Plenty of property advice in latest books

By ANNE GIBSON

Books released this year on property show how advice to buyers, sellers and investors can vary from highly cautious to bullish.

Look no further than the book shelf for tales of woe and winnings from the world of real estate investment.

A self-proclaimed rascal, a self-made millionaire and a real estate agent are just some who took up their pens this year to unburden themselves of their experiences.

Some of the rollicking tales tell of traps and tricks of the trade. Others are more straight-forward guides.

The result is more information for you, whether you are a homeowner, immigrant, seller, buyer, prospective investor or simply a sitting duck watching the fiasco.


Where to Live in Auckland

By contributing writers

Barbican Publishing $39.95

This useful guide just released is a must-have for all new to the city and an informative read for locals.

It profiles 49 neighbourhoods in extraordinary depth, giving information on prices, school zones, real estate trends, best streets, rents, neighbourhood maps, quirks of the area, travel times and buyers' tips.

The 224-page paperback gives each area a star rating and a potted history, tips about what to look for when buying, details on suburban amenities such as shops and parks, information on what type of people live there (Parnell has high socio-economic go-getters, but Titirangi has artistically inclined bush lovers), where the smart money is buying and what a typical dwelling in various areas might be (Devonport has gracious Edwardian and Victorian villas, but Blockhouse Bay has bungalows and many infill plaster-finish houses).

A nice touch is the "why I live there" stories scattered through the text, as well as the "local hero" (the Hollywood Cinema in Avondale and the flea markets in Otahuhu).

Top points for the odd joke like this: "If you live in Christchurch, the question is which school you went to. If you live in Wellington, it's what movies you have seen lately. But if you live in Auckland, it's where do you live?".

Excellent.


Don't Sign Anything!

By Neil Jenman

Rowley Publications, Sydney, $39.95

(Distributed by Southern Publishers Group, Auckland)

A challenging book to upset real estate agents, accusing their industry of being based on lies, deceit and corruption.

The Sydney-based whistle-blower says he got a big response from New Zealanders for his previous book Real Estate Mistakes, released in 2000. He has produced yet another fascinating study of tactics in real estate, such as conditioning, whereby agents lure you to list by promising you an unrealistically high price, then gradually let you down by telling you the market is unwilling to pay so much. He uncovers investment traps, duplicity at auctions and "card bombing", where agents use colleagues' cards to make it appear many people have been shown through.

But the book also has a highly positive and practical slant, telling you how to outsmart the agents by presenting a contract to them which is in your favour and limiting aspects like the length of time a property remains on sole agency.

Jenman is no fan of the real estate business or institutes on either side of the Tasman and argues his case in mesmerising fashion.

Highly readable, particularly for cynics.


Your Investment Property

By Anita Bell

Random House $19.95

This bullish book encouraging people to buy houses as investment has a subtitle: "How to choose it, pay for it and triple your returns in three years, by someone who did it in two".

The Queensland-based author has also written Your Mortgage and Your Money. She uses a hyped up, ra-ra style to persuade people to buy property, then describes exactly how to go about it.

Golden investment rules, how to make profits from property, how to structure the loan, choose an agent, contracts, tax, management and selling.

Ideal for addicts of self-help finance books.


The Rascal's Guide to Real Estate

By Olly Newland

Addenda, $39.95

The subtitle of the Auckland businessman's book is "how to make big profits from property ... and avoid the traps!"

The former head of a collapsed property empire and 1980s sharemarket darling Landmark Corporation, Newland promotes his book by saying he has 40 years' experience in the business.

He tells you how to deal with agents, raise finance, negotiate deals, renovate a house, advertise property and sell on low deposit, warns of auction tactics, dirty tricks and how to safeguard yourself.

He also veers into an area with much higher stakes - commercial and industrial property. It might help to know the book comes out of the Addenda/Empower Education camp, which also promotes another New Zealand real estate writer and promoter, Dolf De Roos.

The unkind might say it is a pity the author did not use all this knowledge to save Landmark and its shareholders' funds. Kinder people would say this big-format book is a must-have for the rare opportunity it offers to learn from an insider.


New Zealand Real Estate Secrets

By Andy Gilbert

David Bateman, $24.95

The subtitle here is "know the business and get the best from real estate agents, whether buying or selling", yet this book manages to avoid hype typical of many of its ilk. Rotorua-based agent turned adviser/consultant, Andy Gilbert has produced a relatively straight-forward guide to residential property, spelling out in plain language the steps to buying and selling houses, how to maximise returns, get the best deal and select an agent.

The most interesting chapter, Be Aware of Selling Techniques, reveals tricks used by agents and the psychology involved in this highly emotive arena.

Good for beginners, but sadly no index.


Real Estate Riches

By Dolf De Roos

Addenda, $32.95

The highly prolific, hard-working United States-based New Zealander is undoubtedly the single most tireless promoter of residential property investment.

He is also good at promoting himself, never missing the opportunity to tell people he has a PhD, even if it was in the apparently unrelated field of electrical engineering from Canterbury University.

Dr De Roos runs seminars here and like most of the others, felt the need for a subtitle: "How to become rich using your banker's money". The book explains why property is "so good", how to analyse deals, negotiate, add value without spending much and simply become wildly rich.

It will either make you want to rush out and buy a house or lie down and go to sleep.