Reader comments about
John T. Reed's Real Estate Investor's Monthly newsletter
Hello John
As I was reading your latest monthly I was thinking about some of the things that keep me renewing my subscription.
1) Insightful and honest analysis of investing, money management and what may work and what may not. I first ran across your name when searching about a real estate author. I was very surprised in your review how you did not shy away from calling out this particular popular author as falling far short of giving useful advice. That is unusual. In reading your book, “How to Protect Your Life Savings from Hyperinflation and Depression” I found the ideas useful and also your identification of a key concept. That is, if you owned all that you would ever need for the rest of your life, there would be little worry about hyperinflation or depression. Of course, many items are perishable, so this may not be done with all goods and services, but there are many where acquiring them now in some quantity may be useful.
2) A wide ranging review of topics, not just confined to real estate, but other investments, inflationary (and deflationary) concerns as well as political events. The reviews are always direct, rational and not the “group think” that often permeates otherwise good publications, such as the Wall Street Journal. It keeps the newsletter interesting. If you only wrote on real estate I would likely have dropped off since I do little active investing in real estate now.
3) Your review of various books on an expansive range of topics, which gives me ideas for additional reading. Not just your own books, but those of other authors. I am on the lookout for interesting reading and your newsletter gives me good ideas for further reading.
Keep up the good writing.
Your neighbor, one city over,
Best regards,
Steve
Steve Way
Walnut Creek, CA 94598
A wonderful resource. This newsletter touches on all the major issues in real estate. And over time, has introduced me to a whole buffet of ideas and information related to real estate and investing. Many of those ideas would never been on my radar without John's excellent newsletter.
Love your newsletter. Thanks to you, my rental properties have been a good investment. I'd like to add you to my professional network.
Harry Zechman (From Linkedin)
The following is from a note about a missed issue of Real Estate Investor’s Monthly:
I definitely notice when it's not here as it's my favorite letter. …I appreciate that your articles are based on research, analysis and conclusion of FACTS. There appears to be an absence of real, well researched facts attached to much of what passes for the "truth" today. I have also learned a tremendous amount of broader economic knowledge. Thank you.
John Yamnicky, Woodbridge, VA
Thanks John! Your books and newsletter are the best in the industry. Keep up the great work. I have quite a few of your books, and a lot of books by many others. Yet I only ever reread and refer back to your books. Your books have substance, specifics and details where others are general and wanting.
Best Regards,
I give your newsletter first priority when it arrives each month. Thanks for sharing your great wisdom.
John,
I very much have enjoyed the books and newsletter. You've definitely
saved me from making some bad mistakes and easily saved me the cost of all the
books I've purchased. Thanks again!
Hello Sir! I have been a subscriber to your news letter for 10+ years, and have purchased many of your books.
I have found your writings to be marvelously helpful and entertaining reading. You are a real straight shooter.
Based on what I learned from you, I did 1031 exchanges [in] Haddonfield[, NJ] into [an apartment] complex in Burlington, VT.
I have also developed two commercial facilities in Vermont, and used your arguments and court cases to support component depreciation of 15 years rather than [39] years for landscaping depreciable life on these. Since one of these properties was built on enormous landfill, this was a huge difference in tax deferral. Any one of the things I did above would have paid for your newsletter subscription and books many, many times over.
Sincerely, Larry Kruse
Jack:
I just mailed off the renewal to REIM but I wanted to give you this endorsement.
Your real estate publications are of great value to me. It is now about 20 years since I ran across an early version of Aggressive Tax Avoidance, read it avidly, and filed away mentally the information on 1031 like kind exchanges. That one tip, and follow up comments you have made about exchanges in other publications, has made me about $100,000 in extra profits in my real estate investing over the past several years. I have not read every word you have written on real estate investing, so I wonder now what I may have missed. Perhaps I should buy all your other publications just to make sure. Certainly they are a better way to gain information than most of the dreck on the market today.
I appreciate your hard-nosed, analytical, unemotional approach to this topic, flavored, no doubt, by your Army background and Harvard MBA. Your website information is likewise valuable, particularly the "guru" ratings, and I hope you can keep this going.
