Review of Be Your Own House Contractor (Paperback)

Very up-to-date publication.Author's web site provides much additional information.I plan to build using ICF's and Geothermal heat source.Good information available through both the book and the web portal.Clearly the best and most current of the 4 similar books purchased at the same time.

Product Description
This book should be required reading for anyone who is thinking about building or renovating a house. The savings involved can make the difference between just dreaming about that dream house and actually building it.

The primary message behind Be Your Own House Contractor is "You can do it!" According to construction expert and author Carl Heldmann, anyone can oversee the building of a house andsave up to 25 percent by acting as the main contractor.This popular book has sold over 268,000 copies since it was first published in 1982.

Written for those with little or no experience in the building trades, Be Your Own House Contractor clearly and simply lays out the steps involved in home construction and answers the many questions that arise. Concise chapters deal with:
•Locating and purchasing land
•Procuring financing
•Estimating costs and staying within a budget
•Hiring subcontractors and finding suppliers
•Building the house
•Restoring an existing structure

An extensive appendix contains examples of the forms, certificates, and permits that are required, as well as sample contracts and plans.

The 5th edition has been fully updated and includes Carl Heldmann's new Web site, where readers can get loan information, daily updates on interest rates, and cost estimate worksheets for planning and tracking building expenses. Other new features include new chapters on renovating and restoring an older house and a Spanish glossary of common building terms.



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Review of Find It, Fix It, Flip It!: Make Millions in Real Estate--One House at a Time (Paperback)

I am a licensed Realtor in the state of Minnesota.I have never personally flipped a house but have sold several fixers to clients and have renovated the home I live in.I read this book hoping to get some good ideas so I can get more involved in real estate investing.Overall the book did have some good information, and I felt the best parts were mostly on staging and decorating.As other readers mentioned it was a really quick read.The reasons I didn't rate it five stars are:

1) I don't live in California and the book was too specific to California.I would've liked some examples of properties outside of La La Land where values aren't so ridiculous and the profits so unrealistic.

2) The author uses way too many exclamation points!The title is just one example!Overused exclamation points make the tone of the book seem more like a motivational book!Repeat after me: "I can successfully flip homes for a living if I put my mind to it!I will be a wealthy and successful real estate investor someday!"

3) At least half of the book didn't pertain to flipping and just discussed a lot of general homebuyer info.Again, this is good if that's what you're looking for.I wasn't and found myself skimming those sections.He also could've been a little more generic in description because in many states we don't close in escrow, we sign disclosures before an offer is accepted, and inspection and financing contingencies work a little differently than he explains.

3) Pretty sure Coldwell Banker Burnet paid him to plug them so often in the book.Using an agent is essential for many people, but what if you decide to do this full time... wouldn't it really be worth it to get a license and save yourself the commission on both sides?In some states where the profit off these flips is much lower, saving thousands on the commission is huge.I get that he's writing about his experience and what's worked for him, but he doesn't even mention the possibility.

4) Holy ego.He name drops, tells us how he has broken comps on every house he's flipped, and makes it seem like he's doing us a favor by writing this fantastic book full of his secrets.

5) I would've liked a few more horror stories with information on how to salvage your profit if a serious issue comes up after you own the house.Flipping is not as easy as he makes it seem.Although maybe he did address this and the exclamation points and overly enthusiastic language distracted me.

Again I did really like some aspects of this book and will definitely utilize some of the checklists and tips if I decide to flip a house.Like most other "make millions in real estate" books, there are a few things I will takeaway and a bunch of crap I will forget.

Product Description
Michael Corbett-host of Extra's Mansions and Millionaires-shares his strategies, tips, and never-before-revealed insider techniques that have helped him make a fortune in real estate.

This book is for aspiring flippers, first-time home buyers, or any homeowner who wants to create big profits and own their ultimate dream home-mortgage free! Starting with the essentials, Corbett shares how to crunch the numbers to instantly determine a house's profit potential.He then covers every step from purchase to sale:

- Get the profit-making house at the price you can afford
- Make the improvements that make you millions
- Insider secrets that save you thousands
- Take advantage of the market's ups and downs
- Sell your home tax free and pocket the profits

Filled with practical tips, illustrated with before-and-after case studies and easy to use charts and worksheets, Find It, Fix It, Flip It! offers the insider expertise needed to tap into an exciting-and potentially limitless-new source of income and financial independence.



