Amazon.com
We know some things about the millionaire next door--what kind of car he drives, how big his house is--but we don't know so much about how he built his wealth. In Eight Steps to Seven Figures, Carlson attempts to fill in the blanks by telling us the stories of 170 regular, middle-class folks who made millions by investing in the stock market. The steps he outlines are so simple that most people interested in investing already know them: Invest regularly, hang onto your investments for a long time (75 percent of the millionaires he surveyed held each investment an average of five years); use the tax code to your advantage by fully funding 401(k) plans and Roth IRAs. Step 4, "Swing for Singles," suggests investing in brand-name, blue-chip stocks when they look underpriced--something anyone who's ever heard of Warren Buffett can tell you. A couple other steps aren't quite so obvious. For example, Step 3 dictates that you buy only stocks and stock funds and forget about asset allocation. ("You get rich buying stocks. You stay rich buying bonds.") Step 8, "Limit Shocks to Your Finances," counsels you to keep your day job. (No day traders or Internet jackpoteers in this group.)
This material could be dull as dirt, but Carlson keeps it lively. He reminds investors not to overestimate their genius during a bull market. He suggests that selling too late is better than selling too early, if you buy growth stocks and avoid cyclicals. "If you buy right, selling late may mean making 'only' a 300 percent profit instead of a 400 percent profit," he writes. What's most fun, though, is following the investment careers--the big hits and big mistakes--of the 170 investors. You read stories of selling Microsoft too soon, of not buying enough Dell when it was selling for $5 a share. But these people all ended up millionaires, and when you put this book down, you will almost certainly feel that you can, and probably should, be a member of their club. --Lou Schuler
Book Description
While The Millionaire Next Door examined the spending/saving habits and lifestyles of today?s millionaires, EIGHT STEPS TO SEVEN FIGURES, written by bestselling author and CFA Charles Carlson, reveals the investment strategies and ideas that everyday investors have used to elevate their net worth to the fabled millionaire threshold. Interviewing "mainstreet" investors, Charles Carlson describes how they have grown their investments, the kind of vehicles and individual stocks and bonds they have invested in?and offers eight step-by-step lessons investors everywhere can use to emulate the success of these everyday investors. He discloses the common investment mistakes the millionaire investors have made and how you can avoid them, and discusses how the millionaire investors got started, how they chose their investments, how much time they spend on their investments, and what they feel are the keys to their investment success. An absolute must-have for today?s investors.
Customer Reviews:
If True, It's Hope for the Hopeless.......2006-05-07
I regard Chuck Carlson as a trusted source of good, solid financial information. After all, this is the guy who gave us such investment classics as Buying Stocks without a Broker, The No-Load Stock Investor and Free Lunch on Wall Street. Thus, when he penned Eight Steps to Seven Figures, I had to get a copy and glean its secrets.
Now, one could say that his use of statistical data may well be an attempt to cover up the fact most of the material found in the book could be gleaned with a fair bit of old-fashioned horse-sense. However, for me, much of the information served to confirm what I have always suspected, but had precious little in the way of evidence to support. Carlson's use of statistical data to back up his claims does indeed make his book look impressive, and the statistician in me does have to take issue with a few things associated with his numbers, such as:
1) I can understand his reticence to disclose personal info on those sampled, but I found it odd that he did not disclose the sampling method (basically, how did he go about getting his sample? Most likely, it came from those who subscribe to his investment newsletter). Nor did he report the response rate to his survey.
2) He was not really consistent in the reporting of his results. In some cases, he reported averages, and in others, he reported medians, and in no cases did he report variations or present us with distributions associated with the various answers to questions.
3) He seeks to make the leap from his sample of millionaire investors to all investors like them, and from those individuals to the reader. However, without knowing something about the composition of his sample, we really can not infer anything useful in general which we may reasonably apply to ourselves, at least with any degree of certainty.
That is why I say that the contents of the book, if true, would mean renewed hope for the Hopeless (aka, the typical wage-earning, rent-paying, or if unlucky, mortgage paying, indebted schmuck).
Since I regard Chuck as a trusted source, I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt; however, interested readers should take note of the following:
1) In reading the book, it sounded like most of the respondents are fairly well-to-do, and can be considered white-collar or managerial-class workers.
2) Most of them have been investing for at least twenty years, with their investment success coinciding precisely with the extended bull market lasting from 1980 to 2000. The bull market may have had more to do with their success than their investing acumen.
