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This Third Edition is a great book for all real estate investors, whether yoa are an agent or not. In fact I think that is more valuable for the knowledgeable investor. The author is a CPA and real estate broker, who has written a marvelous book relating the Federal Tax code to real estate applications. There are chapters on Personal Residence Exclusion of $250,000/$500,000, Capital Gains, and Installment Sales. you will find detail in this book that is not present in any other tax book for real estate investors.

There are 4 chapters on the Section 1031 Like Kind exchange alone. There are also 4 chapters on the Passive Loss Rules. In addition there are other chapters on Home Mortgage Deduction, Depreciation, and the Home Office. The text is easy to read and very informative. There are lots of Tips throughout all the chapters advising the reader of good things to do as well as inadvisable tactics. Dealer Status is covered all too briefly in my opinion, as I would have liked to seen more on that subject. I would also have liked to seen more on corporations and there is no mention of Limited Liability Companies. But despite these shortcomings the book is excellent and covers the topics in good detail. This is obviously a dry subject and reading the manuals and guidelines can sometimes give one a headache. But with this book no aspirin is needed. This book is a must for any serious real estate investor, whether you do your taxes yourself or hire a professional. This book should be required reading before you get your real estate investor secret decoder ring.

This book is not meant to be read cover-to-cover. It would take a very patient and determined reader to go through every example and exception and tax detail. However, it is in these details that this book stands out. The language used is straightforward, the examples are well thought-out and realistic. Use the book more like a reference - go directly to the chapter related to your intended transaction; the chapters are quite self-contained.

I believe this book is a necessary addition to any real-estate investor's library. Spending 30 minutes reviewing the chapter related to your contemplated real-estate transaction will fill you with ideas for suitable tax strategies.

This 3rd edition of Vern Hoven's book is an excellent reference for real estate brokers and agents. I have given it as a Christmas present to all my agents. I have also alerted a client to a potential tax problem his CPA overlooked, but I recognized as a result of reading this book.

I have used this tax guide as the main reference in writing a continuing education course on the subject of IRS section 1031 tax deferred exchanges. Vern does the most thorough job of covering this subject that I have read.

Vern covers the timing and consequence of most real estate transactions. He also covers personal tax consequences, such as "office-in-home" rules, which apply to real estate agents.

I recomemnd this book highly in all the real estate courses I teach and sometimes use it as a prize in classroom games. Whether you are a real estate investor or agent you should read this book and keep it near your desk.