Rating: 
Summary: Solid
Review: Beyond the beginners books. If you dont want to fool around with rental houses are looking beyond, to getting into more commercial projects, read this one.Covers the numbers (which is the only way these types of properties are evaluated,) how to create value, locating properties, due diligence and negotiating, financing and when and how to sell. The market is flooded with marginal tomes on flipping single family houses, buying rental houses, no money down deals, ad nauseum. This is a breath of fresh air.
Rating: 
Summary: Informative and Inspiring
Review: I found Steve Berges' book "The Complete Guide to Buying and Selling Apartment Buildings" to be truly inspiring. The author not only explains step by step how to buy and sell real estate, but he also includes many personal examples of how he did it. I especially liked the section on case studies where Berges walks the reader through three real life examples of analyzing apartment purchases decisions. He also includes a fantastic section on real estate financial analysis, which according to his author bio is what his formal education is in. The last chapter in the book was I think also the best chapter as Berges shares personal stories and uses vivid and descriptive language to motivate and inspire the reader. I just finished reading his latest book "The Complete Guide to Flipping Properties." It, too, is also well written and full of personal and inspiring stories. This book is a must read for the serious real estate investor. The get-rich-quick people, however, will want to pass on it as the author promises no such thing.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book, but there's always room for improvement
Review: I have been wanting to venture from investing in single family homes to investing in multi-family for several months. This is the first book that has made the process of buying & selling apartments easy to understand. This book is excellent, easy to read, and very informative. Some books are so complicated, you have to read a sentence over and over again to try and comprehend it. Other books are so basic, you read through the whole chapter and feel you haven't learned anything. Steve Berges makes learning a pleasure, with good examples, and step-by-step processes. Best book I've read in quite a while!
Rating:
Summary: 5 Stars for Berges' 5 Keys to Success
Review: Out of all of the real estate books I've read over the years, this is by far one of the better ones. The author stays focused on the topic of buying and selling apartments and does it in a way that is easy to understand. Let me emphasize that when I say the book is easy to understand, that is not meant to imply that only the basics are covered. Not only does Berges do a great job of explaining the mechanics of the process, but he also mixes in a lot of personal examples which help the reader to connect the dots between pie-in-the-sky theory and real world applications.
Steve Berges concludes the book with an inspiring and motivational chapter he refers to as the 5 Keys to Success, which he points out are not limited to just real estate, but can be applied to any business or profession, as well as to one's personal life. I thought this section was very well written and gave me cause to reflect on my own course in life.
I've read several of the author's other books as well, all of which were good, but I particularly enjoyed The Complete Guide to Real Estate Finance for Investment Properties. Wow...what a great read! It's about time somebody wrote a book that really deals with the financial aspects of real estate (see my review).
Rating:
Summary: Unique Insight into Apartment Market
Review: The author, Berges, provides unique insight into investing in apartment buildings. There isn't much written about this topic, and what is, seems to be very generic. This book, however, provided lots of good examples with specific advice on what to do and what not to do. In addition, Berges sprinkles various tidbits of information throughout the book that while not directly related to real estate, are nevertheless quite relevant to being successful in it. I just finished another book of his, The Complete Guide to Investing in Rental Properties, which I also found to be very enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Unique Insight into Apartment Market
Review: The author, Berges, provides unique insight into investing in apartment buildings. There isn't much written about this topic, and what is, seems to be very generic. This book, however, provided lots of good examples with specific advice on what to do and what not to do. In addition, Berges sprinkles various tidbits of information throughout the book that while not directly related to real estate, are nevertheless quite relevant to being successful in it. I just finished another book of his, The Complete Guide to Investing in Rental Properties, which I also found to be very enjoyable.
Rating: 
Summary: Good beginners read. Beyond NOI and CapRate? Look elsewhere
Review: This book devotes a fair amount of time on valuation from a beginners standpoint. Overall good, easy and quick read. The case studies and examples appear a stretch. The author suggest that the sweet spot is to find a property with 20% vacancy, a few minor cosmetic issues. It then claims that that by leveraging a 80% LTV, the owner, in a short period of time can increase the vale and sell for a healthy premium. Hmmm... I want to see Steve Berges try this in Chicago or New York metro areas.
As a relatively new property investor, I found the book useful and would recommend to others. I purchased and downloaded the software at thevalueplay.com which is adequate to complement the book's instruction bias. However, buyers beware, these are password protected Excel spreadsheets with macros and without the ability to add formulas, change things here and there, they are useless.
Rating:
Summary: Still the Best I've Read So Far - The Real Deal!
Review: This book give one point of view; buy-fix-flip. He has no appreciation for...appreciation. That said, if you want to know the basics of creating additional value and moving on to the next property this is a great start.
Rating:
Summary: The Basics
Review: This book is an easy read, but those who considered it the "best" real estate book out there may have been rotting their brains on no money down schemes (this book thankfully notes that beginning investors will not find a no money down investment property deal). If you are looking for Real Estate Investing 101, this is a good choice. If you already understand Cap Rates and NOI, and are confident in your ability to estimate the value of a property based on its financial statement, then pass on this book. All in all, the book is good but basic. Unfortunate that the tables presented in the text are not explained fully--the author prefers, I think, to sell you the software separately.
Rating:
Summary: The basics about multi-family properties
Review: This book is very informative if you are a beginner to the multi family world. For anyone that has already dealt with multi family, then you do not need this book. However, Berges other book, real estate finance is a good review for the seasoned apartment owner. In that book he goes over some key performance and efficiency ratios that everyone should be aware of when dealing with multi family properties.
The book covers the general ideas behind multi family properties but of course it will differ by region slightly. The cap rates that he speaks of are not available in say california but might be available in indiana. Overall a good book for beginners to intermediate but definitely not seasoned investors.
| 
