Real Estate Riches: How to Become Rich Using Your Banker's Money

• #42 in Best Real Estate Books

126 Reviews

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I like this book. Do not make the mistake of judging this book by it's size.

The sections on financing and taxes were especially valuable.

Advice is timely and powerful. If your goals is to become a real estate investor, read this book and prosper.

As Andrew Carnegie said over 100 years ago; "More money has been made in real estate than in all industrial investments combined."I strongly suspect that the 1 star reviewers are stock market players concerned that this book will pull more investors from stocks into real estate.I'm a player in both stocks and real estate. My strategies in the stock market are very aggressive similiar to what the author teache in this book on real estate: high leverage with options and margin accounts, covered calls and dividend capturing for income and sect 29 tax credits to lower taxes. Real Estate Riches is a good little book. It explains the why, but not the how (I suspect there will be a followup book) but don't let that deter you from buying and reading this great book. It is packed with powerful information.For more on the how, I recommend Real Estate Money Machine.Finally, the indvidual that wrote that real estate is traditionally a lousy investment clearly does not know what he is talking about. REAL ESTATE IS A GREAT INVESTMENT.

I'me new to real estate investing and I found this book very helpful. In particular, I enjoyed the sections on investing, financing and taxes.

If you want to invvest successfully in real estate, I highly recommend this book.

In fact, I wouldn't invest without it!

After Cash Flow Qudrant, this one shows you how to make money.Interesting how the bashers keep saying that the real estate boom is over, yet real estate keeps getting better and better.The fact is that real estate is always a great investment, if you know why and how.Read this book and get the facts.

I love these reviewers trying to bash Real Estate Riches, Mr. Kiyosaki, Dolf de Roos and other authors in the Rich Dad series. I have a millionaire friend named Marty. He made his fortune via real estate and business. Not coincidently, he practices the same techniques advised in the Rich Dad books. The system works folks.My friend Marty also butchers up the english language. When we go to the gym for example, he'll say "Lets go on the Threadmill (he means Treadmil)" Or after a workout he'll say "Lets get a boddle (he means bottle) of ice tea" He warns his salespeople not to make "misreputations" (he means misrepresentations). And when he calls for his sales people to get together, he'ss say."We're having a meetin (instead of meeting) tonight"This guy butchers up the English language is a Grammar and English teachers nightmare. But he is worth several million and is highly successful.His spelling is equally horrific and he frequently says that anybod wh has only one way to spell a word is not very original. He laughs all the way to the bank...There are plenty of other goods with excellent grammar and perfect spelling, but alas, I prefer a book written by people who are actually in the trenches makng real estate deals, er, like Kiyosaki, de Roos, Robert Allen, Wade Cook or my friend Marty in lieu of people who just write about it but have yet to make their first deal.Good book Mr. Kiyosaki and Mr. de Roos.

If you are looking for a book that explains the WHY of real estate, then this book is for you. It does that job better than any other book that I know of.

You will also find some technical information. For beginning and all investors, the 100/3/1 rules alone is worth the price of this book.

Even as a veteran investor, I found the chapters on how to massively increase the value of your property and how to manage your property quite illuminating.

This is a good book that lives up to the Rich Dad series tradition. I also recommend Real Estate Loopholes.

This is my 4th Rich Dad book and I belive the most important. More people have become wealthy through real estate than any other or all other investments combined and that incudes the stock market.I also recommend Rich Dads Guide to investing and the 16% Solution.CAUTION: There are some people here pushing websites that are run by essentially shills for RTK's competitors and/or amateur-Pirate type operators. IF I gave OR offered you a dollar bill, which would you prefer; an original printed by the US government or a illegal, counterfeit copy?RTK and his series of books are the best. His authors are people who are successful, not wannabe real estate investors who haven't even bought their own property.

I really don't understand the 1 star reviews regarding this excellent book. Makes me wonder if this reviewer just has a personal issue with RTK and his people. I have yet to read any articulate comments---just wrathing, anger and outrage. Sort of like listening to democrat hopefuls.

That being said, I found Real Estate Riches a excellent real estate book. There is technical information in this book. No it is not a large book, I believe that Dolf wanted this book to be different and left out information that is already in other books. Why repeat it here? I think RTK and Dolf were smart in sticking with this format.

As an experienced investor, I am looking for new information, not just the same information that has already been covered in a dozen or so books.

This book is excellent. If you fail to see the value of Real Estate Riches, then you probably won't see the value in real estate investing either.

Good book. Highly recommended. Thank you Dolf and RTK. Looking forward to your next foray.

I have read many real estate books and found most say pretty much the same thing. This book by Dolf DeRoos is different.

You won't find 1,000+ pages of worthless drivel like some financial books, just meaty, powerful stuff that really works.

You'll want to add this one to your must read list. Great book.

I found this great book by Dolf de Ross very stimulating and effective. It really turbo charged my real estate investing. Having read other books, I always came away dissappointed.

This one is different and better. Highly recommended.

There are many books on real estate investing. Unfortunately, many are written by writers only and many others are merely re gurgitated information from other books.

What makes Real Estate Riches different is that it is

1) Written by a real investor
2) Written by a successful investor
3) Offers Rich Dad's unique ideas

And that is why there are so many five star reviewers here. Great book. It worked for me.

Although I liked the first "Rich Dad" book very much, this book was terribly disappointing. Yes, it does make a simplistic case for real estate over stocks, but fails miserably in actually explaining the nuts and bolts of real estate investing. As an Australian, the author seems to know little about the U.S. except that California is growing faster than North Dakota and thus will make a better investment. Yet, he fails to note that most California rentals fail to yield a positive cash flow. And in the coming recession, cash flow is king. This book strikes me as an opportunistic quickie to take advantage of stock market turmoil and the "Rich Dad" brand identitity. For much more depth and "how to" information, I think Investing In Real Estate (Mclean and Eldred) provides a far superior book. It covers every thing mentioned in the de Roos book, plus many topics that aren't discussed at all. Come on Rich Dad, you can do much better than this!

Emerson once said, "The hardest thing for people to do is to think."This book gets you thinking. It's not about techniques. For techniques, read Nothing Down, A Fortune at Your Feet, Flipping Properties or Real Estate Money Machine.What Dolf deRoos does do with this book is what the other books in the RDPD series have done; get you to think. To develop a philosophy. To show you how to become a Ultimate Investor instead of a average investor.QUESTION: All of those great Real Estate books and websites that keep getting recommended. If they are so great, where are all of the real estate tycoons? Hmmmm????Read. learn, apply and succeed. Then come back and tell us the truth about this book.Happy investing.

I just got through with this book and found it a pretty good read from a "here's why you should be in real estate" point of view, but if you are looking for a "how-to" book then keep looking. If you are looking for an long term sure-fire way to become wealthy I believe real estate is the way (it's working for me!). Remember: Real Estate + Time = Wealth.

My two favorite books so far with a lot more "how to" stuff are:

Rental Houses for the Successful Small Investor by Suzanne Thomas
&
Investing in Real Estate by Andrew McLean and Gary Eldred.

So many real estate books pretty much say the same thing over and over. This one is different. Dold de Roos and Robert Kiyosaki are to be congratulated for their uniqueness and independent thinking. And of course for providing advice based on actual experience by real investors, not just paper tigers who write, but have never even done their first deal.

Thank you de Ross! Thank you Robert Kiyosaki!

New Zealander Dr. de Roos learned about investing in real estate while he pursued his education in electrical and electronic engineering. A few weeks before getting his Ph.D., one real estate deal netted him $35,000. His best job offer was to earn $32,000 a year. He thought. Why bother? And so began a full-time real estate investing career that led to him teaching real estate investing with Rich Dad, Poor Dad author, Robert T. Kiyosaki. Both played Monopoly as children, and found the real thing even more fun and rewarding as adults. From those experiences, Mr. Kiyosaki reports that �Dolf de Roos walks his talk.� For fun, they will go out looking at property together in Phoenix where they both live now. "If driving around town looking at properties is a chore for you, then property is probably not for you," says de Roos.

In simple comparisons, Dr. de Roos shows you how property investors can earn hundreds of times the returns of stock investors. He had noticed as a young man that many rich people either made or kept their money in property.

Some of the advantages over stocks include greater stability in value, ability to borrow almost all of the purchase price, tax laws that allow deducting expenses for depreciation on an appreciating asset, potential to buy below market value, possibility of making improvements that add value beyond their cost, opportunity to refinance to extract cash without selling the asset, cash income to cover carrying costs, little need for day-to-day supervision because you can hire property managers to take care of almost everything, and real estate values moving up consistently.

