Ever thought about investing in real estate?  If you haven’t, you should. Real estate investment is one of the single most effective ways to increase your wealth in this country. The only catch is that it takes time, patience, and knowledge. Learn how to balance all three by reading the right real estate books. The list below introduces you to the top advice sources available, giving you insider information at an affordable cost.

Top real estate books

Whether your interest lies in buying up foreclosures, flipping fixer-uppers, or investing in new real estate ventures, you’ll find sage advice in the pages of these real estate books:

• 40 Days to Success in Real Estate Investing, by Robert Shemin. This book presents a guide that has you purchasing your first investment property in 40 days. Shemin gives you a day-by-day plan that shows you how to begin, how to set realistic goals, and what to do to achieve your goals.
• The Millionaire Real Estate Mindset:  Mastering the Mental Skills to Build Your Fortune in Real Estate, by Russ Whitney. In this book, you’re presented with a candid assessment of the things that often go wrong during real estate transactions. Along with that, you’ll get practical advice on how to avoid those mistakes as well as clear strategies to help you advance in your property purchase goals.
• The Pre-Foreclosure Real Estate Handbook:  Insider Secrets to Locating and Purchasing Pre-Foreclosed Properties in Any Market, by Frankie Orlando. Detailing everything you need to know regarding the purchase of real estate bargains from public auctions, banks, and other sources, this book is applicable both to experienced property investors and first-time homeowners.
• 2 Years to a Million in Real Estate, by Matthew Martinez. This is the real-world story of an ex-dot-com employee who wanted to achieve wealth and be free of the grind and stress of his day job. Martinez shares exactly how he was able to attain this goal – in two years, no less – and candidly sheds light on how you too can achieve his results.
• Find It, Fix It, Flip It!:  Make Millions in Real Estate – One House at a Time, by Michael Corbett. Learn how to separate the good deals from the bad using Corbett’s established methods for driving successful deals. He offers specifics on controlling every step of the process, from determining the profit potential of a house to deciding which improvements will be most cost-effective.
• Unlimited Real Estate Profit:  Create Wealth and Build a Financial Fortress Through Today’s Real Estate Investing, by Marc Stephen Garrison. Touted to be the type of book that offers hand-holding through every step of a new real estate venture, this book delivers complicated ideas in a clear, concise format. Garrison even offers three separate plans to choose from as you launch your quest for financial independence.
• How to Pick Up Foreclosures:  My Step-By-Step Guide to Get Super Discounted Properties Before the Auction, by Wade B. Cook. Learn how to get in on foreclosures before they’re announced to the public from this well-researched real estate guide. Not only will you learn how to create wealth in real estate by tackling foreclosures, you’ll also discover how to make the most of pre-foreclosures.
• How to Buy and Sell Apartment Buildings, by Eugene E. Vollucci. Few people realize how rewarding it can be to invest in apartment buildings, but Vollucci makes the process clear. His book offers easy steps to landing loans, avoiding pitfalls, and gauging the market so you make the right decisions about both buying and selling.
• The Real Estate Fast Track:  How to Create a $5,000 to $50,000 Per Month Real Estate Cash Flow, by David Finkel. Finkel shows you how to create a real estate business that consistently increases your earnings without requiring a heavy workload commitment. He shares the five core skills common among successful investors and clearly articulates the secrets that have helped many of his protégés get started without significant financial backing.
• Buying Real Estate Without Cash or Credit, by Peter Conti and David Finkel. In this book, these two multi-millionaires provide coaching on how to launch your investing business in the fastest and easiest way possible. They provide detailed action plans along with little known secrets and strategies to getting started, especially if you have neither cash nor credit to stand on.
• Investing in Real Estate With Other People’s Money:  Proven Strategies for Turning a Small Investment into a Fortune, by Jack Cummings. Drawing from his lengthy and solid real estate career, Cummings relays strategies with sensible guidelines and actionable steps. He’ll show you how to successfully become a real estate insider, how to increase the value of a property without spending a ton of money, and how to take advantage of “no money down” strategies.

All the books listed above are available through online vendors. Alternately, they can be purchased from or ordered from your local bookstore. Many of these real estate books can be purchased used for less than ten dollars, or new for less than $30.