The Second Homeowner's Handbook: A Complete Guide for Vacation, Income, Retirement, and Investment

I find that the author has a genuine interest in his Reader's understanding the Real Estate area in general terms as well as provoking them to analyze whether they can afford to invest in property whether vacation, retirement or investment properties. I felt that the goal of the author was to help Readers make better choices in Real Estate investments from a personal and business perspective. The Second Homeowners Handbook provided step by step guidelines and references on identifying property to invest, choosing the right location, analyzing the market, and goal setting. While there are many Real Estate investment books on the market, you can not find a book that provide actual details on how to maximize property values by eliminating clutter or steps to improve basic appearance of the property to ultimately generate quick profits. This is a book that you can not resist and is a good buy for those interested in second homeownership.

This book outlines smart financial moves to make even if you are not planning on buying a second home. The tips covered are useful for buying or selling a first home also - items such as how to analyze property or loans, and how to increase the resale value of a home are important in any real estate transaction. For those who are interested in buying a second home, the purchase, financing, and maintenance of residence, rental, and rehab properties is covered in detail. There are clearly written guides which relate the procedures required to hold a second home for monthly income or increase long term wealth. The writing is well organized and easy to understand, with excellent descriptions and testimonials from those who are already experienced in the business of real estate. An extensive glossary at the end is helpful for readers who are unfamiliar with real estate terms and phrases.

The Second Homeowner's Handbook: A Complete Guide for Vacation, Retirement, and Investment by Jeff Haden, published by Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc. Rating: 5 stars out of five. The Second Homeowner's Handbook is a great resource of 288 pages for the more than 30% of homebuyers who acquire second homes each year. This handbook explains how to invest in a vacation and/or future retirement home. It covers what kinds of homes to purchase, how to rent the home tax-free, and how to negotiate sales and obtain financing. It also covers warranties, insurance, moving plans, walk-throughs, contracts, mortgages, and closings, to name but a few topics. It is a wonderful resource for home buying! The author of The Second Homeowner's Handbook, Jeff Haden, writes from extensive, personal experience. He states, "Real estate is one of the most stable investments you will find." He is absolutely right and the handbook gives you the knowledge and tools you need to make wise and profitable investments in real estate. I highly recommend The Second Homeowner's Handbook to anyone considering purchasing a home - to live in or invest in!

Whatever your reason for purchasing a second home, this book is a great guide. The book covers every possible use of a second property: your own residence, renting for additional income and flipping for a profit. The benefits of owning a second home are discussed and tips for performing a self assessment and establishing your goals are included. This book helps you understand the process of real estate transactions from start to finish. If you plan to buy additional properties in the future, the book has great information for determining what to look for in a property, locating properties and developing a good relationship with your real estate agent. You will learn a lot about analyzing and comparing properties to help you find the best second home for your needs. Once you have selected a property, the book helps you learn the basics of mortgages. There are great tips to help you secure the best possible terms on your loan. Information on creative financing is also provided. After you have purchased the property, this book is still valuable. There is great information about managing and improving the property after you have made the purchase.

I quite enjoyed Jeff Haden's logical, step-by-step approach to investing in a second home, and I expect that his book will make the process much simpler for me than it would otherwise be. This book is truly a guide and it helps the potential investor to determine what he can afford, how to locate and finance the right property as a vacation home, second residence, or income-producing property, what creative financing options exist, methods for management of the property and improvement of the home's value, and more. This handbook is an easy read and my copy has earned a place at the front of my reference bookshelf.