I wish you success in your future endeavors,
Mark Anderson
Fairfax VA, Real Estate investor for 23 years
"One newsletter I love to read is John T. Reed's Real Estate Investor's Monthly. He's a smart man, a funny writer, and always provocative." Jane Bryant Quinn, Newsweek and Washington Post Writers Group columnist
"You saved me $8,000...you mentioned... credit for prior year minimum tax. My accountant failed to show this on my Form 1040. I contacted him and he amended the tax return so that I will get a refund of $8,000. How sweet it is!" John A. White, Albuquerque, NM
“Every real estate investor would profit from reading your books and newsletter. You challenge a lot of commonly held investment and management assumptions and business practices. You are the most practical, down-to-earth, no nonsense, humble real estate investment advisor in the country, a unique voice of reason in an industry filled with both accidental and deliberate misinformation.
Your primary weapons are a heavy dose of common sense, creative problem-solving, logic, a unique ability to share both your personal successes and errors. I doubt many investors manage to do everything you recommend, but when I look at the successful investors I have known over the past 25 years, it's clear their business plans follow much of the same advice you give readers every month.
I have enjoyed reading your articles for the past twenty or more years, and although I prefer to give myself credit for my successes, I am sure your reasoning, month after month, has shaped my own investment strategy. Thank you.” Mike Scott Dupre + Scott Apartment Advisors
"You have a real knack for getting down to the nitty-gritty and doing it in such a fashion as to make it not only interesting to grasp but also to inject a certain brand of humor in the process...congratulations on your new publication and keep up the good work. I enjoy your newsletter more than any other I receive---down to earth advice, cutting through the jargon to render good assistance to your readers. And the humor. This we have much too little of today, especially in the real estate investment business after TRA 1986 and whatever they call the ones in late '87 and early '88." Morgan E. Cartier, CCIM, Ludington, MI 49431
"One idea in your May 1986 issue will save me $2,160 a year." Frank McGinnis, San Francisco, CA
"I...hope that you will continue to write on the subject of real estate taxation and strategies to deal with that, since you get into the sources better than anybody else I know of." Mark Terry, Alameda, CA
"I look forward each month to receive your letter and it is the first envelope I open before I get back from the mail box. I find your information very valuable." Wanda Kolodziej, Toronto
"I greatly look forward to getting your newsletters." Philip Langner, New York, NY
"Keep up your real life articles." Michael R. Power, Waco, TX
"Keep up the good work---we enjoy every issue!!!" Robert J. Power, South Weymouth, MA
"I find the publication to be extremely worthwhile and look forward to receiving it each month." Gary Lazar, Downey, CA
"Keep up the good work and thank you for your newsletter" Bruce Schoenfelder, Murrysville, PA
"YOU DO A FANTASTIC JOB. Excellent monthly publication. The best I've come across (and I subscribe to many). " Robert J. White, Boston, MA
"My father-in-law has a subscription to your newsletter, and has recommended it to me as the best there is on the subject." Loel H. Larzelere, Grove City, OH
"Congratulations on your well written, humorous, and informative newsletter." Steven F. Weyand, Sauk City, WI
"The only thing that bothers me about your newsletter is that you may tire of it and stop writing. I hope not. It has helped me many times in many ways." Tony Geracitano (written 4/7/89) Vincentown, NJ
"Keep up the good work. Keep kicking us and reminding us of 'reasonable ' returns and how high prices can get in relation to income." Fred Woodward, Los Angeles, CA
"I thoroughly enjoy your newsletter. I look forward to reading it each month for changes in the business and often pass it on to friends." James Thomas, Park Ridge, IL
"I have been involved in land development, building, and investment for more than 50 years and I find the Investor's Monthly very interesting and well informed." Stuart L. Faber, Cincinnati, OH
"I have been a subscriber of yours for many years and greatly appreciate your newsletter, Real Estate Investor's Monthly. It's provided me with a lot of useful information, particularly in the area of exchanging and property operation." Tim Christy, Schenectady, NY 12305
"Thank you for writing and publishing your newsletter. It has helped my brother and I keep some balance while the market here in the Northeast went completely out of whack." Greg S. Hunter, Southwick, MA
"We enjoy your thoughtful and informative newsletter very much. Keep up the good work!" Gregory Cavanagh, Durango, CO
"I enjoy your newsletter very much and find it extremely useful. Particularly, I like your analytical approach to R.E. investing." Brett McBryde, Ann Arbor, MI