3) We really do not know what their total returns were (on a compound average basis) nor do we know what their asset breakdowns were, so we do not know the extent that IRAs and 401ks , the two critical pillars of Carlson's eight step approach, played in the respondents' investment success.
4) Most of them appeared to have had an intimate experience with poverty at some point in their lives, which they recalled vividly, and this experience spurred them to save frantically. This alone makes them atypical as compared to the general American public, who as a group have a negative savings rate.
Thus, although I really can not say how applicable the statistics in the book may be, I can say that the book contains many juicy, common-sense tips that anyone, be they white-collar or blue-collar, well-to-do or of modest means, male or female, can put to use. While you could glean the general ideas and the eight steps by reading solely the preface and introduction of the text, you would miss out on a lot of valuable insights and information.
I highly recommend the book to anyone looking to achieve or maintain financial safety and security.
Interesting informations to learn about.......2006-02-20
I love this book! I am learning things that I never knew before, and I started making life changes all ready!
Simple Steps/Uncommon Wisdom.......2006-01-25
The author early on states that his message is simple but uses this analogy: doing one situp is easy; doing one situp a day for the rest of your life however is easy and challenging at the same time.
The author admits the reader should not expect any get rich schemes or secret strategies for beating wall street. However the reason I rate this "simple minded" book 5 stars is because I've seen a lot of "knowledgeable" colleagues gloss over these steps and pay the price. I think even an experienced investor could benefit from reading through this every 2-3 years to refresh his sensibilities and directions.
Nevertheless I do agree w/ other reviewers who say that novice investors will benefit greatly; this book would be wonderful for a young teenager to introduce him to finances.
The main step is to invest early and reviews the benefits of compounding interest.
The second step regarding setting a goal is very important; and his recommendation to make it specific and tangible so as to avoid the temptations that can lead to emotional misdirections.
He does not give a lot of advice on the actual picking of stocks; his main idea is to pick a good growing company w/ growing earnings. I would have been interested in seeing more detailed examples of analysis but he does give some references to places where an investor can learn these skills. He lists as examples some of the millionaire's stock picks which include Lucent which has since tumbled! This should not disqualify this book as other reviewers have suggested.
At the time he wrote his book, Lucent was a growing stable company w/ good earnings. When a stock declines, he urges evaluation to see why it's declining; if it is a temporary/cyclical issue or one that is integral to the company's growth and earnings and base your decision to hold or sell on this.
He also discusses Dollar-Cost-Averaging and makes a convincing argument against trying to time the market or daytrade. He argues that stocks are better and perhaps even safer than bonds over the long run using 10 year statistical returns.
The discussion about 401 plans again is more geared towards novices; however I have seen experienced colleagues who insisted on daytrading; they did not want to jeopardize their retirement funds though so they did this w/ money outside of their IRAs, hence ended up paying some capital gains taxes and basically earned a lower return than their mutual funds! (note it was ironic that they didn't want to "jeopardize" their IRA but were happy to jeopardize other money!)
I hope to have given a fair description of the book and why people should read it.
Another book I found interesting is "The Intelligent Investor" and there's a line from there that says (parahrasing): In every tremendous upswing (or downswing) of the market it is amazing how investors have forgotten the lessons of the previous market movements while retaining their old prejudices.
Great for beginners, explained simply, great returns.......2005-01-31
I am a beginner investor and I have read many books and took courses on investing to no avail. When I got this book, it reminded me of all the simple lessons I had been told before, but ignored. That was to start investing now in a 401k, even small amounts instead of nothing and keep investing the same amount (dollar cost averaging)and leave it for 20-30yrs because stocks have shown to average 11% long term, which is the best investment overall.
After showing me how to choose a mutual fund, it gives step by step how and where to divide the percentages in a mutual fund. . After doing this in 2002, these were my results:
2002- -3% (while most people were losing up to 50%!)
2003-45%
2004-12%
I think that explains everything.
Not Bad but..........2004-12-21
Not great, either. Some of the advice will be sound for some readers but NOT ALL and some of the information useful to most readers. This is a book for investors of below-average knowledge but useful to remind the reader that there are ways to screw up your finances that are not financial, per se.
Still, an interesting read but this shouldn't be the only book on managing your finances and investing that you read.
Book Description
The procedure of buying a home can be a scary experience. There are a lot of people to deal with, from realtors to attorneys to bankers. There's tons of paperwork with terms and vocabulary that read like a foreign language. In this new book you will find vital information and great strategies that will allow you to find your dream home faster and feel confident about the purchase. You will learn to avoid some of the most prevalent—and potentially dangerous and expensive—mistakes made by first-time home buyers.
