Building Real Estate Riches by Chris Condon (2004, Paperback)

I was interested in learning more about building new houses for profit, so I went looking for a book that focused on just that. Enter "Building Real Estate Riches,". This book is basically a user's manual for value engineering methods that can save big bucks on a build.

For example, In the book it lists certain types of houses that, by their very nature, are more affordable to build than others. Same amount of square-footage, same value on the market as other types of houses -- but through efficient material usage, they cost less. And there are dozens and dozens of other ideas -- from using alternate materials, to changing room sizes, to doing certain aspects of the work yourself, that will result in a bigger profit when it comes time to sell your house. You wouldn't want to incorporate all of his ideas -- and he's the first to tell you that -- but many can be worked in without compromising the value of the house. Condon's extensive experience as a builder is obvious.

Even if you plan on hiring a general contractor to build a home for you, this book shows methods you can use to participate in the build -- and save. The book concentrates on very specific things that can be done to save money while still producing a top-notch, marketable home. As far as I'm concerned, this book is required reading for any newbie who plans on building a home -- whether you plan on selling it after a couple of years or not.