The drawback of real estate investing is that you will invest a lot of time getting started. For example, you will probably have to look at 100 properties to possibly buy one. If you want to earn a living from real estate investing, you will look at many thousands of properties before you will have enough invested to become inactive. During those beginning years, you can be vulnerable to problems with renting or fixing specific properties, finding time to be your own property manager before you can afford one, and setbacks during times of rising interest rates or falling property values.

Having established the potential benefits in part one, part two goes on to describe what you need to do. It begins with finding property to look at, looks at analyzing potential deals, recommends how to negotiate and submit offers, shows how to use more of other people�s money and time, describes improvements you should look to make, and explains the risk of government involvement.

After reviewing Rich Dad, Poor Dad, I got lots of questions about the tax advantages of real estate investing. For people who do not understand the subject, this book won�t be enough. Although it has a lot of case histories, this book doesn�t do any of them in enough detail for a reader to see exactly what happens throughout the investing and ownership process.

This book also is accurate only if you pick locations where prices move up annually at a pretty consistent rate. Although one of the eight rules is be a countercyclical investor, the book needs to emphasize how much more money you make when you buy at the peak in an interest rate cycle and refinance at the bottom of the same cycle, and how the economic cycle affects pricing of property and your ability to rent it. Also, you need to take advantage of trends. With the aging of people born after World War II, this will mean a shift in where property is attractive in the decade ahead from communities where it�s a good place to raise children to those where it�s good to retire. There�s a vague allusion to these issues in the book, but much more is needed. For example, a new factor like foreign terrorism in major U.S. cities could have a large effect on future property values in those cities.

After you read this book, think about what allows you to sleep best at night about your finances. For some, that will be part in real estate. Invest in what gives you the best return in piece of mind, as well as income!

I found this book to be very easy to read, and it should be. There is little, to no, hard information about securing a mortgage or evaluating the value of a property. The author, Dr. Dolf de Roos, spends most of the book formulating an arguement for Real Estate investing over the Stock Market as well as relaying some very nice anecdotes about property he's bought. I put down this book with the same information I picked it up with : buy undervalued property, look at a whole bunch of properties, evaluate the potential return on the property, tax laws can be your friend, and use as little as your own money as possible. There are some elementary formulas for calculating such things as your annual % return, but these are formulas you should be able to develop if you passed 5th grade.
I like the Rich Dad series of books and in general they can be very motivating. This was the fourth book in the series that I have read and I agree that it is by far the weakest. That said, the Rich Dad books should not be read by themselves. Thier anecdotal information should be supplemented with other books containing more formal knowledge, especially this one.

Kiyosaki's original Rich Dad Poor Dad was the book that changed my philosophy. Previously I was focused on making a living, now I am designing my life.

Real Estate Riches helped me buy my first 2 rentals. This book launched me into financial freedom.

Thank you Dolf for a really great book.

Dolf has written an excellent why to and how to real estate book. What appealed to me that this book is different from every other real estate book out there and it is written by someone who has actually done it. A real, Real Estate investor.

In the first chapter, de Roos poses four questions designed to convince the reader that real estate investing is superior to other kinds of investing. The first question is: "How many dollars' worth of stock can you buy with $100,000 cash?" The answer, according to de Roos, is that $100,000 cash will generally buy you only $100,000 worth of stock. He says investment houses will only let you buy "a very limited number of stocks" on margin and "then only for about 30 percent of the value of the stocks." I have never encountered a stock that I have not been able to buy on margin through my Schwab account. Furthermore, I can margin up to 50 percent. Besides, the reason why Schwab won't let me use more leverage is because IT'S RISKY. de Roos then goes on to suggest that you can easily get a loan to buy a $1 million property by putting down just $100,000. How is this less risky than buying stocks on margin? de Roos says: "[You] have an asset worth $1 million that would generate rental income for you. If you had bought wisely, then the rent would more than cover your expenses." Well, what happens if you "had not bought wisely?" What happens if you can't find tenants? What happens if the economy goes south right after you bought? All one needs to do is drive up and down Highway 101 in Silicon Valley and look at all the "For Lease" signs to realize that vacancies are a fact of life.

Consider, for example, the case of Mission West Properties (AMEX-MSW), a real estate investment trust (REIT) that, according to its most recent 10-K, "acquires, markets, leases, and manages Research and Development ("R&D") properties, primarily located in the Silicon Valley portion of the San Francisco Bay Area." In a recent conference call, MSW's management reported that the bursting of the Internet bubble will cause vacancy rates in their R&D properties to approach 40% over the next year. The only reason why MSW may survive is because they are only moderately leveraged. For example, their ratio of mortgage debt to shareholder equity is a modest 2.35 to 1. If, on the other hand, MSW had a debt/equity ratio of 9 to 1, as they would if they had followed de Roos' advice and purchased properties by borrowing $9 for every $1 of their own funds, quite obviously it would be very difficult for them to remain a going concern in an environment of 40% vacancy rates; they would soon be overwhelmed by interest payments.

It seems, then, as if de Roos' first chapter is based on two very dubious assumptions: 1.) it is difficult to persuade your stock broker to loan you any money so you can buy stocks on margin, but it is easy as pie to persuade your local bank to loan you 90% of the purchase price of an investment property; 2.) using leverage is risky if you are buying stocks, but not if you are buying real estate. If the first chapter of the book is filled with such nonsense, the rest of the book can't be much better. I didn't even bother to read any further.

Real Estate Riches : How to Become Rich Using Your Banker's Money (Rich Dad's Advisors)
by Dolf de Roos, Robert T. Kiyosaki (Foreword)

OK, I want to be clear in this review just what your buying here. Robert Kiosaki wrote a great starter book for investors that I highly recommend called "Rich Dad Poor Dad", then he has created a cottage industry by allowing other authors he calls his "Advisor's" to market thier works with his trademarked book covers and designs. The fact of the matter is, Robert T. Kiyosaki simply wrote the forward on this book, and it has no technique or style that is typical Kiyosaki other than the look of the cover.

Dolf de Roos is a guy from Australia that wrote this book on Real Estate and put the trademark purple cover with yellow text Kiyosaki stamp of approval on it. I'm happy they are making a fortune off of the masses, but I say save your money. This author is from Australia and his views are also from Australia. His style of real estate simply doesn't work in the United States. Sure some of the principles are the same, but the meat of the book just doesn't apply to the U.S.

IF you want a better book on Real Estate that covers all of Dolf's points and much more, get, "Rental Houses for the Successful Small Investor", by Suzanne P. Thomas. If you want to learn how to invest in Real Estate, learn from someone that started small and built millions, one house at a time, not from some book writter, that then purchased a 1.2 million dollar house with the proceeds of his book.

(P.s. he claims the house is 3.5 million in value, but that isn't the case, although 1.2 million is no chump change. I just wanted to point out one of the many discrepancies I have discovered in reading his materials).

I have two things that I would like to say.

One, if you're reading these reviews because something inside of you has been awakened--because you realize that there's got to be something in life better than going through the grind of a 9-5 job, _DON'T_ let the negative reviews get in your way. Go ahead, this book will inspire you and get you going in the right direction.

Two, this is _NOT_ a how-to book. While looking for background information about the author, I realized why. Have you read Michael Jordan write something about how to run, pass and dunk? No, because those are things that you can learn easily. Michael Jordan approach basketball from a higher perspective. What he writes about are the mental disciplines he uses to play the game.

It's the same with this book. The author did not write how to get a mortgage, or how to do this and that. Those are the simple things. You can get that information from other books. What you will get from this book is a sense of what is possible. With that, it might help get you through your journey when you're feeling at the bottom and nothing seems to be working.

You'll also know how a very good real estate investor thinks. In the long run, the how-to's may matter little compared to learning how to think and approach the subject of real estate investing.

Just my 0.02

Roos is part real estate investor, part cheerleader. If real estate investing were as simple as getting excited about real estate investing then we'd read this book, leave our 9-5s, and, ahhh, riches. Real Estate Riches inspires me to invest in real estate the way Bruce Lee inspired me as a kid to become a kung fu master. It's great to dream about, but the hard work between the dream and the reality is usually enough dissuade.

His basic plan-of-action is 1) use as little of your money as possible and as much of the bank's money, to, 2) --he skips this part about how hard it is it find and identify a positive cash flow property, then, 3) buy a place that continues to increase in value, while it simultaneously delivers cash in your pocket each month, and finally, 4) when you need more money to invest, drain the equity from your property and repeat.

I think the best advice he gives, and the one insight you might find to be part of the real work of real estate investing, is the 100:10:3:1 rule. Look at _100_ properties, make offers on 10, negotiate financing on 3, and you MAY buy 1. Real estate investing is hard work. Roos show you all of the glamour, but little of the daily grind that's involved to make it happen for yourself.

For a more balanced approach see Real Estate Investing, 4th edition by McLean and Eldred.