According to Money Magazine, "Over the past five years, home values nationally have risen 65 percent while the stock market has fallen." Now is the time to get into the real estate marketplace. With the help of this comprehensive new guide, you will learn how to find the best opportunities, negotiating, financing, budgets, needs and wants, credit reports, home-buying timeline, the process of building a house, manufactured homes, real estate and mortgage glossaries, setting values, home warranties, homeowners insurance, creative financing, buying with little or no money down, closing, moving plans, walk-throughs, closing and settlement inspections, legal contracts, mortgages, what you can afford, deciding which neighborhood to choose, hiring a realtor, which government agencies can help, considerations for veterans, IRA use, hiring an attorney, the offer, calculating monthly payments, and escrow.
This comprehensive resource contains a wealth of modern tips and strategies for financing and closing on a property. The author shows readers how to find out how much they're really worth, how to uncover unknown assets, and how to enhance credit ratings within six months, provides information and suggestions on everything from no-down-payment mortgages to finding the right agent. It leads you down the path to home ownership, one step at a time. Though you may be relatively cash-poor or have a less-than-perfect credit rating, you can acquire a mortgage and find the house you've always wanted.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic Information.......2007-08-27
I just recently finished it and I feel like having taken a course on Real Estate 101. It is helpful, practical, and easy to read. It has great tools like check-off lists and sample contracts all on a complimentary CD.
We are looking into buying a house and this has given me a great base of knowledge to start making smarter decision.
Worth the $$.
excellent advice for all homebuyers.......2007-01-11
Though this book's title specifies that it's for the first time buyer, my advice would be to pick it up and read it thoroughly regardless of how many times you've bought or built. It is a super compendium of all the steps a buyer needs to take, including information on motivation and emotions in home buying, taxes, paperwork, hiring a professional advocate such as a lawyer or real estate agent, and an in-depth discussion of how to find out your credit score. The section on credit also gives good advice about establishing and maintaining a good credit score that would be helpful for anyone trying to finance a large purchase. The information in this book should be available from the real estate agent you're working with, but it's good to know it yourself in case the agent isn't keeping your well-being in mind at all times.
I also appreciated the straightforward, matter-of-fact tone of this book. There were no embellishments, just the information in a logical, easy to understand format. It also includes a 15 page glossary, helpful for the novice. Five stars out of five.
Feel Confident Buying Your First Home.......2006-12-21
First off, let me say that my husband and I really appreciate the CD. It has all the forms and lists we needed to feel confident when we bought our first home. From building costs and budget worksheets, to banking support, these documents were a big help.
From why you want to own your own home, what to do when you find the one you're looking for, and what to expect at closing, this handbook walks you through the process. This step-by-step guide shows you how to fill out the attached forms and gives you confidence that is sure to eliminate any buyer's remorse you would have felt after your purchase.
Overall, the book was very helpful and will be a useful tool for anyone going through the process for the first time. Buying your first house doesn't have to be scary. This handbook makes the process an understandable and exciting experience.
Even building your own house is examined in this excellent, wide-ranging guide recommended for its easy explanations........2006-12-12
The First-Time Homeowner's Handbook: A Complete Guide and Workbook for the First-Time Home Buyer comes with 30 forms on a convenient cd-rom and covers the entire experience of buying a home, from understanding terminology and confusing points to avoiding common, expensive mistakes. Chapters cover the basics from how to look and assess to financing and closing. Even building your own house is examined in this excellent, wide-ranging guide recommended for its easy explanations.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Exceeded my hopes and expectations.......2006-11-09
I was a little nervous about buying yet another book on how to buy my first home. After all, if I had spent all the money I spent researching the concept on my down payment... Well, ok may that's a bit of an exaggeration. I was still skeptical I could learn anything new, but I was wrong. This book is different from other guides in that it provides accessible information for me, the everyday Joe Q. public person. I don't have a trust fund to take care of my bills, my credit isn't pristine for the past billion years, and my credit-to-debt ratio reflects 8 years of college from a working class environment. Yet, this book gave me answers, strategies, and lots of helpful information that was more than just hope. It made it seem possible. Nothing is just glossed over; rather there are comprehensive guides, tools, and strategies to make owning your own home a reality. The forms included on the CD are a bonus as well! And in PDF format for a win so it's simply filling it out on screen, printing and moving forward with no excuses left! I can't wait till I finally close!
