But I promise I won't be posting anything that's a waste of your time.
ON-LINE RESOURCES
U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, Residential Rehabilitation Inspection Guide
http://huduser.org/portal/publications/rehabinspect.pdf -- You can gripe about the way the government wastes money, but this 162 page publication is amazingly good. And it's FREE! It is a really, really good resource for learning to judge the work required to renovate a property.
BOOKS
De Cristophoro's Housebuilding Illustrated, R. J. De Cristophoro (1991) -- Another oldie but goodie. I read this book cover to cover, which is disturbing because it's packed front to back with very technical descriptions and astoundingly clear drawings of every phase of housebuilding. When I was rehabbing, I referred to it over and over and over again. Dunno why it's out of print, but get a copy for your library if you're serious in this business. Worth its weight in gold.
How I Turned $1,000 into a Million in Real Estate in My Spare Time, William E. Nickerson (1959) -- Be careful. You want to find an original copy. It's going to be used, and it will be old. The originals have an orange hardback cover and a paper dust jacket. Don't waste your money on the cheesy reprint that Amazon sells as new. Find an old copy, or rent it from the library.
The Millionaire Next Door, Thomas J. Stanley (2010) -- This is based on a famous study of how millionaires made their money. And it reveals some very surprising facts. Most millionaires made their own money, instead of inheriting it. And they don't live like rockstars or major league athletes. The guy living next door and driving his beat up pickup to work each day might be one of those millionaires. This thought-provoking book will probably open your eyes.
Wiring a House, Rex Cauldwell (5th Edition 2014) -- Let's face it. Most of you shouldn't be messing around with wiring. And yet, you'll do it anyway. In most jurisdictions, working on wiring requires pulling a permit and hiring a licensed electrician - for good reason. But, you and I know that you're going to try to do it yourself. So, you might as well learn the right way to do it. That's where this book is worth its weight in gold. Highly recommended. Even if you hire the work done, this book will help you separate truth from B.S. when dealing with this particular trade.
Plumbing a House, Peter Hemp (1994) -- Read the above. You shouldn't do it. You're gonna do it anyway. Yadda, yadda. This is a great book to give you the basics. HINT -- learn about drains and vent systems - really important stuff if you don't want your renovated house to go BOOM!
Inspecting A House, Rex Cauldwell (2001) -- This book (written by the author of Wiring A House, above) is a good introduction to inspecting houses, and is loaded with excellent full color photos. It will teach you how to look for many kinds of problems, inside and out. It won't teach you how to estimate the cost to fix those problems. But the quality of the information and photos is excellent - well worth the cost of the book.
Landlording, Leigh Robinson - The cover says it all. 302,000 copies sold, "One of the ten best real estate books," Bob Bruss, Chicago Tribune Syndicate. The bible of private investors and landlords everywhere. Also on the cover is the subtitle, "A Handymanual for Scrupulous Landlords and Landladies Who Do It Themselves." If you're going to rent out your real estate, this is probably the single best investments you can make. Most of the forms that I used in managing my rental properties were copied from, or based on, the forms in this book. First published in 1975, this book has continued to be a best-seller for owner-landlords. At 494 pages, this is a very complete and information-packed book.
Inspecting A House, Rex Cauldwell (2001) -- This book (written by the author of Wiring A House, above) is a good introduction to inspecting houses, and is loaded with excellent full color photos. It will teach you how to look for many kinds of problems, inside and out. It won't teach you how to estimate the cost to fix those problems. But the quality of the information and photos is excellent - well worth the cost of the book.
Landlording, Leigh Robinson - The cover says it all. 302,000 copies sold, "One of the ten best real estate books," Bob Bruss, Chicago Tribune Syndicate. The bible of private investors and landlords everywhere. Also on the cover is the subtitle, "A Handymanual for Scrupulous Landlords and Landladies Who Do It Themselves." If you're going to rent out your real estate, this is probably the single best investments you can make. Most of the forms that I used in managing my rental properties were copied from, or based on, the forms in this book. First published in 1975, this book has continued to be a best-seller for owner-landlords. At 494 pages, this is a very complete and information-packed book.
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