We checked out the 2019 real estate investing books landscape, and we have found eight books that we consider must-reads if you are really interested in becoming a serious real estate investor. Take a look below.
You’re really interested in real estate investing. You’ve attended a couple of seminars, watched a bunch of online presentations but a lot of the stuff you have been exposed to has been quite sales-y, and you wonder if any of the purported plans and schemes really work.
To you it seems like the presenters are just trying to sell materials or expensive manuals.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad
Written by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon L. Lechter, Rich Dad, Poor Dad was originally a self-published book that was eventually picked up by a major publisher. It is a thorough guide for creating wealth and accumulating assets.
While it isn’t strong about specific real estate strategies, it gives a great general overview about the mindset that is required to win in business, and the book devotes a good amount of time explaining the reason for investing in real estate as a vehicle that can produce fat returns.
The Book on Rental Property Investing
This is one of the best real estate investing books of all time. Brandon Turner wrote this book, and you’ll find it on almost all of the top-ten lists of real estate investing books.
Mr. Turner is also involved the familiar BiggerPockets.com site. His book has a great section about mistakes that novice investors need to avoid, and many think that this is the first book real estate beginners should read before they embark on a career as a property investor.
The Book on Flipping Houses
J. Scott has authored a handy treatise about flipping houses—a strategy that HGTV made very popular.
This book most importantly explains the proper methods to evaluate homes for potential flipping and walks you through the process of obtaining financing.
Start with this one if you want to do quick turnover deals.
The Intelligent REIT Investor
Written by Stephanie Krewson-Kelly and R. Brad Thomas, this book explains Investing in a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). Think of REITs like a real estate ETF, and you’ll get an idea of what they can do for you.
Like any investment, due diligence is key, and the authors explain just how to choose the REIT that would be best for you. If you are at all interested in passive investing, put this one of your list of real estate investing books for 2019.
Mastering the Art of Commercial Real Estate
Doug Marshall has subtitled this book, “How to Successfully Build Wealth and Grow Passive Income from Your Rental Properties.”
And that tells you what you will find inside. Understand that commercial real estate can be much different from residential housing, and if you are thinking of investing commercially, you’ll be looking at multi-family units, strip malls, warehouses and even public storage facilities.
Mr. Marshall has a good section on timing, which we all know is everything, right?
The Turnkey Revolution
Christopher Clothier wrote The Turnkey Revolution. A turnkey property is the exact opposite of a fixer-upper—everything has already been done for you.
All you need to do is buy it and rent it and watch your mortgage principal decrease while you enjoy cash flow.
Mr. Clothier tells you how to find these gems and how to properly evaluate them for superior cash flow. With any real estate investment strategy, there are areas to avoid, and Mr. Clothier carefully spells out problem areas that you may find.
The Millionaire Real Estate Investor
Gary Keller’s book should maybe be subtitled “You Too Can Get Rich in Real Estate,” as he explains how to make money in real estate.
Covering a wide range of do’s and don’ts, The Millionaire Real Estate Investor makes you think and act like a millionaire real estate investor even if you’re not there yet.
The Book on Tax Strategies
By Amanda Han and Matthew MacFarland, this book is the bible of real estate tax planning.
In fact, Brandon Turner said, “Had I read this book earlier in my real estate investing career, I easily would have saved myself thousands in taxes and my net worth would be significantly higher!”
That’s all the credibility we need, so if you want to save yourself tons of tax dollars, read and understand what the authors say before you start investing in real estate.
While many investors learn from just buying real estate and not repeating their initial mistakes, if you read the above real estate investing books, you’ll be far ahead of the game.
If you’re interested in learning more about the basics of real estate investing, check out our recent post on real estate terminology.