[.ca] Find It, Buy It, Fix It: The Insider's Guide to Fixer-Uppers (ISBN 1419535722)

From Amazon.com:
In this era of rising real-estate and building costs, it's natural that homeowner wannabes are turning to the less expensive (though more problematic) joys of fixer-uppers. Robert Irwin is a specialist in the area of improvable real estate, and this book is a terrific primer for those do-it-yourselfers who want to save money on the house of their dreams (or turn it around for a tidy profit). Irwin pulls no punches--he starts off with a quiz to determine what manner of fixer the potential buyer is able to handle; lays out the issue of money early on, keeping it firmly at the forefront of every chapter; and includes a horror story or two just to make sure the reader isn't easily scared off. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" seems to be his motto, however, and the venturesome handyperson will learn a lot from this book.

Unless you are an absolute beginner, don't waste your money!:
Robert Irwin writes in general terms about things that are common sense to anyone who knows a screwdriver from a hammer. This book is strictly for someone that has not even purchased a house before. One last note; If you do buy this book, buy it from Amazon.com because it cost me four dollars more at my local book store!

Excellent guide to buying and rehabbing a fixer-upper.:
This is a step-by-step guide to buying and rehabbing a handyman's (or woman's) special. Real estate expert Robert Irwin shows you how to decide if you're the right person for the project. If so, you'll learn how to locate a property, check it out, become its proud owner, then assemble your "dream team" of plumbers, electricians, and other contractors. You'll also find lots of helpful advice on estimating costs, financing the deal, and deciding what parts of the many projects to tackle yourself.

Very helpful and informative:
This is a wonderful book that saved me countless dollars and hours in helping me figure out how the best way was to make my newly acquired 'fixer-upper' a dream home.

Read It, Buy It, Fix It:
Robert Irwin's "Find it, Buy it, Fix it: The Insider's Guide to Fixer-Uppers" clearly distinguishes the typology of fixer-uppers and recommends certain types of fixer-uppers for certain types of people, depending on know-how and experience. He highlights the importance of a well-assembled, diversified team to undertake fix-up projects. He also emphasizes the importance of having a plan and how a well-executed, well-thought out plan and a strict scheduling process can help make up for being short on funds. Irwin makes a point to recognize the importance of knowing one's limits and hiring contractors or experts. In other words, no one should try to be a "Renaissance Man", that is, someone who does or attempts to do everything themselves (often falsely believing that they are "saving money"). Finally, Irwin provides some interesting financing considerations that are unique to properties in need of moderate to heavy repair or renovation. Despite being a good general overview, Irwin fails to elaborate on what type of climate is suited to "flipping" or quick fix-ups. Not every cycle is ideally suited to flips, as flipping becomes most profitable in high demand, high appreciation areas, "up-and-coming areas" and also produces the best returns when interest rates are low, allowing a larger number of buyers than sellers. Irwin might have made his book more relevant to today's somewhat recessive market by proposing alternative fix-up and investment strategies. Also, like many other books of this nature, the author refers to his own book for further reference. All in all though, Irwin's book is a good read, as unlike many other American real estate books, it is not overloaded with tax information that is essentially useless to the Canadian real estate investor/flipper. Irwin provides a number of important considerations when purchasing or undertaking fixer-upper projects and reassuringly comforts the reader by demonstrating that flipping for profit is achievable, even for those with little know-how or experience.