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Top 10 Real Estate Books In 2008

Frances Flynn…, Real Estate Pro in Tucson, AZ
Written by Frances Flynn Thorsen,..., Real Estate Pro in Tucson
December 27, 2008 4:38 PM Agent2Agent
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I read numerous books during the year. I read some for insight into new trends and thinking, I have an insatiable appetite for books that feed my soul and new "white space" on my calendar in 2009 will offer me time to read more of them. I am very fond of books that are well written, stories well told.

I remain unimpressed with many popular 'best sellers." Robert Kyosaki's "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," is an unopened gift that will retain its like-new condition on my book shelf as long as I own it. Federal court records do not support Kiyosaki's claim of bankruptcy in 1985 and military records do not reflect his Vietnam reflections of a young Marine refusing to return to his ship. Kyosaki and other self-styled real estate gurus bore me.

I'm excited about real people who write from their hearts and experience. I'm happy to share some good books by authors who have something special to share. Each of these books touches me in a special way.

  1. Real Estate Dough"Real Estate Dough" by Bernice Ross, Ph.D. (Rossdale Press, Austin, TX) Bernice Ross hits another home run out of the park with the best book in real estate since her "Waging War Against Real Estate Discounters" was published in 2005. Ross is my favorite real estate author. She presents recipes for success based upon a collaborative business model, smart use of online technology, and a plan of action based upon personal strengths and skills. She eschews outmoded, cookie cutter I-did-this-and-if-you-can-duplicate-my-results training techniques. "Real Estate Dough" was the best selling book at the National Assn. of REALTORS confab in Orlando. If you read only one real estate book in 2009, make it this one. If you are a broker, buy a case of "Real Estate Dough," share the wealth of Ross' wisdom with your agents, and let the magic happen.

  2. "House Lust" by Daniel McGinn (Doubleday, New York) A veteran Newsweek reporter offers entertaining insight into the mania that drove home buyers from boom to bust. McGinn's personal journey as a real estate consumer finds him enrolled in real estate school and buying an investment property online, sight unseen. His tales and anecdotes are reminders of the pitfalls buyers can avoid in normal and boom markets.




  3. Shift"Shift" by Gary Keller (McGraw Hill, New York) Gary Keller says, "Shift happens," and outlines 12 Tactics for Tough Times in the latest book in his best selling The Millionaire Real Estate Series. Shift offers skill building ideas for mastering short sales and foreclosures, clearing buyer reluctance hurdles, expense management ideas, lead management direction, and creative financing.

  4. Conversations On Success"Conversations On Success" featuring Joeann Fossland, Tom Hopkins, and Dr. John Gray (Insight Publishing Company, Seierville, TN) Read a series of interviews about personal and business success, relationships, and salesmanship with 11 leading speakers by David Wright, president of the International Speakers Network. This book is charming, inspirational, and sweet.




  5. 4-Hour Workweel"The 4-Hour Workweek" by Timothy Ferris (Crown Publishers, New York) Brilliant! The author says, "Escape 9 - 15, live anywhere, and join the new rich." Measure the 10% of your output that is responsible for 90% impact and do MORE of that. Figure out what is productive activity and what is distraction. Eliminate activities that do not offer a large measure of impact. I read this book as a recovering workaholic. I am reading it again. I am still in recovery. I rarely read a book twice!



  6. Confessions Of A Subprime Lender"Confessions of a Subprime Lender - An Insider's Tale of Greed, Fraud, and Ignorance" by Richard Bitner (John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York) An ex-lender from Dallas tells all in a candid expose of the mortgage industry. He charges that 75% of subprime mortgages were misleading or fraudulent, and how mortgage brokers and appraisers deliberately inflated home prices.Bitner covers every step in the food chain, from borrowers and loan originator, to appraiser, to the credit scoring agencies and Wall Street. 


  7. Save My Home"Save My Home - 10 Steps to Avoiding Foreclosure" by Tom Geller (Kaplan Publishing, New York) This is a simple guide for distressed homeowners and people who want to help them remain in their homes.






  8. 2009 Awesome Year Plan2009 Awesome Year Plan - Joeann Fossland offers an inexpensive business planner for real estate agents that marries core values to goals and numbers. I have been using this planner since 2005. You can take it up a notch with a FREE workbook, 30 Days to Turn Your Life Around With The Law of Attraction.  [DISCLOSURE: Joeann Fossland is my coach, a personal friend, and colleague. Her materials and guidance are responsible for a large measure of my personal growth and success since 2005.]


  9. Real Estate the Rome Way"Real Estate The Rome Way" by Margaret Rome (Silloway Press, Columbia, MD) Another reviewer (who lent me her copy of this book) says it better than I can: "If you haven’t had the opportunity to know (and be touched by) Margaret Rome personally, this book is the next best thing! This amazing woman shares the secrets and systems that have made her one of the best agents in the country. Whether you are a new agent or an experienced one, the gems and straight forward advice this book gives will help you succeed faster. With 11% of agents doing 89% of the business, you want to know what they know!"  - Joeann Fossland, Advantage Solutions Group.

  10. Tribes by Seth Godin"Tribes" by Seth Godin (The Penguin Group, New York) This is a small book with big ideas about leadership. The Internet has created a new definition of leadership. Buy this book and share it with a friend or colleague. (Thanks to Jeff Turner for sharing!) 
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Comments

By Rebecca Levinson,  Sun Dec 28 2008, 09:06
The ClueTrain Manifesto is still a great book on my shelf. One that can be returned to again and again.
By Realisticor,  Sun Dec 28 2008, 13:23
Wow someone didn't like my opinion of Gary Keller books.
By Lynn Cromer,  Wed Dec 31 2008, 04:47
I too have read "Real Estate Dough" and "Shift" and agree on their greatness. I also read Jack Canfield's "The Success Principles" and would add it to this list. I liken Bernice Ross & Gary Keller to the Tom Hopkins & Danielle Kennedy's of my early days in real estate, in the late 1980's, who were the real estate guru's then. Great books and great ideas! Thanks.

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