Looking to expand your house flipping knowledge? Find a review of the Top 10 must-read house flipping books for profitable investments here.
Knowledge on navigating the real estate market can be hard to find when looking at the surface level.
You can only find the same generic information online that'll probably not get you far.
But reading a house flipping book can provide you with life lessons and practical experiences to kickstart your career.
You can also learn about the mistakes synonymous with starting a house flipping business and how to avoid them.
We cut to the chase, selecting and reviewing the ten best house flipping books in this article so you’d have all the information you need on how to flip houses and turn a healthy profit!
An overview of the best house flipping books to read and inspire you to turn a profit.
The house flipping industry can be tough for newbies, especially considering how volatile the real estate market has become.
If you're recently interested in fixing and flipping, there's no better place to start than Ralph Roberts' Flipping Houses for Dummies.
For the records, Ralph Roberts has over 10,000 flipped Houses in his portfolio and over seven books on real estate investing.
His book, Flipping Houses For Dummies, is one of the most-read of the bunch. It covers:
J. Scott is one of those early-day investors who spent the first half of his life in the corporate world before transitioning to real estate investing with his wife, Carol.
With this profile, you can expect to see a blend of his career experiences in his books, and he'll most likely turn out to be one of your favorite authors on house flipping.
The Book on Flipping Houses is one of four books J. Scott has to his name. It talks about:
Did we mention that J. Scott (of The Book on Flipping Houses) was a former host of the BiggerPockets podcast?
Yes, now, guess who is also a one-time host on that show? Brandon Turner.
Like J. Scott, Turner has a ton of experience flipping real estate and accounts for them in his four books, including this one.
For investors struggling to flip homes because of money problems, this book will show you:
Ryan Pineda is one of the new-era real estate investors who started his career in 2010 and is changing the narrative.
Reading his book Flip Your Future, you'll soon find him a perfect model for aspiring investors looking to quit their nine-to-five jobs for a new financial experience.
Some of the themes he addressed in this book include:
While several other house-flipping books offer tips on finding the best deals and all things within that cycle, The Millionaire Real Estate Investor focuses on what moves the market.
This doesn't only make an excellent choice for a house flipper's library— it changes the way they see things.
For instance, in the book, Jay Papasan discusses several wrong ideas people have about money that can affect their investment decisions.
And to say the least, no other author would have discussed these issues better.
Papasan's wealth of experience, alongside input from Keller and Jenks, make this book a gold mine for budding house flipping investors— no wonder it made it to the New York Times Best Seller List.
Here are the top four lessons you'll learn while reading this book:
The BiggerPockets podcast alumni hosts are featured heavily on this list, and David Mason, who currently runs the show, is no exception!
As it is, Mason is one of the most recognized real estate investors, especially in the San Francisco area where he lives.
Out of his five books on real estate investing, BRRR teaches you everything you need to know about reproducing the same results he got in the rental property investing market.
From the book, you'll learn how to:
Flip is a part of The Millionaire Real Estate Investing Series— the third book in the series.
It contains a no-BS guide on flipping houses with practical examples from the adventures of investors Bill, Samantha, Amy, Nancy, Ed, and Mitch.
Although it's quite old, most of its lessons are applicable in the real estate world today.
Some of the things you'll learn while reading this book include:
Rehab costs, though a vital aspect of house flipping, can be tricky, especially for new investors.
They can tremendously affect the net profit of flipping houses, so having a guide that shows how to do it –the right way– is no small feat.
J. Scott's book on estimating rehab costs takes a break from the usual generic advice, like how to find the best deals and check out houses (something you'll commonly find in most other books).
Instead, he addresses the main pain point—calculating rehab costs, which makes it worth every penny.
From cosmetic costs to home upgrades, these are four top lessons you'll learn from this book:
If you're looking for house-flipping tips and secrets, your go-to resource is Luke Weber's The Flipping Blueprint.
This 124-page book has eight chapters with lessons on how he navigates the market.
And if you want to know, Weber has more than a decade of experience in real estate, plus thousands of houses flipped.
In his own words, "You have to change your path to change your destination."
Reading this book, you'll soon find why he thinks this way and how vital this statement is to your real estate journey.
Some of the lessons you'll pick up from Weber's book include:
This roundup would probably not make much sense if there were no classics from the 90s.
Well, here's one by George Nash: Renovating Old Houses.
Not many books on flipping houses offer practical guides on renovating an old house.
So, like the J. Scott book on calculating rehab costs, this book is pain-specific and can come in handy when you hit a wall.
It's old, but it remains an invaluable resource.
In 416 pages, Nash covers all things renovations, including:
Why bother with books?
There are lots of other learning options, from podcasts to webinars, but here are some reasons you should be reading books on house flipping:
Learn at Your Own Pace
You have control of your reading time if you need to focus on areas that you find interesting, research them further, and jot down your notes.
See the Market Through The Eyes of a Pro
Authors tend to give deeper insights regarding their experiences in their books than they'll do in most other channels.
So, you have better chances of understanding them while reading their books.
Low-Cost Learning Opportunity
Specialized online courses on house flipping can cost between $5,000 to $20,000.
But why spend this amount for only a few hours of content when you can get a book for way less and read it anytime you want?
Since fix-and-flip became well-known, many books claiming they have the "ultimate" formula flooded the market— some by authors we cannot even verify.
To avoid buying into a piece of experiment and guesswork, use these tips to select a book.
Author's Experience
The best-selling books on house flipping have recognized authors.
Do a simple search for their profile on Google, and you can tell if they're legit.
Practical Advice
Besides having a catchy title, what does the book teach? Can you apply the given advice? Or is it just theoretical nonsense that no one has ever tried?
To determine this without actually reading the book, you need to check out...
Reader Reviews
Feedback from readers should tell you what to expect before buying a book.
One of the best places to find such reviews is the book's sales page on Amazon.
Publication Date
The publication date of any book is relevant because knowledge can be subject to time.
Since the real estate market is constantly changing, it makes sense to go for up-to-date information.
However, older books still have vital lessons you can learn from, so don’t shoot them down too fast.
Local Relevance
Real estate laws aren't the same in every state or country.
When choosing a book, it's best to find one that reflects the challenges with laws in your area and how to overcome them— you don't need unusable knowledge.
These 10 elite house-flipping books can give you insight on challenges you're most likely still not familiar with if you’re new to flipping houses.
You get to read the experiences of successful house-flippers and learn from their mistakes before you recreate their journeys.
Check out the books and let us know in the comment section if they were worth your time.
And share this with a friend looking to dabble in real estate investment!
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