Introduction 1 Part 1: Getting Started with Real Estate Investing. 5 Chapter 1: Evaluating Real Estate as an Investment 7 Chapter 2: Covering Common Real Estate Investments 25 Chapter 3: Considering Foreclosures, REOs, Probate Sales, and More 47 Chapter 4: Taking the Passive Approach 65 Chapter 5: Fast Money: Small Down Payments and Property Flips 83 Chapter 6: Building Your Team 93 Part 2: How to Get the Money: Raising Capital and Financing 111 Chapter 7: Identifying Sources of Capital 113 Chapter 8: Financing Your Property Purchases 125 Chapter 9: Securing the Best Mortgage Terms 145 Part 3: Finding and Evaluating Properties 155 Chapter 10: Location, Location, Value 157 Chapter 11: Understanding Leases and Property Valuation 193 Chapter 12: Valuing Property through Number Crunching 207 Chapter 13: Preparing and Making an Offer 235 Chapter 14: Due Diligence, Property Inspections, and Closing 255 Part 4: Operating the Property 295 Chapter 15: Landlording 101 297 Chapter 16: Protecting Your Investment 335 Chapter 17: Recordkeeping and Accounting 347 Chapter 18: Looking at Tax Considerations and Exit Strategies 363 Part 5: The Part of Tens 393 Chapter 19: Ten (Plus One) Ways to Increase a Property's Value 395 Chapter 20: Ten Steps to Real Estate Investing Success 407 Index 417.