Amazon.com
First-time homebuyers have a guide specifically tailored to their needs in 10 Steps to Home Ownership. Author Ilyce R. Glink writes reassuringly for those who are new to the often-confusing world of real estate. Her book is full of worksheets, allowing readers to pencil out solutions to home buying's many riddles: How big a mortgage can you qualify for? How much money will you need at closing? This book, 10 Steps to Home Ownership, can help readers who find themselves dreaming of home ownership but are too bewildered to take the first steps. --Barry Mitzman
Book Description
The prequel to the hugely successful 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask tells first-time home buyers everything they need to know before they begin the search for the house of their dreams. Includes 20 worksheets, 15 charts and graphs.
Customer Reviews:
great product!.......2007-06-01
This book is in great shape and has a lot of useful information.
A nice aid to figuring out how to buy that first house..........2003-06-21
I bought this book about a year before I started looking for my first house (when I knew ABSOLUTELY nothing beyond the fact I wanted to buy) and I found this book to be an indespensible aid. The real beauty of it, for me at least, is Ms. Glink's ability to get you thinking about all the myriad issues involved in buying a home (including the biggie - do you even want to do it) in a constructive way with language that is easy to understand. I love that she includes the emotional issues (that are so often overlooked) alongside the financial, legal and practical issues. The breakdowns of real-estate language and the worksheets are nice touches, too. I have recommended this book to everyone I know who utters that magic phrase, "I'd love to buy a house someday...".
A must have for the new homebuyer.......2001-12-23
I am a 25 year old looking into buying a condo in Chicago. I just finished the book and it taught me so much about what to expect going into this major purchase. The author explains what you can reasonably assume a bank will loan you, different financing techniques and important emotional and financial issues you will have to resolve before choosing a home. Its easy to read and engaging. I usually have a short attention span for manuals, but I read this cover to cover in a week. I never lost interest. If you're a renter and at the point where you're starting to think you want to buy, read this book for some great tips and advice so you don't fall into any "gotchas" ahead.
Good for buying homes, but not apartments..........2000-12-08
This book is an invaluable resource for someone looking to buy their first home: Glink takes the reader through the home buying process step by step, and the amortization tables in the appendix definitely come in handy. However, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for someone looking to buy a co-op or a condo. When I was looking to buy a co-op apartment in the city, I found the CO-OP BIBLE to be much more helpful--it was the book I turned to when I needed help with every aspect of that process.
Valuable Read for the First-Time Buyer.......2000-11-19
I recently read Ilyce Glink's "10 Steps to Home-Ownership" and came away impressed. She has great worksheets, and an objective, no-nonsense approach to the home ownership process. I recently closed on a home in the Southern California area and used "10 Steps" to prepare me for the process. I found myself referring to Eric Tyson's "Home Buying for Dummies" more than this book once I activeley looked for a home. However, I felt "10 Steps" was a good starter for the process and the worksheets made me comfortable with what I wanted and how much I can afford. One small complaint: she includes 70 pages of interest rate amortization tables which could be easily translated on one page.
Book Description
Bargain Books are non-returnable.
Buying a home is one of life s biggest decisions. Whether you re a first-timer or a veteran, you ll find heaps of helpful information and advice in House Hunting, the ultimate interactive guide to buying a home. From deciding what type of house you want and need and finding the right agent to comparing loans and making an offer, House Hunting walks you through all the steps and helps you ask all the right questions along the way.
Customer Reviews:
single parent, 1st time buyer must.......2007-03-15
I purchased this book for a friend of mine who happens to be a single parent and in the market for buying a home. This book kept her a step ahead. Her "ducks" where so in a row that her realtor said I have never seen a transaction go through so smoothly. I'm in the market now and she strongly encouraged me to pick one up for myself. I love it.
PeggySchultz.biz - THE South Suburban Chicago Real Estate EXPERT.......2006-05-26
My clients would absolutely love this book! In fact, it would be very helpful for Sellers too. Great insight as to what Buyer's are looking for. Of course, any Realtor worth their commission should be giving their clients all of this information from day one.
I prepare an extensive spiral bound notebook customized for my client's needs and market place.
[...]
