He begins by explaining both the advantages and disadvantages of real estate lease options, a method that allows potential buyers to invest only a fraction of their funds in a property. The examples provided by the author allow beginners to visualize how the process works. One of his most valuable chapters offers readers the opportunity to create their own “action plan,” which outlines all the goals they seek to accomplish. Planning is key, Fisher advises, along with a positive attitude and the willingness to learn more about changes in the real estate market. Don’t overlook basics like knowing your financial limitations and credit rating before you attempt to invest.

But, Fisher does more than walk the reader to the front door of that new property. Once your purchase is complete, he takes you inside by explaining how to work with repairmen, how to find good tenants, and also provides an inside look at relevant matters such as taxes and maintaining your property. So, whether you’re a newcomer to the field or someone who wants to brush up on investment techniques, let this clearly-written practical handbook be your guide.

What I liked most about the book was that it really did assume no prior knowledge – it even started with a whole bunch of guides on how to get motivated and set goals and prepare yourself, before you even make your first step. Plus including things like real estate market psychology takes it beyond boring old numbers and statistics!

Aided by quotes from a variety of well-known personalities (Mark Twain, Warren Buffett, Tiger Woods, et al), Mr. Fisher sets out an exhaustive, step-by-step plan for anyone who is now, or ever has considered real estate investment as the best way to make a living. He does so very meticulously and with a great deal of attention to detail. Chapter headings and indeed, much of the text could be applied to starting any kind of business, or, as noted, to writing a book about starting any kind of business: Attitude is Everything (Chapter 2), Getting Started (Chapter 4), Some Basic Principles (Chapter 5).

It is clear from reading carefully that Mr. Fisher has done his homework in the field of real estate options and in particular, believes that the ‘lease option’ is the best way for investors to go. With over 25 years of experience in the fields of business writing and training and development, it should come as no surprise that he has crafted an excellent instruction book on the ins and outs of buying and selling real estate. He has included interactive options for the practical entrepreneur, like check lists, and blank forms that the reader can use to track his/her own progress, whether it be in evaluating a property, the neighborhood that it’s in or the buyers who want to own it.

He uses clever acronyms to crystallize reader thinking about specific subject matter. In an early section about “setting goals,” he suggests that the reader/entrepreneur utilize the “SMART” method of creating those goals – Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented, Realistic and Time-Bound. Near the conclusion of his book, he recommends that those seriously interested in pursuing real estate investment “SWOT” themselves; in other words conduct an objective analysis of individual Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

His style is very casual, very confident and well within the grasp of an average reader. Fisher isn’t speaking to experienced professionals here, although even the most seasoned of those could likely find a great deal of food for thought here as they continue their pursuit of real estate deals. He’s talking to the person who’s considering this particular career path and if it’s one that interests you, you could do no better than to start with him and this book.

Take notes. There isn’t a quiz later, but if you head out on the route he’s plotted for you, you’re going to want to look back and remember some of the specifics.

“The Complete Guide to Real Estate Options: What Smart Investors need to Know - Explained Simply” by Steven D. Fisher is an astoundingly easy to read book. It provides step by step guidance to becoming a savvy real estate investor and especially in view of the Lease Option Strategy. This book has everything a consumer needs to know. Fisher covers both the advantages and the disadvantages of the Lease Option Strategy. The book also covers every aspect of what it takes to become a successful Real Estate Proprietor ranging from the importance of developing and maintaining the right attitude to becoming a wise and successful landlord.

Fisher teaches you how to effectively get started as a new investor and how to avoid legal drawbacks by following steps to comprehensively set goals as you manage your business and property. You will learn the importance of organization in every area of your life in relation to success; from managing your credit properly to organizing your office. You will even learn how to organize and apply a successful “action plan.”

“The Complete Guide to Real Estate Options” teaches the real estate student how to build a rapport by using exercises that will help you to become a success in the real estate arena.

This book, chapter by chapter will inspire any up and coming investor and even a seasoned investor to acquire his or her goals more quickly and easily. If you’re looking for a good book that will teach you the ins and outs about real estate investing, this is the book for you. I give this book two thumbs up and without doubt a 5-Star rating.

The book looks in detail at the use of “lease options”, which are occasionally touched on in the standard courses, but not treated in anything like this depth. As such, you would think that this book covers only a subset of the market for wealth building with real estate. Not really, I have to say. While it is comprehensive on the use of options, the book has details of all aspects of purchasing, selling and renting property which are equally applicable to the other approaches to real estate. For instance, there are sections about finding tenants, and how to treat both good and bad tenants, right down to eviction procedures.

More than this, this volume has a great deal of information about the successful approach to being an entrepreneur and business person. The advice ranges from adopting the right mental attitude, market and property analysis, the psychology of negotiations, setting up the business, and picking and using professionals for your team

Finally, the book contains comprehensive action steps to set you on the path to success with real estate options. In summary, this book will repay study over the long term, and is recommended for anyone who has an interest in making money with real estate.

For those looking for more advanced information, the book covers topics like liens, inspections, negotiations, and issues related to being a landlord. Most importantly, the author thoroughly discusses the legality and financial issues related to the various types of real estate investments, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each. Let’s face it, nobody wants to “risk it all” in a new business venture, and the Complete Guide to Real Estate Options puts you on alert for potential problems and tells you how to avoid them. Break-out boxes and bullet points are used to take complex concepts and formulas and put them into an easy to understand format.

This isn’t a light read, and you’ll definitely want to tackle it in chunks to get the most out of it, and allow some time to absorb, or to “refer back”. Although I’m not an expert in the field, after reading the book, it’s hard to imagine there is anything that hasn’t been covered.

Steven Fisher is an excellent mentor. He was able to successfully cover the specifics of real estate options. His book will guide the readers in achieving useful insight to learn, among other things, how to: a) gather knowledge of the real estate market; b) make general and specific market analysis; c) evaluate financing sources; d) physically inspect a property; d) evaluate the profitability of a lease option; e) close a deal and maximize the appeal of the property; and f) exercise the lease option.

Overall, this is an excellent guide to real estate options. Readers will surely love the added features of the book like the list of useful references for further reading and the glossary of real estate terminology found at the end. Also indispensable are the valuable tips, key ideas and worksheets found interspersed within each chapter.