always eloquent and illuminating, Rybczynski looks at this "neotraditional" project, with its houses built close together to encourage a sense of intimacy and community, and explains the trends in American domestic architecture -- from where we place our kitchens and fences to why our bathrooms get larger every year.
As Publishers Weekly said, "Rybczynski provides historical and cultural perspective in a style reminiscent of Malcolm Gladwell, debunking the myth of urban sprawl and explaining American homeowners' preference for single-family dwellings. But Rybczynski also excels at 'the close-up,' John McPhee's method of reporting, where every interview reads like an intimate conversation, and a simple walk down neighborhood sidewalks can reveal a wealth of history."
Last Harvest is a charming must-read for anyone interested in where we live today -- and why -- by one of our most acclaimed and original cultural writers.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Overview.......2007-10-18
A great book for anyone who has driven through the ex-urbs lately and wondered why and how suburban development is the way it is. A good primer for both the aspiring residential developer and the township board member.
Planning.......2007-08-27
A design profession relief from the more informative norm that planning, landscape architecture, urban design, and architecture are represented by. Rybczynski presents, in a very storyteller-like way, the process from visioning to implementation to construction, and finally, the homeowner's first thoughts of their new home. It is rare to read accounts of this genre that keep you focused on how things will actually work out in the end: especially when thinking of the arduous process behind the finalization of land development projects. Although most of the book was explained with tremendous success towards transmitting the sequences involved in building communities, it would have given the reader a better perspective to see how the process was transformed and the plans that made all of the discourse worth it in the end.
Nevertheless, a great account told in honest fashion, and backed by historic and cultural facts that have shaped land development in the US.
A 10-star book every housing consumer will relish.......2007-08-22
This is a really really important book that unlocks dozens of mysteries of why we end up in the homes that we come to occupy and how communities are created from cornfields. In other hands, this could have been a tedious tract on housing economics and construction techniques, but the author is a masterful storyteller who thoroughly entranced me with an account of the birth of one modest housing development in the Philadelphia exurbs. Rybczynski clearly grasps that the essence of great drama is constant conflict, and, from nearly the first page to the last, he portrays the endless conflicts that pervade the homebuilding business: there's land developer versus the anti-development townspeople; the developer's vision of designing a pioneering new community versus the practical concern that consumers feel safer buying traditional homes; buyer versus builder in striking the deal; buyer's emotions versus buyer's practicality in concluding a home-buying decision; and so many more mini-dramas involving the dozens of other participants in the development process. As a long-time real estate professional, I learned a great deal from this book and would recommend it to everyone in the industry and to anyone who ever intends to buy a home, suburban, exurban, or even urban. It's a treasure chest of lore about the history of housing, mostly American, but also housing abroad.
Illuminating.......2007-07-24
An informative trip through the local planning process that could have been that much more useful if illustrated with site plans and building elevations. Still highly recommended.
Interesting read.......2007-07-01
Was an interesting read. I am on a local Planning Board, and this book gave the developers perspective on a real estate development. Clustered development is still a hot topic, and many local boards are not fully aware of the benefits and pitfalls.
The book is thorough, although it doesn't always portay local governments in their best light. Most local boards are elected volunteers that are trying to help their local communities.
Overall, a good read, and well worth the time invested.
Book Description
Capitalize on the lucrative market for suburban residential development. This new book describes how consumer demands are changing, strategies for overcoming NIMBYism, and the latest trends related to open space, infill and mixed housing development, increasing density, transportation, and street design. Seasoned developers provide insight into what works--and the traps to avoid--in developing single- and multifamily properties ranging in size from 22 units to large planned communities, both conventional and new urbanist, in price ranges from affordable to luxury. Eleven case studies of projects in the United States and abroad illustrate how others are incorporating these trends into innovative and financially successful developments.
Books:
- Real Estate Market Analysis: A Case Study Approach
- Real Estate Market Analysis: A Case Study Approach
- Real Estate Riches: How to Become Rich Using Your Banker's Money
- Retailing Management
- Retailing Management
- Retailing Management
- Retailing Management
- Retailing Management
- Rich Dad's Advisors®: The ABC's of Real Estate Investing: The Secrets of Finding Hidden Profits Most Investors Miss (Rich Dad's Advisors)
- SAP(R) R/3(R) Plant Maintenance: Making It Work for Your Business
Books Index
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