Not as helpful as author's previous book.......2005-03-11
I would recommend _Starting Out_ (Davis's previous book) over this one. That book (Starting Out) is the best book on buying a house I've seen and I've looked at dozens. This book seems to contain some of the same information, but less of it. I think the take-along workbook idea, at least in this format, is a failure. The spiral binding is flimsy. All of the pages of my copy are falling out and it hasn't seen much use. The workbook idea is good, but not flexible enough. Sure you could make copies of a page if you needed another sheet for interviewing a real estate agent and you could write out some more of your house wish list items if you found there weren't enough lines, but it doesn't seem worth it. I think most people would be more comfortable with whatever organizational system they already use: a paper planner, a PDA, just typing things out on the computer, whatever. The content is great, but you can get that ( and more of it) in her other book.
Book Description
Is it 18th-century Sèvres or a 20th-century copy? A steal or a rip-off? This Miller’s price guide, like the others in the popular series, delivers authoritative answers to questions like these in two sections: “What to Look For” covers how to recognize the important factories and designers, how to date and identify an item (with illustrations of marks), what determines value, and how to spot fakes. “What to Pay” reveals how much specific items actually sold for at dealers and auction houses. More than 1,400 items from a variety of sources are valued and illustrated in full-color, from 18th-century Meissen to 20th-century Royal Doulton. There are pieces for modest budgets, too, including popular categories such as Staffordshire and Wade.
Book Description
Modern design is growing in popularity with collectors and museums, as they increasingly recognize the importance of key 20th-century designers. Anyone looking to get in on the craze will want this all-encompassing, highly dependable guide, which covers the major styles and movements, such as Art Deco, Modernism, Mid-Century design and Postmodernism. Plenty of examples from the fields of furniture, ceramics, glass, metalwork, textiles and graphic arts are included—all illustrated, with descriptions, up-to-date prices, and solid background information. Collectors will easily be able to check out the subtle price differences due to location, condition, or provenance, and there are additional special features on various subjects, individual countries, designers and manufacturers.
The book’s consultant, Paul Rennie, is an expert in 20th-century art and design.
Product Description
A practical guide to aid those who are looking for a fast, efficient education on the home building process. For consumers, Realtors, builders, bankers, etc. Includes checklists to define your needs
Average customer rating:
|
Buyer's Workbook
Miriam Guerreiro , and
Ladonna Garrett
Manufacturer: Fairchild Books & Visuals
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Job Hunting & Careers
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Retailing
| Industries & Professions
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Purchasing & Buying
| Industries & Professions
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Management & Leadership
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
| Business Ethics
| Consolidation & Merger
| Decision-Making & Problem Solving
| Distribution & Warehouse Management
| Industrial
| Information Management
| Leadership
| Management
| Management Science
| Motivational
| Negotiating
| Operations Research
| Planning & Forecasting
| Pricing
| Production & Operations
| Project Management
| Quality Control
| Risk Assessment
| Statistics
| Strategy & Competition
| Systems & Planning
| Systems Analysis
| Teams
| Total Quality Management
| Training
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 1563670003 |
Average customer rating:
|
The Home Buyers Workbook
Judith B. Potts
Manufacturer: Real Property Advisor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1882107004 |
Books:
- Enterprise Information Systems: A Pattern-Based Approach
- ESOP Workbook: The Ultimate Instrument in Succession Planning
- Excel Applications for Accounting Principles (with Excel Templates Computer Disk)
- Financial Statement Analysis: A Global Perspective
- From COBOL to OOP (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Software Engineering and Programming)
- Fundamentals of Physics, Part 1 (Chapters 1-11)
- Fundamentals of Taxation 2005 and TaxAct 2004 (2nd Edition)
- Granite Bay Jet Ski, Level 2, MP w/CD-ROM
- How the Foreign Exchange Market Works (New York Institute of Finance)
- How to Farm for Profit: Practical Enterprise Analysis
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Aztec
- The Story of the World: Activity Book One: Ancient Times
- Number Our Days
- Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Agroecosystems
- Schaum's Outline of Biology
- The New Home Buying Strategy: Solve Your Cash Crunch with Team Buying Power
- The Bay At Midnight
- The American Builder's Companion
- Neoclassicism in the North: Swedish Furniture and Interiors 1770-1850
- Animal Function Principles and Adaptations
Winning with the Dow's Losers : Beat the Market with Underdog Stocks
Buying Stocks Without A Broker
The Smart Investor's Survival Guide: The Nine Laws of Successful Investing in a Volatile Market
Chuck Carlson's 60-Second Investor: 201 Tips, Tools, and Tactics for the Time-Strapped Investor
The Individual Investor Revolution: Seize Your New Powers of Investing & Make More Money in the Market