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Review of Adobe Acrobat 8 PDF Bible (Paperback)

Over a thousand pages and the type is small -- just like a real Bible. This book is everything you could possibly have wanted to know about Adobe Acrobat 8. And beyond Acrobat 8 itself, the book discusses and includes on a CD a number of third party add in packages that further extend what Acrobat will do.

Most people who have only Acrobat Reader to read .pdf files will be surprised to find that the program that produces the .pdf file is a huge and powerful software system. This book has everything you could possibly want to know about Acrobat. As with the Acrobat software itself, the book covers both the Windows and the MAC operating environments. In general these are the same, but in several cases where they are different screen shots off of both computers are included.

The book is designed as a reference book where you will jump to just the section containing the information about what you want to do rather than reading straight through like a mystery book. As such it has a pretty good table of contents and a 45 page index at the end of the book.

Product Description
"The Adobe Acrobat 8 PDF Bible is the comprehensive guide to Acrobat for novices and power users alike. With a concise, easy-to-read format, you will be creating interactive XML forms, enabling streamlined document review processes, and publishing high-impact electronic documents in no time."
-Rick Brown, director of product management, Adobe Acrobat

The book you need to succeed with Adobe Acrobat!

Why do readers turn to the Adobe Acrobat Bible again and again? Because whether you're already experienced with Adobe Acrobat or you're learning to use this powerful tool for the first time, you'll find exactly what you need to know in these well-organized pages. Packed with helpful tips and step-by-step instructions, this latest edition will guide you through both basic and advanced features, enabling you to take full advantage of everything Acrobat 8 has to offer.

• Create, collect, and distribute forms with LiveCycle® Designer
• Work seamlessly with Microsoft® Office applications
• Convert AutoCAD® and Visio® files to PDF
• Discover new ways to edit PDFs and remove sensitive data
• Explore enhanced Shared Reviews tools with easy-to-use Wizard
• Collect form data by exporting it directly to Microsoft Excel®
• Combine files and create PDF Packages using new Acrobat 8 tools

What's on the CD-ROM?

You'll find valuable, author-developed sample files including PDF documents, Adobe Designer forms, and Acrobat PDF forms with JavaScripts-all arranged in folders according to chapters in the book, so you use them along with the book's tutorials. The CD also includes:

• Adobe Reader software
• Entire book in searchable PDF with embedded index
• Windows demonstration plug-ins

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Review of Adobe Acrobat 9 PDF Bible (Paperback)

So far, I have only used the book as a reference while working with Pro 9, but at some point, I hope to be able to read the entire book.

Product Description
Find just what you need to incorporate PDFs in your workflows with the newest edition of this perennial top-selling reference and tutorial from Acrobat guru, Ted Padova. He packs these pages with tips guaranteed to help you get the most out of this powerful software. You'll find techniques for creating, editing, and repurposing PDFs for everything from print to CD-ROMs, the Internet, e-book content, and more. Keep this classic within reach-you'll turn to it again and again.

From the Back Cover

" The Adobe Acrobat 9 PDF Bible is the comprehensive guide to Acrobat for novices and power users alike. With its concise, easy-to-read format, this book will have you creating interactive XML forms, enabling streamlined document review processes, and publishing high-impact electronic documents in no time."
- Rick Brown, Director of Product Management, Adobe Acrobat

Master the gold standard for portable documents

Find just what you need to incorporate PDFs in your workflows with the newest edition of this perennial top-selling reference and tutorial from Acrobat guru, Ted Padova. He packs these pages with tips guaranteed to help you get the most out of this powerful software. You'll find techniques for creating, editing, and repurposing PDFs for everything from print to CD-ROMs, the Internet, e-book content, and more. Keep this classic within reach-you'll turn to it again and again.

• Get up to date on PDF standards and Acrobat 9's new features

• Convert to PDF from Office, Macs, Web pages, or Adobe CS

• Set up, save, and repurpose PDF files for print, Web, or CDs

• Create interactive forms and add security

• Preflight your PDFs for commercial printing

• Add sound to PDF pages, import video, and more

• Learn all about using Acrobat.com services for sharing files

What's on the CD-ROM?

The bonus CD-ROM is loaded with training videos, sample PDF documents, a tips-and-techniques e-Book, and a full searchable PDF version of the book.

System Requirements: See the CD appendix for details and complete system requirements.

Ted Padova has written more than 30 computer books and is one of the world's leading authors on Adobe Acrobat. Look for his upcoming publications Creative Suite 4 Bible and PDF Forms Using Acrobat 9 and LiveCycle Designer Bible from Wiley.



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