This Amway lackey and his cronies peddle nothing but mindless garbage for all of you 5 star reviewers who can't get enough of the Kiyosaki Kool-Aid to lap up. I have to imagine that most of you are unemployed and living in your parents' basement or garage. "RK", as many of you like to call him, has made most if not all of his fortune pushing his useless and fictitious [product.] Do a little research and you'll find that there is no documentary evidence to support any of the investment activities he purports to have excelled in. Grow up and read some advice from people who have been there and actually done it(e.g. John Reed, Leigh Robinson, William Nickerson). Anyone who believes that Kiyosaki and his merry band...have "enlightened" them needs to take a cold shower and have their head examined. I almost fainted when I heard Kiyosaki charges $...for a three day real estate seminar. Anyone who would pay a dime to get advice from this snake oil salesman should be institutionalized.

Without a doubt, Dolf is one of the greatest minds in real estate investing. He knows this business. Just one idea saved me tens of thousands and made the difference from a what could have been a very bad investment to a very successful investment.

I highly recommend this book for all serious real estate investors. Great book Dolf.

Without question, more people have created fortunes in Real Estate than in any other way. More than in the stock market. More than in MLM. More than by becoming a CEO for a Fortune 500 company and best of all, real estate is available to the masses.

They ain't makin anymore land and one constant is that people will always need a place to live. Real Estate is the greatest millionaire maker and no monthly sales quota's or sales volume requirements!

This great book by Dolf explains the why and some of the how. It is a great addition to your library. And the profits you will make will be a great addition to your wealth.

This is a good book to really inspire a new reader.
However, its tough to overlook the gross distortions that the author makes.

For example, he makes a huge argument to start the book off saying how you can't use leverage in the stock market. Well, most of the companies you invest in will use debt for you let alone trading on margin. Furthermore, he fails to realize that not all stocks have giant swings.

Thats just what he fails to mention. On top of that, some of the numbers he does use are needlessly exagerated. A 400 dollar paint job? Wake up Dolf, unless your hiring illegal immigrants I dont think thats going to raise property value much.

I think the author does make some good points... but his distortions make me extremely wary, if im investing in property i dont want the glitz and glamour I want to know the risks in order to make an informed decision.

I think that the reason for some of the 1 star reviews is that they expect this to be just like all of the other real estate books. They expect a huge tome covering everything that everybody else has already covered ad nauseum.

Dolf's book is different. First he compares real estate to the stock market and explains the difference. Then he discusses the tax benefits of real estate investing better than anyone else and then explains his own techniques.

Overall a great book. Not 5 stars, but worthy of 10 stars.

This was the first book I ever read on real estate, and at the time, I found the book to be very motivational and enjoyable to read. After having bought a couple of properties and read a few more books on real estate, I have come to re-evaluate the book. This book is only helpful if you are just starting out in real estate and want to obtain some VERY VERY general knowledge in the field. If you have ANY experience in real estate at all, don't bother reading this book. You won't learn anything new.

This book gives you no information regarding real estate what-so-ever. The author goes on and on about how wonderful Real Estate Is. We all know Real Estate is Great, but we also know that it takes money to make money. That is one thing that this author does not understand. We all know that your banker WILL NOT lend you money, unless you have money. This author makes money in book sales and seminar sales. He doesn't make money in real estate. Try buying a HOW-TO book, not a WHY-TO Book. NOT A GOOD READ.

Why did so many reviewers rate this book so poorly? The book succeeds in exactly what it was intended to do. It has sold a jillion copies to the gullible "investing" wannabes who wish to believe that they can make big bucks in real estate without money, credit, effort, or intelligence. Anyone who really wanted to find out what it takes to realistically buy, own, and manage property would have read Gary Eldred, John Reed, Leigh Robinson, or William Nickerson. So, why complain when Rich Dad hands you cotton candy? Should you have expected anything more?

I have been very involved in real estate for over the last year. I have read several books about the subject, go to a real estate investment club once a month, and bought a duplex two months ago. Learning how to invest WISELY in real estate takes time and is a constant learning process. There are many specifics you need to know about investing in real estate, and I do not think this book covers them. You definately cannot jump in head first by just reading this book. I do not think he wrote this book with the mindset of educating beginners, I feel like he wrote this book for himself to understand, not the general public. There are a few good tips in this book, but there are other books that will inform you much better about this subject matter and take you step by step through the investment process. Borrow this book, but don't buy it, it isn't worth the money.

I read the original Rich Dad, Poor Dad and had high hopes for this book. I was a little disappointed by it, though. Yes, it does have some good information but it seems to be more general principles rather than specific information that could be used. It felt to me like a pamphlet that had been padded out into a book. If you're an absolute beginner (like me) then it's probably worth it but I suspect more experienced property investors may find it too basic.

One other criticism I have is that at times the book came across like an advertising vehicle for some of Dolf de Roos' other books. More than once I was irritated to read something along the lines of "there are dozens of different ways of doing such-and-such, read my other book to find out what they are."

Having said all that the book does have some good information. Some of his principles will stick with me, such as: You make your profit when you buy, not when you sell; Buy from a motivated seller (who needs a sale) to get the best value; Seldom sell (to avoid taxes and transaction costs); You need to look at 100 houses to find the one bargain. The last principle particularly impressed me, Dolf is not claiming that this is a get rich quick scheme that allows money to fall into your lap without any work.

Overall, worth it for beginners but I suspect if you've read a few other property investment books this won't give you any new insights.

What I like aboout the Rcih Dad advisor series is that the books are written by people who are actually experienced and knowledgable about the topic they are writing on.

For example, in this book, we have the great Dolf deRoos who has made a small fortune investing in real estate. He has walked the talk and talks the walk. He has been there, done it and done it again.

If your goal is to become a sucessful real estate investor, then I highly recommend this great book by Dolf de Roos.

Fortunately for me, this was the first book I have read on Real Estate Investing, so the book's general overview on this subject was not as maddening to me as it seems to be to the more experienced investors who have reviewed this book. However, I whole-heartedly agree with them that there is a serious lack of detail to the process of getting started in real estate investing. Yes, some ideas of his are enlightening, but I could no more apply for an investment mortgage now than I could before reading this book. So my novice advice to you is that if you want to get enthused by Dolf de Roos' successes in New Zealand, than you'll enjoy this info-mercial. Otherwise, do like I am and continue your research for more comprehensive material. - mike

My biggest complaint with this book is that the author makes it sound so easy to make money from real estate investing. He says that he visits each of his properties about once a year. The successful real estate investors I know are constantly working on their properties. de Roos makes it seem like you can just pay a property manager to do all of the real work for you. If you do this, chances are you're going to have a vacant piece of real estate that is falling apart.
Another criticism is that de Roos' method of purchasing new properties is to constantly refinance as property values rise. This is all fine and dandy if prices do constantly rise, but in the real world of course they don't. de Roos talks about refinancing like it's magic, but really when you refinance all you're doing is taking out a loan backed by the increased value of your house. de Roos also ignores the dangers of being overly leveraged. He stresses that you should basically never sell properties, which is just not true. There are many reasons to sell a property (if the neighborhood is going downhill, for example). I could go on and on with similar criticisms.
The only real value in this book is motivation for the beginner (just like the other Rich Dad books). Even at that it is dangerous because it creates the impression that real estate investing is far easier than it really is.

I read the Rich Dad Poor Dad book in one evening and liked what I read so I wanted to get this CD. When I listened to this CD by Dolf de Roos I was amazed at two things: (1) Robert Kiyosaki isn't that verbally polished (he does the intro) and (2) this CD is interesting to start with but de Roos starts to wear on you after his endless rantings about investing in real estate vs. stocks. Regarding point 1 - if Kiyosaki really sounds like that and can get rich then it goes to show the common man can pull it off too. Don't let language or verbal skills hold up your plans on getting rich. On point 2 - de Roos is highly polished and it comes through very clearly but he sounds like a broken record as he looks at 1,000 angles on why real estate investments are wiser than stock investments. If you understand that already and want to know the how-to this CD isn't the place to find that out. In all, if you already know you want to invest in real estate then don't bother buying this CD since it is just a hype session on why you should do it. Your time is better spent looking for some real estate to invest in.

The first half of this book is an intellectually insulting description of why you should invest in real estate, chapter after chapter covering what could have been said in a few pages. The second half of the book is better, but spends too much time talking about investing in New Zealand. The book oversimplifies investing, without digging in deeper on issues like operating costs for duplexes versus apartments etc. The book advocates maximum leverage without covering risks like rising interest rates, unexpected costs etc. The only useful info I found was in the discussion of internal rate of return for comparing investments. Don't expect any guidance on what costs you will really incur operating a property.

