Contractor Sam
“If I, a contractor, liked this book, then many people in the construction industry should treasure the messages in here. At first, when I saw the book cover “Why Do Contractors Lie?” I said to myself, sure this is another book bashing contractors. Interestingly, I couldn’t put the book down once I started reading as many of the examples are real, and the book is written in a very persuasive manner. I have always thought that contractors get a bum rap, but the book gave me a different perspective. It was like looking at myself in a mirror! Until this time, I had never realized that some of the things we do as contractors can be that bad.”
Raphael T
“I have never read a book that highlighted my mistakes the way this one has done. I am a seasoned real estate investor but I still have a long way to master the contracting process and fully be comfortable working with contractors. Every now and then I think I have learned from a past experience, another contractor pulls a fast one on me! From reading this book, I have realized that it is the “contracting stupid” to paraphrase another political commentator in the 90s. Contractors get away with a lot because property owners do not take the time to learn the tools of the trade in the business they are in. I highly recommend getting a copy of this book if you want a clearly written, informative, engaging, and easy to understand material peppered with real life experiences.”
Chris Tuesday
“I find the book to be quite informative. The author is honest, admitting his mistakes, successes and the lessons he learned along the way. As an investor who rehabs and flips houses for a living, this book laid bare all the pitfalls I have gone through and continue experiencing. The steps the author has listed in the book in various stages of hiring and managing a contractor are clear, methodical and practical. I recommend this book to any struggling investor or a newbie. The book is basically a manual written in a serious but entertaining manner.
Gath Greene, business analyst
“I am one of those dudes who treads carefully before starting anything, let alone putting my hard-earned money to work. As a college-educated millennial, professionally employed, with a young family and having many dreams for my future, I identify with Sebastian, the key character in How Not to Fail in Real Estate. He is someone I emulate in many respects. We share the same goals for our young and growing families. His path into business resembles how I am going about researching the types of self-employment gigs that are suitable for me and my family. Like him, I am willing to roll up my sleeves and start from volunteering when necessary to get my feet wet before investing. Also, like him, I have been thinking about my own financial independence through real estate investing and the book has given me that boost to know I can do it. More than that, the author paints a clear road map on how someone can start any business endeavor through research, relevant education, talking to the professionals in the field, volunteering, getting mentored, and making sure you understand the key basics in your field before investing your hard-earned resources.”
Josephine Kim, investor, and contractor
“What first struck me [about How Not to Fail in Real Estate] was the simplicity with which the book is written. I am a long-time real estate investor and contractor who has been trying to teach my sixteen-year-old granddaughter the basics of real estate investing. For over two years, she has periodically accompanied me to my various projects, and she loves real estate. She could not put the manuscript down once she started reading and she finished it in two days. The one thing she kept telling me was that she likes the book because the characters are engaging, and she can see herself learning the business better through their experiences. She said she will keep the book as her manual for when she is ready to start in the business herself. I have also read the book, and I keep pinching myself saying, ‘I wish I had all this information when I first started in the business.’ I would not have made the stupid mistakes I made in the earlier years of my career. I recommend the book to those wishing to explore a career in real estate investing so they can start their journey the right way from a position of strength and confidence.”
Ed Timothy, investor
“If you have ever wondered why some people start their careers in residential real estate investing and become profitable from their first deals, you will find answers in How Not to Fail in Real Estate. J.O.A. Maurice lays out the type of education you need to pursue, the professionals you should line up in your team, and the level of planning necessary as you start and proceed in your career. Written through the lenses of a seasoned real estate investor who has spent over a decade and a half in the trenches of real estate investing and experienced the ups and downs of the market gyrations, the message is easy to understand and will provide you with the necessary knowledge for success. As an experienced real estate investor, myself, I recommend How Not to Fail in Real Estate as one of the tools to include in your real estate resource inventory box as it will serve as a manual you can continually refer to, either to learn some key procedures or refresh your memory.”
Mark Gladwell, lab attendant
“I have been in real estate for over two years. The going has been relatively rough, and I have thought about giving up. Since I started, everything that could go wrong, has gone wrong. My predicament is that I struggle with my business while others seem to succeed. That is the reason I have not quit. I figure, if others are succeeding and I am failing, then it must be me. My frustration has led to deep reflections as I try to figure out why others succeed while I fail. Then recently, a friend gave me an advance copy of How Not to Fail in Real Estate. I started reading and a light bulb came on and I became aware of the many mistakes I made. These trace back to the beginning of my business. I started the wrong way and continued that way. The book has given me that impetus to take a strategic break, get some education, join a local real estate association club where I can mingle with likeminded professionals, and basically take time to learn the business before I restart again. Having failed repeatedly in this journey, the chapter that brought it all home was the one dealing with “Understanding Why Others Have Failed.” From the reading, I understood the genesis of all my failures and the strategies that successful investors employ. In a way, How Not to Fail in Real Estate has reinvigorated my newfound belief that if I restart right and proceed right, the sky is the limit.”
Praise For “Why Do Contractors Lie?”
