Are you really ready to invest in the real estate market? This is the question the Smart & Easy Guide to Real Estate Investing asks you at the end of the introduction, after giving you an overview of the intricacies and peculiarities of the real estate business. Replete with practical and professional advice and step-by-step, easy guidance, this book should be read by everyone who intends buying a property for any reason. Written by a Realtor who today holds a broad portfolio of local and international properties, this Guide offers only genuine, unbiased advice for the benefit of an average real estate investor. However, the guidance herein can be used for buying residential and commercial properties of all sizes and value. Some of the topics of this Smart & Easy Guide include: Real estate planning Property selection, inspection and evaluation How to go about raising the finances How to control risk and boost your ROI Bargaining and negotiating the best deal Timing your buying and selling decisions Flipping and foreclosures Considerations for renting a property Commercial real estate investments and their complications Tax issues facing investors Investing in real estate mutual funds Real estate can be termed as the sturdiest of all businesses. Barring exceptions, the value of a property in a growing market always goes up, unlike stock investments and other types of business. Also, unlike stocks, bonds or forex, property is a real asset. However, the real estate business is not free of problems and pitfalls. Making money with property investments requires a good understanding of the market and a lot of hard work. The book covers every aspect of real estate investing and gives you specific directions to channelize your energies. If you have failed to plan, you have planned to fail. The first thing that you need is an investment plan, and that's what the first chapter after the introduction talks about. It prompts you to think about various aspects of your investment, and gives you valuable tips about selecting and inspecting properties. Financing your real estate investment is a critical area, and the book covers the subject comprehensively, giving you solid advice about the available avenues of financing and the ones that you should be going for. As the saying in the real estate business goes, 'you don't make money selling properties, but buying them'. It is important to negotiate a good price and buy properties at below their assessed market value if you want a high ROI on your sale. The book has a chapter on bargaining, which contains some valuable tips on the subject. Sticking to a property for too long or selling it too soon can be counterproductive. Timings of your investment and liquidation are key, and the Guide lets you in on some insights that must have take the author years of real estate investing to acquire. Man has a natural affinity to land, and real estate can be a fulfilling business, provided it's profitable. Like any other business, real estate also has specific considerations that are often unknown to a fresh starter. This Smart & Easy Guide provides the roadmap to profitable real estate investing for everyone."