This Is An Extremely Basic Book, By An Author, Which Seems To Me Was Very Well "Off" To Begin With. I Know From Experience That It Takes MONEY To Make MONEY. I've Been To Dolf's Seminars And To The Rich Dad Seminars, And I Know For A Fact That They Make Their Money From Selling Seminars, Books, Software, Games, Audio Recordings, Etc. They Charge Outrageous Prices For Information That Is Solely Motivational. I Have Many Other Real Estate Books, Which Contain a Great Deal More Pertinent Information On Real Estate. This Is Definitely A Tiresome and Mind-Numbing Read.

What a disappointment! The more I think about it, the more irritated I get that I actually shelled out money for this book! The author spent WAY too much time heralding the benefits of real estate investing and VERY little time on actual details. I very much enjoyed Rich Dad, Poor Dad, but Real Estate Riches was a HUGE disappointment! I didn't come away with any new ideas or techniques - I already knew that real estate investing can be lucrative and didn't need to spend ... to have that confirmed. If you must read this book, check it out from the library and save your money!

This is a motivational / inspriational book, and provides very little *actionable* advice.

If you are looking for information on "How to Become Rich Using Your Banker's Money" as the title indicates, you will be VERY disappointed.

I REALLYY don't understand the reviewers who have criticized this book. At one point in the book, the author states that most books that are written about real estate investing are right on point. I believe that illustrates the whole approach to the book.

It is clear, almost from the first page, that the book is concerned with proving that real estate investment is the REAL DEAL. The book succeeds in SPECTACULAR FASHION!! The author addresses the topic by first helping the reader redefine the returns from a real estate investment as compared to other investments (i.e stocks), reminding the reader of the tax and funding factors that are quite unique to (and favorable to) real estate investing. Like another reviewer stated, it is definitely not a HOW-TO book but a WHY-TO. It is very compelling however, and the author presents enough scenarios and real life examples to keep it kicking. I have been considering real estate investing for almost 3 years, but this book finally got me to take the plunge.

Another reviewer stated that he jumped into real estate investing AFTER reading the book, and has seen excellent growth. I am also embarking on the same journey and hope to GLOAT to the critics a few years from now.

As a relative neophyte, I have not been exposed to too many books on this subject but the criticisms in these reviews do not appear detailed, systematic or well thought out.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR ALL BEGINNERS. IT WILL HELP MAKE YOUR DECISION!!

This is another good book in the rich dad series, and it shares the empowering perspective that characterises that series.

This book doesn't pretend to contain all the details you need to do real estate deals, but more importantly, why you will be able to succeed at it if you persist.

The down points are that it seems a bit like a sales pitch for some of the author's products at times, and that it is hard for such a book to have all the relevant details for real estate transactions for all places.

Overall, if you are interested in what has been in the other rich dad books, or you just want to know about real estate, check it out.

Real estate is undoubtedly important for building wealth. Dr. De Roos suggests repeatedly in this volume that people can enjoy quite enhanced property values by making improvements that are not costly. This general way of thinking is important and very valuable. So, this book is one of very many mass market books that offer some introduction to generally correct ways of thinking regarding real estate. On the other hand, essentially all the critical pieces of practical implementation seem to be missing. In Dr. De Roos' market, it is possible to enjoy great increases of value by cheap construction of covered parking. That may not hold true in every market. It is so important to be able to assess your own particular market correctly. At the level of books intended for quite a general audience, I much prefer Diane Kennedy's book. For more clarity on "how to," the best book I've found is the ponderous volume by Michael Geltner and ? Miller on Commercial Real Estate. It isn't easy reading, really, but, then, a person doesn't expect to attain professional status trivially. Don't you agree?

Although I do not consider "Real Estate Riches" by Dolf de Roos the power-house book that Robert Kiyosaki's "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" and "Cashflow Quadrant" are, it is a great place for the real estate investment novice to start. This book (a part of the Rich Dad Advisor series) lays a sound foundation for why real estate is the best investment vehicle for a long-term investment strategy--as well as potential short-term financial gains--over other types of investing. It then covers the basic concepts and "how to" of getting started in your own real estate invenstments. I really enjoyed the stories from New Zealand and Australia, as they give it a nice international flavor and perspective. However, this book is only a starting point for the aspiring real estate investor, and you will need to absorb other books to gain a more full understanding before starting out on your own. I highly recommend Wade Cook's "Real Estate Money Machine", which details a strategy similar to the one Robert Kiyosaki describes in his books. Other books on financing, buying foreclosures, etc... are available through Amazon.com and will help to give you a well-rounded education in real estate investing. If you are not currently an investor, I would recommend reading Robert Kiyosaki's first two books ("Rich Dad, Poor Dad" and "Cashflow Quadrant") to get your thinking straight about money, investing and business in general. Then also read this book, Wade Cook's mentioned above, and perhaps one or two more specific to real estate--and you'll be prepared MENTALLY to get started AND be successful in real estate investing! Remember, it is your financial literacy or lack of it that will determine your success or failure in whatever investment vehicle you choose to pursue. "Real Estate Riches" is a great place to start, but like most books on real estate, not a complete "diet" on the subject.

I've read my share of real estate books, and so far this is among the weakest. While de Roos makes a very convincing, enthusiastic, and verbose argument for *why* one should invest in real estate, he glosses over the mechanics and the "how-to" part promised by the title.

I expected much better from someone recommended by Kiyosaki. I own the entire "Rich Dad" series but will think twice before buying anything else from the "Advisors" series.

Do you like buying properties? Fixing them up? Working with people? Can you go against everything that is "common sense" about property ownership? Then this book is for you and you will be extremely successful. One week after buying this book I refinanced my duplex so as to buy 2 additional properties which would bring in the equivalent of my current working salary. To be clearer, in one week I have doubled my salary but the second half of it is mostly tax-free. If you find nothing compelling in what I have just described then buy another book (perhaps something on the stock market?), but if you want to create a similar situation for yourself, then this book is invaluable. Dolf doesn't take you by the hand through this process, but he shows you how you must change your thinking so that you research and invest more successfully. For the nuts and bolts, there are many other books. For the formula that turns it all into gold, Dolf is your alchemist.

I have read several of Kiyosaki books, listened to his audio tapes and I always end up asking myself... WHERE'S THE BEEF. All of his materials are all fluff and no substance. While a part of me thinks he may be sincere in his attempt to educate, he would fail as a teacher. His lesson plans are lacking and leave the buyer struggling so that they buy more of his "meatless" products making him the only RICH DAD in America

I bought this book because I love the Rich Dad book series and found them motivating and enlightening. I expected this book to be of the same quality but it's nowhere close to it.
The major problems I have with this book are:
1. Very thin material and information on the subject at hand.
There is zero information on how investors can benefit from performing real estate transactions and property management. Dr. de Roos spent the entire book arguing about how profitable real estate investing can be with large leverage ratio. People who buy this book need no convincing. I buy this book already interested in property investing and wanting to know how to do it. There is no "how-to" information whatsoever explained here.

2. All arguments are common sense that a 6th grader can figure out. I don't learn anything new or informative.

3. The language tone of the book is not professional, constantly uses excessive words (very, extremely, lots of !! etc.) and exaggerates scenarios. Sounds more like a used car salesman than an experienced professional.

He is just milking Kiyosaki's success with another book of the Rich Dad's series. Kiyosaki had better be careful with garbage marketing bombardment. Quality control is not there.

Dolf talks about how real estate blows the doors off other investment vehicles because of the leverage available. The book is a bit basic and conceptual, but for those investors either just getting started in real estate or thinking about it, this book will give you the push needed. It explains how the returns can be explosive on the capital invested because of the use of leverage. It's true, understanding how the implications of leverage affect total return is very important, however I would have likes more real life examples. In my book, A 20,000% Gain in Real Estate, I go over in detail deal after deal to illustrate this point.

Another key concepts covered are: productivity, and how it is affecting middle America, oceanfront or seaside property, and how it appreciates 50% more than other areas and the time needed to look at 100 properties before finding a real deal. All these are must know for the real estate investors of tomorrow.

This book as well as the others in the Rich Dad series are great starting points. I read all that were available while building my real estate company which went from $0 to $25,000,000 in holdings in less than 5 years.


By Kevin Kingston, Author of, A 20,000% Gain in Real Estate

This book is written for novices trying to find out what real estate investing is like. It has no real advice nor practical tips on how to get into real estate. It is basically a story about the authors experiences in real estate. This book is very short, poorly written, and lacks informative material. To learn about real estate investing I strongly recommend "Investing in Real Estate" by McLean and Eldred. The McLean book is for beginning investors, but it is much more useful. You shouldn't waste your money on Real Estate Riches.