“I find the book to be quite informative. The author is honest, admitting his mistakes, successes and the lessons he learned along the way. As an investor who rehabs and flips houses for a living, this book laid bare all the pitfalls I have gone through and continue experiencing. The steps the author has listed in the book in various stages of hiring and managing a contractor are clear, methodical and practical. I recommend this book to any struggling investor or a newbie. The book is basically a manual written in a serious but entertaining manner.”
---- Chris Tuesday
“If I, a contractor, liked this book, then many people in the construction industry should treasure the messages in here. At first, when I saw the book cover “Why Do Contractors Lie?” I said to myself, sure this is another book bashing contractors. Interestingly, I couldn’t put the book down once I started reading as many of the examples are real, and the book is written in a very persuasive manner. I have always thought that contractors get a bum rap, but the book gave me a different perspective. It was like looking at myself in a mirror! Until this time, I had never realized that some of the things we do as contractors can be that bad. At least some of us. Now that I have read what people say about us, I have acquired a new sense of purpose and will be more careful how I treat my clients. I recommend this book to other contractors and they will be surprised what they or their friends in the industry do. They will also know what investors and property owners think of them. The information I have read here has forever changed the way I approach my work and my clients. I hope other contractors will also read this book with an open mind.”
---- Contractor Sam
“I have never read a book that highlighted my mistakes the way this one has done. I am a seasoned real estate investor but I still have a long way to master the contracting process and fully be comfortable working with contractors. Every now and then I think I have learned from a past experience, another contractor pulls a fast one on me! From reading this book, I have realized that it is the “contracting stupid” to paraphrase another political commentator in the 90s. Contractors get away with a lot because property owners do not take the time to learn the tools of the trade in the business they are in. I highly recommend getting a copy of this book if you want a clearly written, informative, engaging, and easy to understand material peppered with real life experiences.”
----- Raphael T
Praise for How Not to Fail in Real estate
“I am one of those dudes who treads carefully before starting anything, let alone putting my hard-earned money to work. As a college-educated millennial, professionally employed, with a young family and having many dreams for my future, I identify with Sebastian, the key character in How Not to Fail in Real Estate. He is someone I emulate in many respects. We share the same goals for our young and growing families. His path into business resembles how I am going about researching the types of self-employment gigs that are suitable for me and my family. Like him, I am willing to roll up my sleeves and start from volunteering when necessary to get my feet wet before investing. Also, like him, I have been thinking about my own financial independence through real estate investing and the book has given me that boost to know I can do it. More than that, the author paints a clear road map on how someone can start any business endeavor through research, relevant education, talking to the professionals in the field, volunteering, getting mentored, and making sure you understand the key basics in your field before investing your hard-earned resources.”
----- Gath Greene, business analyst
“What first struck me [about How Not to Fail in Real Estate] was the simplicity with which the book is written. I am a long-time real estate investor and contractor who has been trying to teach my sixteen-year-old granddaughter the basics of real estate investing. For over two years, she has periodically accompanied me to my various projects, and she loves real estate. She could not put the manuscript down once she started reading and she finished it in two days. The one thing she kept telling me was that she likes the book because the characters are engaging, and she can see herself learning the business better through their experiences. She said she will keep the book as her manual for when she is ready to start in the business herself. I have also read the book, and I keep pinching myself saying, ‘I wish I had all this information when I first started in the business.’ I would not have made the stupid mistakes I made in the earlier years of my career. I recommend the book to those wishing to explore a career in real estate investing so they can start their journey the right way from a position of strength and confidence.”
----- Josephine Kim, investor, and contractor
“If you have ever wondered why some people start their careers in residential real estate investing and become profitable from their first deals, you will find answers in How Not to Fail in Real Estate. J.O.A. Maurice lays out the type of education you need to pursue, the professionals you should line up in your team, and the level of planning necessary as you start and proceed in your career. Written through the lenses of a seasoned real estate investor who has spent over a decade and a half in the trenches of real estate investing and experienced the ups and downs of the market gyrations, the message is easy to understand and will provide you with the necessary knowledge for success. As an experienced real estate investor, myself, I recommend How Not to Fail in Real Estate as one of the tools to include in your real estate resource inventory box as it will serve as a manual you can continually refer to, either to learn some key procedures or refresh your memory.”
----- Ed Timothy, investor
“I have been in real estate for over two years. The going has been relatively rough, and I have thought about giving up. Since I started, everything that could go wrong, has gone wrong. My predicament is that I struggle with my business while others seem to succeed. That is the reason I have not quit. I figure, if others are succeeding and I am failing, then it must be me. My frustration has led to deep reflections as I try to figure out why others succeed while I fail. Then recently, a friend gave me an advance copy of How Not to Fail in Real Estate. I started reading and a light bulb came on and I became aware of the many mistakes I made. These trace back to the beginning of my business. I started the wrong way and continued that way. The book has given me that impetus to take a strategic break, get some education, join a local real estate association club where I can mingle with likeminded professionals, and basically take time to learn the business before I restart again. Having failed repeatedly in this journey, the chapter that brought it all home was the one dealing with “Understanding Why Others Have Failed.” From the reading, I understood the genesis of all my failures and the strategies that successful investors employ. In a way, How Not to Fail in Real Estate has reinvigorated my newfound belief that if I restart right and proceed right, the sky is the limit.”
----- Mark Gladwell, lab attendant