Other Resources

Rehab Checklist from CIC

We highly recommend that every prospective buyer download this 12-pg power-packed guide to repair costs. It is produced by the Community Reinvestment Corp of Chicago. CIC specializes in larger apartment buildings, but we think you will find this guide applies to any older building. We add this recommendation: Steve Hier, a leading property inspector in Chicago, says that he has found this guide to repair costs to be very accurate: We would add: we have never seen a better concise guide to property repair and updating..

To download your own copy of the brochure that you can then print, click here:

> Rehab Checklist from CIC

Here's a beginning attempt at a bibliograpghy:

• The Millionaire Real Estate Investor (by Gary Keller, pulbished by McGraw Hill) is NOT one of our favorite books in that it tries to cover investment property everywhere in America--but if you are serious about wealth building, we think you will want to see the 21 profiles at the end--and reflect on the strategy each of these successful investors set.

• If you are new to working with city apartments and Section 8, etc. we recommend Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street (published in 1984 by Vintage Contemporaries). It shows in a profoundly human way the desire of people (in this case, poor people) for a decent place to raise a family.

Are you interested in housing assistance plans in the city and suburbs?

Check out chicagoareahousing.org.

Are you interested in updating your property used reclaimed stuff?

Did you know you can salvage all kinds of things from houses being torn down--at prices typically no more than 10% of normal retail? Check out the one-day demolition auction people at murco.net.