Hello Real Estate readers. If no one else will suggest a better book instead of Real Estate Riches, I WILL! The Weekend Millionaire's Secrets to Investing in Real Estate: How to Become Wealthy in Your Spare Time. This is a great book, written by a Real Estate Investor that actually makes his money in Real Estate not in $2000 Seminars and $500 Software. I believe in Real Estate Investment and have made a substantial amount of money doing it. The Weekend Millionaire's Secrets is a great book for beginners. All I can say is, that the PH.D in Dolf's name is in Engineering (Not in writing - and there's a good reason for this).

This Book is simply a means for you to go onto Dolf de Roos' website and buy more of his "products". Such as a $3000 Seminar or a $600 software that will "help you analyse property" (Simply a calculator). There is no substance in this book. I know it is a "why to book" not a "how to book". However, If I wanted to learn about properties in New Zealand, I would be living there. THANKS...But No Thanks. I donated this to my public library after reading it....It's definately not worth the money.

This was a complete waste of my money. I can't find anything positive to say, except that the author should be complimented for milking the "Rich Dad/Poor Dad" hype to his advantage. For me, this put the entire "Rich Dad Advisors Series" in question. Sadly, if I had spent even 2 minutes flipping through the book in the store, I could have saved my money. Absolutely worthless.

This book is for you. Dolf's matter-of-fact, easy style, shows any real-estate investor who is just starting out why Real Estate wins hands down against any other type of investment.

Even for the experienced investor -- Dolf has a few insights into how to put deals together that will maximize your cash flow and increase your chances of success.

A great, fun and entertaining read.

I sensed a peculiar vibe while reading De Roos' book. Especially when I read the chapter touting his software. I went to his websight and sure enough his software for tracking costs and analyzing property was very, very expensive. The book was entertaining but contained no step-by-step how to on anything. A lot of "I did this or that" (much of it in New Zealand!) but no real "here's how I did it." I found the same in his friend Kiyosaki's books. These books are mostly motivational and tend to make one think they can do the same. While I do believe it can be done they don't really sell ( I did buy the book) one any "secrets" or detail any methods. In my opinion what these books are meant to do is get one to their websight so they can sell you something else. Would that be "bait and switch?" Maybe not but could be something similar. Another one is "Multiple Streams OF Income by another author. He too, all through his book encourages his readers to go to "my websitht or call my office." They all tout thier integrity but all seem to be short on "meat" and long on "talk" If you want to read these books I suggest you go to the library and rent it or read it there.

This is a waste of time and money - I have been quite indiscriminate in my reading of real estate investment books, and this is by far the worst. Kiyosaki is obviously more interested in making money than in dispensing good, solid advice. Avoid this at all cost (unless it makes you happy to hear people tell you how easy it is to make money in real estate, supporting that statement with questionable arithmetic).

Great 1st book on real estate. On the 1st line of chapter 1, Dolf says this is NOT a "How-To" book, but more of a why-to book. Very easy to read.

I read widely and think even the worst books nearly always offer enough in tips or insights to justify the time. This weak book is no exception to my general rule. Nevertheless, you can gain far more knowledge about how to get started and how to best profit from real estate from Unofficial Guide, Investing in Real Estate, or Rental Homes for Profit. In fact, I can't think of any book on real estate that doesn't offer more in the way of specific how-to.

It all boils down to "looking at houses" - something that I have abhorred since childhood. (My parents used to drag me out on weekends to every "Parade Of Homes".)

Still, I thought "Yeah it's boring, but considering how much money there is to be made, how could I not do this?" I had made up my mind to pour myself into further research - until I read the best advice the book had to offer in the last paragraph. It said:

"We are going to be dead for a mighty long time. Every moment counts. Make the most of life. Decide what it is you want to do, and then go out there and do it. If you are not having fun, change something until you are. Decide what it is you are passionate about and the pursue it with vigor... Once today is over, it is gone for good."

Mom, Dad: Real estate is not for me -- but I have a lot of money that needs investing. If you are inclined to look at houses for a living, then buy this book and read it. Let me know when you've selected our first property.

Your son,
Tihan

Of the series of Rich Dad books, this was by far the least informative and motivating. I was greatly disappointed in the substance and depth of treatment devoted to analizing the real estate investment. In addition, the theme of cash flow which was so dominate in other Rich Dad books was not treated with any depth. Other areas of real estate investment were lightly addressed. Based on the information presented, I would be very tentative investing in real estate based upon the information presented.

This is the absolute best book in the series. After reading Rich Dad Poor Dad and playing cash flow a half dozen times I sold my 98 Ford Mustang cobra for 18000 and bought my first property. Then four more. I now have a passive income that exceeds my living expenses. Out of the Rat race. This book answered many of my current questions. Like if I should pay down the mortgages, should I sell at some point, and how and where do I find money for more.

This book is really very well written, I have read several real estate books, and this one is one of the easier reads. Unfortunately, I read the book hoping to get more tips and tactics, but instead I got a lot of why I should be buying real estate, which I already know and is why I bought the book. I've read several of the Rich Dad series books, and this one is very weak in terms of the technical information, as opposed to the other books, which I have generally found to be pretty good.

well basically this book i found was pretty interesting and loads of reviews that i have read has actually been to the "bad shape" of the book.But i strongly believe that to kow the how-to's,one has to understand the why-to's.Infact it is from the why-to's that loads of information can be achieved.It is not the basic why-to's that i am toking abt,for eg,property values tend to be very stable and stuff like that.These are basic why-to's.The more complex ones are the ones we should learn from for eg,how the real property price can be found out which i am sure most novices wouldn't know how to.So stop grumbling abt the "bad work" on the book and get real.

The book is o.k. for novices in the real estate field. Dolf de Roos tries rightly to convince you that RE is the best investment, if you are patient, to retire with peace in mind. De Roos has a Phd in mechanical engineering and has never worked for someone, thanks to his decision to work for himself in real estate and he has made a fortune. But I still recommend the book "The Buy and Hold Strategy" by Schumacher which I hope I had read when I was 25-30 years old. I read it when I was in my mid-forties and the book helped me so much to achieve my goals for a secure retirement. I am retiring at 55, fully financially secure thanks to Schumacher's book.

This is my first review of anything so please bear with me. I own 12 dbles, a condo (which I'm selling)--I also have a partner and we have a triplex and a big old house we're converting to a dble. I'm telling you this is establish myself. I expect to have a net worth topping a million within 3 years. I read this book over the weekend. After getting by some of the 'strange' things (like painting the roof--I guess this is big in Europe) I felt that this was a ok book. The biggest thing I took exception to was buying property in several different countries. I prefer that my property be within 100 miles or so. And I don't agree with using a management compay--I've had too many problems with that in the past.

But this book was ONLY ok. It left out too many needed facts - like how to find a good partner. My biggest 'gripe' is it was light on the how to invest in other countries. I felt if the author was going to 'push' owing property in mulitple areas then there should have been alot more detail about the laws, etc that would be needed to do so.

The book was not very helpful. I expected more specific information. Author did not touch specifics to American realestate investors investing in America. Many other better books out there. I would not even want to sell mine used to a beginner.

Unfortunately, I am still only reading about Real Estate investing. I am trapped right now in weighing the risk of getting started with "paying the bills". I have read many books on Real Estate investing. This book did let me down a bit since I expected more information/advice on the "how to" of investing. But, this book was about mostly on the "why" and how you should be thinking when you get started. In that regard, I highly recommend this book. The ideas he covers gives a great foundation on what you really need to know to be a success when you actually do get started investing in Real Estate. To me, reading this book gave me a much better idea of putting a plan together to get started. It didn't tell me how really, but gave me many things to think about and learn so when the time comes to put down a step-by-step plan together, I should be more prepared. Plus, my plan, I feel, will have a much better chance of success after I do the research that I now see I need to do.

I HAVE GAINED VALUABLE INFORMATION FROM RK'S BOOKS.RICH DAD POOR DAD AND CASHFLOW QUADRANT HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE AND THE WAY I THINK. THIS BOOK HOWEVER, WAS A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. IT IS A QUICK, EASY, AND ENJOYABLE READ, BUT I DID NOT PURCHASE IT TO BE ENTERTAINED. IT IS SORELY LACKING IN ANY DETAILS . IT FELT LIKE THE MIDDLE OF THE BOOK FELL OUT BECAUSE I GOT TO THE END AND THERE WERE NO DETAILS ON THE HOW TO. LIKE THE REVIEWERS BEFORE THAT PANNED IT-WHERE ARE THE CHARTS AND MATH TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR DECISIONS? I OWN A FEW RENTAL PROPERTIES, AND I WAS LOOKING TO DO THIS FOR A LIVING- BY DOING IT SMARTER. I DON'T RECOMMEND THIS INFOMERCIAL BOOK. A BOOK I JUST FINISHED THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL IS "SECRETS OF A MILLIONAIRE LANDLORD" BY R. SHEMIN THIS BOOK GAVE ME SOME NUTS AND BOLTS THAT I AM LOOKING FOR .

I really enjoyed "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" and thought this book, by Dolf De Roos, would be along the same lines. WRONG! If you are looking for a how-to, you are looking in the wrong place. The author vaguely covers the different sections of investing in realestate, let alone the steps and process to it. However, Mr. De Roos does go into great detail of how he made lots, and lots of money investing in realestate himself. Bravo for him...boo for his book.

This book is disappointing. It does little other than present some basic ideas which anyone the least-bit familiar with real estate investing should already know. Some chapters, such as the one on mortgage financing (which is extremely important), contain so little information, one wonders as to why they are even in the book. But this is Kiyosaki's stuff, and that's essentially what you get -- one or two ideas fluffed out into a whole book.

This book primarily discusses stock market investing versus real estate investing, but without any serious numbers. While I'm no quant jock, I do want to see something other than assertions without thorough analysis. This book also lacks any useful guide to analyzing properties, neighborhoods, or rates of returns. Overall, I can't see why anyone would buy this book with so many better ones available (e.g., Investing in Real Estate, Buy It, Fix IT, Sell It, and Nickerson's now dated, but still helpful, $1000 into a Million in my Spare Time).

Having bought many books on real estate, what a refreshing change it was to read written by an actual real estate investor or should I say a successful real estate investor.

Dolf writes in an easy to read style and he writes like he knows what he is talking about, because he does.

Most real estate books merely spit out the same information over and over. This one is different.

I also purchased Dolf's audio tape program from Nightengale-Conant and found it to be the finest real estate system that I have ever seen.

Dolf knows his stuff. Highly recommended.

Read this book first if you've ever thought about getting involved in Real Estate Investment. This will give you a foundation of thinking. It is NOT a "How-To" book by any stretch of the imagination. But it will get you started in the right direction. Shortly after reading this I met Dolf de Roos at a seminar. Granted he makes most of his current wealth off the speaking circuit, but if you listen (or read) and pay attention, you'll learn. It's a quick read, and worth the time and money.

I read this book in one sitting, and took notes on important ideas. Unfortunately, the notes filled only one page, double spaced.

Robert sells the idea that leverage improves your investment returns and that leverage, with proper risk control, is the key to becomming wealthy. His main point: banks won't lend you money to buy stocks or bonds, but they will lend you money (9 to 1 ratio) to buy real estate.

Dolf offers mostly motivation and very little on how to gain riches in real estate. Most of his information is based on experiences in New Zealand. He uses this book to sell his course. I am sure he is a smart fellow with good information, he just does not offer much in this book. He barely scratches the surface. There are better books in real estate investing than this one.

Instead of buying this book, borrow it from a library or sit down in a bookstore's coffee shop and read it. It will only take you an hour and you will be glad you kept your money in your wallet.

This book is a testament to a time honoured investment strategy viz. real estate. By way of proof: the stock crash of 2001-02 barely even dented the real estate market. In most North American cities, the real estate market was HOT in 2002, while the stock market went from bad to terrible. (My wife & I lost over 20% in our stock protfolio, while our real estate value GREW 25%). This book and others have pointed out that while no bank advertises to finance stock/jewelery/antique purchases, they are all fighting to finance real estate purchases. Why? Because real estate is "real", tangile and always in demand....and hence a great investment.

The ideas in this book are not for lazy people, who'd rather buy mutual funds and then hope for a miracle. Its for people who want to work hard to build financial independence. Does it work? Think about it. Nothing "works" on it own, not even your car or your marriage, so why should this? However, like your car and/or marriage it will work if you make it work. Bottom line: Buying a [$$$] book will not make you a multi-millionaire, but using its time-honoured wisdom coupled with hard work, surely will.

The reviewer below, Colin Higgins (March 25, 2002) seems to know as little about real estate investing as he does about spelling. He needs to read Eldred's Value Investing in Real Estate. Because Higgins has fallen into the fatal (but common) trap of equating real estate returns with rates of appreciation. On one point, though, Higgins is right. You should never buy property just because you see prices going up. But that's what "Valuing Investing" adresses: How to select properties that will yield extraordinary returns. And that's why I only give "Real Estate Riches" three stars. The authors simply fail to give readers enough details to evaluate and select their properties. So, read it to get a general picture, but make sure you read more substantive books ( not the get rich quick type) before you take the plunge. Real estate is your most certain way to wealth--when you choose your investments wisely and don't merely run with the herd.

I found this book to be helpful. I have 3 rental properties and am looking into getting more. De Roos' book helps you understand the factors that make for a better rate of return on your real estate investments. I've read a lot of real estate books, this one is pragmatic. I am now considering investing in commercial property. This book addresses going from residential to commercial real estate. DeRoos is a little too bold though when it comes to over-leveraging property. But it's good to see his perspective on mortgages, etc.

The book has some basic good reasons to invest in real estate rather than the stk mkt. But this guy is an Aussie that knows NOTHING about US tax law, especially when it comes to depreciation. I found the book very lacking.

Kawasaki is a mkting con man anyway.

This book can give you incredible insight on what the real estate industry is all about, through the eyes of Dolf De Roos. A very indepth book about real estate that may come off confusing at first, but will all fall in place at the end...or conclusion of the book.

A must buy and a must read!

This book was a complete waste of money. Upon finishing the book (easily accomplished in under an hour), I quickly realized that it contained nothing more than pointless verbal cheerleading.

I can't quite understand the number of reviewers criticising this book - unless they are saying they are incapable of reading between the lines.
The examples in this book are SOMEWHAT glorified without appropriate qualifying statements, however at no stage does the author present them as anything other than what is POSSIBLE. The examples are in fact normally based on his best deals (and I assure the sceptics that they are really not particularly inprobable given his experience and number of properties traded).
Those complaining that the book is not enough "HOW TO" obviously didn't read the first couple of pages where he specifically states it is not intended as such as there are plenty of other books on the subject.

So what's in it for you?

Well, it is a great starting point to get your thinking going without having to absorb masses of new information.
It is inspiring without being motivational in nature.
And to someone who has not understood real estate or investments in general before it could in fact be a real eye-opener and change your thinking forever.

This is not an exceptional book but I think it was worth the Aus$20 I paid for it.

However Australian readers should definately check out 2 other books I have discovered as more in the 4 or 5 star category:

1 Wealth Magic by Peter Spann - Some amazing wealth secrets/ideas in the guise of a local success story. Read this for a conceptual understanding of wealth and success.

2 Investing in Residential Property by Peter Waxman - academic treatment of the subject and a veritable tome at 500 pages. Read this for the specifics of the property market from every angle you can think of plus detailed analysi (sp?) of Australian demographics.

p.s. I wonder how many of the critics are as successful themselves as the author?

House prices only go up, so it's ok to buy houses with
10% down and let the tenants pay for your mortgage.
If this sounds like a business plan to you i suggest
you recalibrate your calculator. Before anybody starts implememting the ideas in this book, I strongly recommend to stop by at REI and buy a tent, so they have a place to stay after the next correction in the housing market.

Dr. de Roos' book has (admittedly) increased my interest in real estate investing, and I look forward to learning more about this subject. However, as others have pointed out, the author spends a lot of time "preaching to the choir" by spending half the book explaining why real estate investing is safer and more lucrative than stock market investing.

I didn't learn as much as I would have liked. But it has inspired me to learn more from other sources.

I was disappointed with this book. I am a big fan of RK and his ideas, but this book seemed to be a way for RK to cash in on his populartiy and make some fast $$ for himself and his friend. There is no detailed plan for following through on the ideas the author proposes, so it's basically a primer for entry-level investors to give them ideas, but no nuts-and-bolts discussion on how to accomplish anything. I wouldn't recomment this book to anyone unless they were thinking of getting into real estate investing and had no idea where to begin.

I am a strong advocate of the entire "Rich Dad" Series, but was surprised in the limitation of scope of this book. It offered an introduction to the world of real estate investment, but didn't quite offer all of the "how-to" information that one has become accustomed to with other Rich Dad books.

For example, Dolf speaks a lot about buying commmercial real estate and how running them is easier than renting residential real estate. He only spends a few pages really delving into this topic when it could greatly shape how one invests in real estate. Commercial real estate has its pros and cons, but this book seems to lean towards exposing people to mostly commmercial real estate when that's not always within their best interests.

Furthermore, this book tells a lot of stories. If you like stories about how people get rich in real estate, read this book. It's a fast read and fairly small, so there shouldn't be a problem reading it in a weekend or less. However, don't turn to it if you're looking for an in-depth plan on investing in real estate. It is lacking in the "how to" department.

One final note, I have made lots of money by investing in real estate, both commercial and residential. I feel this is a good book to get one started in the world of real estate investing, and I hope everyone in the world does it. Just make sure you read other books as well to give yourself a broader understanding of the complexities of investing.

I think the other reviewer's have said all that needs to be said about this book, there's just not enough meat. Robert's first 3 books were great and it made him very rich as well. It's not surprising that more "Rich Dad" books are being published since they have been very successful. Books like this one was published just to make money, not to educate anyone. All they did was include a bunch of balony information and stuck the "Rich Dad" label on it. Not very reliable.

The author does injustice to the Rich Dad series. The book's title is horribly misleading. The book lacks substance, and is only a motivational book that "touches" on why someone should get into real estate. Even if you have the smallest amount of knowledge on how to invest in real estate, do not purchase this book; you can find many other books with greater information.

The author tries to upsell his other material in the book "for further reading" and fails to disclose any useful information about real estate in this book. I speak very highly of the Rich Dad series, and this one does not belong in it; very disappointing.

I have recently become a real estate agent in Iowa and bought this book today. Whether you want to invest or like me wanted an insight into the mind of my customers, this book has to be read. It is the first book in my life that I have read cover to cover, only stopping to make one cup of coffee. Apart from the great tips it gives, this book is written like an autobiography. It was a pleasure to read and easily followed. I think the author, Dr Dolf De Roos is a literary genius!

This was a good basic introduction on WHY real esate is a good investment...I don't personally think it should be 100% of a person's portfolio, so the reader needs to be very careful and not get carried away into thinking 'real esate is where it's at'! Just like the stock market, RE experiences cycles too.

Having said that, this book was very educational in terms of getting me to think outside the box. I wish we had this book prior to selling our first home that we bought. Our mortgage would've been low (less than $1k) in So. CA(!) and I'm sure we would've been able to rent it out for double that! Had I read this book, we would've either rented it out...or fire the sleazy realtor that ripped us off! We learned from that mistake and by reading these types of books...hopefully we'll make better decisions in the future. For this education alone, I'd recommend you read this, take it w/ a grain of salt (in terms of striking it rich ONLY in RE) and use this info. to make the best decision for your situation.

Please do not get carried away by the poor ratings left by reviewers who did not take their time to understand the wealth of information in this book.

This book indeed lacks the hands-on techniques of real estate investing; Dolf de Roos made it clear himself that Real Estate Riches will NOT be another "How-To" book. This book addresses the other very important issue, "Why" invest in real estate.

Dolf de Roos in his book discusses extensively the reasons real estate is one of the lucrative investments around. Most of the information may seem to be common sense to expert RE Investors, but they are inspiring and motivating for new and to-be RE investors. That being said, I could pick out more than a few refreshing concepts from the book. The 100:3:1 rule, reaping profits from your property without ever selling, beating the averages are just some examples.

This book is NOT the end of your REI education. On the contrary, it motivates you to continue you to learn, self-educate on the subject, and most important of all, go out and invest! From this perspective, the book serves its purpose impeccably well.

So, it is my first time that I read English written book from cover to cover. This is what I don't make often even in my own language. It is very good start for becoming idea of real estate investing.

This book is comparable to the Dummy's books. It really doesn't offer any real estate advice that any other book couldn't have given. It was relitively boring.

Dolf De Roos markets the concept of Real estate well but unfortunately has little more to offer the reader. He shares simple ideas using examples from New Zealand..(one of very few countries not to have capital gains tax on properties)which are interesting but may seem impractical. There are other books by De Roos on Real Estate investing which are more informative and a lot more hands on than this one. The book is still worth a read;just don't expect to retire young or retire rich from the information.

This was a great book for someone needing that little extra push to get into real estate. If you are a veteran investor or even someone who has been in real estate for a little while, you probably won't get anything from this book. I personally got a lot from this book in different areas. Once you get through much of the soft information, you will get to the some good information. I must admit, it doesn't even come close to Rich Dad Poor Dad, but it's an easy read. Again, if you are a beginner, read this.

Coming with no experience and only a strong interest in learning about Real Estate investing, I found this book incredibly helpful. It is written in a survey style giving the reader a general overview of why real estate is such a smart investment, how to acquire property and other aspects in the game. The book is well written and easy to get into. You finish wanting to read more in-depth books and go out and see some properties. I would recommend this to anyone with no to little experience but if you've been in real estate before you might find one of his other books more helpful .

This is a decent book if you're starting out. Dolf makes it sound easy but why wouldn't he? It's easy for him because he's practiced and gotten good at it. If you don't know how to program in Java, it would be hard, woudln't it? If you learn and practice, it'll get easier.

The book isn't a "how to" book nor can it be. Pick a subject like computers, pretty complex and experienced-based, could you write one book and everyone would just "get it." Of course not.

There are lots of things to watch out in real estate investing, as with anything in life. Read this book, get some new ideas, educate yourself more, start shopping around. Find a mentor who is successful in real estate investing (an uncle with one property isn't an expert so find someone else) and start learning by doing.

So many reviewers criticize books like this because they sound like "get rich quick" but in reality they aren't about getting rich quick. It makes me think people are frustrated that it _does_ take time. Did Bill Gates make his $54B in one year? No.

Another reviewer mentioned that properties don't always appreciate. Not _every_ property does but that's why you do your homework first. Look at comparable properties in the area - look at city/town improvement projects - etc. Look at the numbers for yourself - the U.S. real estate market has increased every year.

I really enjoyed reading this book, for the main reason that it made some light bulbs turn on in my head. I thought that it would have been better if it had been more balanced, but overall I thought it was well worth the time and money.

My background is as a quant researcher in the equities business, where people live and die if they can or can not beat the S&P by a couple percent a year. This book turned me on to the uses of 1) leverage and 2) tax strategies. Together, these will allow you to do _much_ better in real estate than the S&P.

I thought de Roos came off as a bit of a cheerleader, and thought the book would have been better if he put in some caution to be thoughtful and diligent. Perhaps a story or two of deals gone bad, rather than lots of tales of snatching properties for 10-50% of market value, would have made the book more balanced, and thus more credible.

Overall though, I've become really excited since reading this book. I will obviously have to go buy other books to get more details, and I will have to learn by doing. But I have now received the required ZING! to get me to really think about real estate.

As stated in other reviews, this is not a how-to book. My take is the author wants one to look at real estate as a serious investment. The problem I have with the book is that it can be accomplished in 30 pages. There is a lot of fluff.

Robert Kiyosaki wrote the outstanding book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad", and I applaud him for it. This book can help make a major transformation in one's view of money and their life. - - - Unfortunately there seems little more to add. In the desire to cash in on the success of Rich Dad, there have been numerous books slapped together under the same marketing umbrella and these are lacking in thought or originality. (The exact same material and diagrams seem to make their way into the various books.) Here is another lightweight example. - - Some may say that you have to "read between the lines" to get the "deeper meaning" of this book. Well, it has also been said that one can find "deep meaning" in reading just about anything, - - including the phone book if one really wants to do so. - - - The best lesson from this book and the others sold after Rich Dad is that when you come up with something hot - - - you better jump on it and ride it for all its worth ("ride your winners"). This book is directed toward the naive amateurs who hope for quick & easy answers, and lack the knowledge/experience necessary to judge what is fluff and what is substantial. These will all find their way in the used book stores in a few years. - - -

I have read several books on real estate investing. The examples in this book are wrong at best. All examples on rental income do not account for property taxes, maintenance expenses and property managers fee (if applicable). So all those examples where cash-on-cash is more than 100%+ are wrong !!!

But real estate is great, you can great returns, generally more than 15%. So, keep your interest in real estate investing but look for realistic examples somewhere else.

Like most of Kiyosaki books, it gets you thinking and believing in real estate. You have to think it before you can act on it. You have to believe it before you can act on it without being afraid. This book gets you thinking. There are a few math formulas that I found helpful. But mostly it left me longing for property in New Zealand.

There is some really great info on this audio CD, but couldn't they find someone with a voice that wasn't incredibly annoying. I mean, Robert Kiyosaki's voice would have been a hundred times better. That being said, if you can stand the voice the info is good. I highly recommend a book version instead since Dolf will drive you insane. Sorry Dolf, nothing personal.

I picked this book up expecting nothing. I came away from it with a tremendous amount of excitement. I'm afraid that I still have yet to figure out how to put it all together and make it work, though. For my money, this was one of the best books I've ever read. It made me very excited for my new investment opportunities. I have not put any of these ideas into action yet but I am really excited about the time when I will be.

Since this book is in the Rich Dad series, you have to expect that it's going to recommend that you buy assets that produce income. This book has some really good concepts about investing in income producing Real Estate. But it's really light on details, and I suggest that you keep you HP 10B calculator handy, because some of the mortgage payments he talks about in the book only seem to work out if the payment is interest-only. A good companion book to this one would be the book by Robert Shemin, "Secrets of a Miliionaire Real Estate Investor". Overall it's a good read, I give it 3 stars.

I reviewed this book earlier, and now just want to add this comment: If you really want a thorough comparison of stocks to real estate, you must read Eldred's Value Investing in Real Estate. Eldred succeeds with specifics of why and how. In stark contrast, Real Estate Riches merely throws out glib generalities.

I have recently bought a house and if I have ever read this book earlier I would have bought more.

It has explainations on how to look at loan with optimism which alot of financial books didn't.

A great book for people who are about to own a house or currently servicing a loan.

mike

This book is definitely a must have for those who want to learn the world of real estate investing. I found it extremely helpful and very easy reading. I found it very inspiring and will definitely go back to it again and again for advice.

Expert real estate investor Dolf de Roos presents Real Estate Riches: How To Become Rich Using Your Banker's Money, a straightforward introduction to reaping the rewards of real estate investment. From taking advantage of favorable parts of the tax code, to creating passive income with one's banker's money, to how to increase one's property values without excessive expense, and much more, Real Estate Riches is an excellent primer for putting money and land to work for one. Tips, tricks, techniques, and advice such as tha 100:10:3:1 rule (if you look at 100 properties, put offers on 10, and try to arrange financing for 3, you may end up buying 1 - good deals are not just there for picking!) tell the business like it is. Real estate investment requires hard work and intelligence like any other business prospect, yet when properly done, the rewards can be tremendous; Real Estate Riches shows just what to do and how.

My wife bought the book for me as a Christmas gift in 2002. Wow! This is by far the best book I've read on how to build wealth using real estate. Dolf clearly explains how buying property is one of the most common wealth building tools used by the rich and famous. Quick question. Do ya think Donald Trump makes billions of dollars working for someone else? No! It's from owning real estate. Lot's of real estate that has appreciated over time. On a personal note, because of this book, real estate has started to provide me a with a steady monthly pay check for the rest of my life. In today's world, no JOB can offer that.

In the spring of 2003 I refinanced an existing property for over $37,500 and reinvested it into two multi family homes. I never thought of my equity as tax free investment capital. Each home has a positive cash flow of over six hundred dollars per month. After property management fees, I net over nine hundred dollars per month. I plan on buying twenty eight more properties within the next ten years using what I learned from this book. My goal is to earn over $25,000 per month in positive cash flow from my business. As Dolf points out, owing properties should be treated as a business if you want to succeed. To my ears, that's good sound advice.

My only criticism of Real Estate Riches is that Mr. De Roos spends the first third of the book trying to convince the reader that real estate is the BEST investment of All Time.
Personally, I still enjoy selling call options on stocks and profiting handsomely in an up or down stock market. I will say that adding real estate to my over all investment portfolio is one of the best things I have ever done.

If you enjoy living pay check to pay check DON'T order this book. However, if you're seriously looking for a way to make a better life for yourself and your family, this book is a must have!

This book has given me the inspiration to continue what I am doing. I know I am on the right path. I have not found a miracularous deal but I do believe that a coat of paint or new floor coverings does add value to a property. I also agree with the buy, hold and never sell principle...

This book confirms that real estate is a better investment than other asset classes. That is the intent of the Book. Who wants to read a How to Book? Do it yourself and learn on the job. Its not that hard. That $10k is worth a hell of a lot more now than if I put that $10k in shares or managed funds some 7 yrs ago.

This book has absolutely changed my life... It gave me the tools and resources that has allowed me to be FINANCIAL FREE!

Thank you so much Dolf de Roos!

Samantha :)

This book had a lot of useful information on the many different aspects of real estate investing, both residential and commercial. On top of that it was fun to read. I had a hard time putting it down. It has many exciting examples of deals he has made in the past.

I read this back in 2003, when I was beginning my real estate investing business. I've read many books on real estate since then. This was a very good book on the basics. I recommend it for beginners who are building a foundational knowledge of investing in real estate. It isn't for the more more advanced investor, however. So as long as you keep that in mind if purchasing this then you should be good to go.

All the best.

Very good book. Excellent tips. Easy read but comprehensive. Enjoyed every page of it and learnt so much. Misleading title though. Couldn't put it down.

I have not completely read this book as of yet.... however it looks like I will find some interesting help

I believe that out of the entire Rich Dad collection, this is the very best book in the series. Why? Because it is the one that will show you how to make the most money.

Not a big book. I'm sure Dolf could have written a much larger book and make it like other R.E. books out there. But then Real Estate Riches would have been just like every other book and lost it's uniqueness.

Why repeat what others have done. Dolf provides his insider secrets based on what really works from a real estate investor standpoint. This is not some quickly put together book by some desperate self publisher who has never been in the business but only writes about it ala Peter H.

Dolf is a R.E. investor. He talks the walk and walks the talk. His wisdom is based on actual experience, not plagerized material from another author or book.

I highly recommend Real Estate Riches as an outstanding book to get you on the path to financial freedom.

I thought it was a good book. but it has very little to do with its subtitle: Using your banker's money... He talks about that for maybe 2-4 pages. After that is mostly stories you can learn from but with very little advise (which is what I look for when I buy a book).

It's mostly good ideas and examples of what he did, but he never explains in depth and you get no hints. You can tell that he definately knows his stuff, but it's almost as if he is trying to hold back on you. You'll get pumped up on R E but you may need other books for how-to insights.

This book does go into a deep explaination of how to use your banker's money to become rich. It is after all how many people become millionaires: through real estate investing. It does not go into a lot of details on creative fianancing. If you are looking for something like that, I suggest Peter Conti and David Finkel's books. Mr DeRoos gives some great tips on how to improve your properties value. One such great example is if the structure does not have a garage to build one. Doing so can improve the property values by thousands of dollars. This is a great book for the beginning invester to read. Something to keep in mind when reading it is that it was also written for the down under market as well as the US and as such does not always use language an American is used to reading.

I think this book is a really great introductory book on Real Estate investing. I highly suggest this to anybody. It points out why real estate is such a strong contender among investment vehicles, emphasizing the theory of leverage.

I've read some of the rich dad series and this book is the most pragmatic of all... it tells u the steps and advantages, instead of 'just an idea' like most of kiyosaki's books. it's also perfect for beginners and make investing in RE less intimidating in a sense...

it's easy to read. but a summary of the book would probably fetch 2 pages. the writer tells us it's all very simple, which is probably true. but as with anything that is simple, you should be able to write that on 1 page.

There must be better books out there.

This book is simply amazing!!! I am just starting to invest in Real Estate and I found the information in this book to be extremely helpful, especially the part on financing and taxes. Regardless the state of the economy, Real Estate is the best way to invest and this book can get you started on the right foot.

Informative, with lots of good real life examples. Very context expanding.

Other reviews here have summed up this book well in the fact that it is an incredibly vague motivational type of book more than it teaches you how to invest in real estate at all.

It seems that all "Rich Dad" books are vague and such, but at least Rich Dad/Poor Dad gave a different philosophy of how to think about money and such. This book gives nothing more than a sales pitch about how wonderful real estate is and then tries to sell you his other products.

I personally have had very bad luck with these types of authors that try to sell the grass that's always greener on the other side. You buy their other books and it just routes you to a home study course which routes you to the seminars which routes you to the personal coaching lectures, etc.

Of all the books in the Rich Dad series, this is the weakest. While I had enjoyed mostof RK's books, & found them enlightening, this book in the "advisor series" is long on why to's and very short on how to's. It is, at best, suitable for someone who doesn't understand the benefits of investing in real estate. For the most part, it does a good job of explaining why real estate is an attractive investment vehicle for wealth building in comparison to other more traditional investments. But it doesn't go nearly far enough if you've made the decision to move forward.

Given that it is a book on real estate, one would expect that there would be a section (maybe worksheets) that goes through all the calculations & analysis you should run through in the evaluation stage of screening properties. Assumedly, you're supposed to buy the $300 software package to do this.

Throughout the book, the author insists that banks are happy to hand over money. However, to get further details on how to obtain such easy financing, you need to buy another of his books, "Mortgage Magic". As an experienced property investor myself, I think he's glossed over many obstacles that will cause problems for a potential investor, seasoned or otherwise.

Given that both the financial analysis of deals and their financing are critical aspects of any real estate investment, I find that the exclusion of these two topics renders the book almost useless unless you're just looking for a property primer to excite you to learn more. Assumedly, to get a more complete picture, you'll have to lay out the bucks to buy the other products. Thus, the book, in my view is more of a marketing brochure typical of your more savy corner real estate brokers than a book for those serious enough to follow through.