"I have been a subscriber to your newsletter for years and have all your books as well. Your style of writing is no-nonsense and based on reality which is where we all live." Jeff Splitgerber, San Francisco, CA
"Thank you for all you do to keep small investors aware of what is going on. I particularly like the fact that you always give cites to court cases or tax court matters." Dan Schwartz, Fair Lawn, NJ
" have been a subscriber to your Investor's Monthly for quite a while. I find your articles very interesting and I enjoy your comments. In that time, I have gained a respect for your opinion. I have found that you are very honest and call them as you see it." Gil Mahlmeister, Huntington Beach, CA
"My praise and appreciation go out to you for setting forth some common sense guidelines for the uninitiated to follow." Tony Brandon, San Diego Creative Investors Association
"I very much appreciate and enjoy your newsletter." Gregory J. Rosenthal, APO AE (overseas military)
"John, I like your stress upon honest and ethical dealings." Jack B. Wise, attorney at law, Thibodaux, LA
"I would just like to tell you how much I enjoy reading your Monthly Letter + your books that I have. I consider yours the best of all other letters on real estate. I would also like to thank you on the way you price your books and newsletter. I feel like I'm getting my money's worth..." Don Herbert, Olympia, WA
"I used your article 'Clinton's tax law' (August 1993) in addition to two other sources to convince my CPA that my California 'C' corporation should be handled as a 'Real Estate Professional' and therefore its nonpassive losses generated by real estate can be offset against any other kind of income, including portfolio income, starting in 1994. Your article is the best dissertation that I have read on this subject since passage of OBRA 93. My CPA agreed. This one article has made me a subscriber of your monthly newsletter forever. Thank you for doing such a good job." Jeff Splitgerber, San Francisco, CA
"I have found your recent articles on succeeding to be very worthwhile! Thanks for the excellent newsletter." Bob Pailet, Denver CO
"It's refreshing to see someone in this business call it like it is. Enjoy reading the results of your research and thoughts. Keep up the good work." John Picardi, Great Falls, VA
"Keep up the good work." Mike Lee, Evanston, IL
"I am a current subscriber to your publications and find them to be most informative." Ron Voigt, Tucson, AZ
"I can't begin to tell you how much pleasure [your subscription] has brought me. I like your direct and pointed style---never wishy washy. You are always current and thought-provoking." Jay Kaplan, Carefree, AZ
"I read quite a few newsletters, magazines, and newspapers related to real estate each month-and yours is by far the best. The information is not only interesting, helpful, and thought-provoking, it's accurate and thorough. Your writing style is icing on the cake! Thanks!" Gloria Hansen, Fairfield, CA
"The August issue was great as usual. Keep up the good work. I am always amazed at the content." Darrell Woodruff, Glendale, CA
"I have been a continuous subscriber since your May 1976 issue...This publication has, in my opinion, always been thought-generating, broad in scope, and specific in detail where required." Fred Achey, Bethlehem, PA
"I find your letter very informative and interesting. Keep up the great work!" Tom Morton, Englewood, CO
"I reopened this to add a note an my continued enjoyment of your apartment, familial, business, philosophical, and political information. I do not always agree with you, however over the years the material in Real Estate Investor's Monthly is most helpful." Dr. Theodore Polos, Santa Barbara, CA
"Just wanted to tell you that your newsletter is fantastic...one of the best investments in my real estate education I have ever made. Had I started reading your newsletter 5 years ago it would have saved me thousands of dollars and many restless nights. Thanks for the great information." Phillip Pettis, Atlanta, GA
I sometimes get reader compliments which are too complimentary. The letter that is linked to this paragraph is an example. Also, I generally do not use very long reader comments like the linked letter. But this reader obviously spent considerable time to write this letter so I felt an obligation to put it here. Click here to read the letter from Martine Liguori.
"I really enjoy your newsletter." Stephen Smith, Seattle, WA
"Thanks for doing a great job on Real Estate Investor's Monthly! Keep up the great work!!!" John Hartung, Olympia, WA
"Your April newsletter was terrific. Thank You!" Phillip Pettis, Atlanta, GA
"Thanks for a fine publication and for waiting to send renewal notice when appropriate." Ed Korbel, Sherman Oaks, CA
"I now subscribe to your newsletter and look forward to reading it every month. Liked your newsletter article dealing with offspring regarding real estate, etc. It was the final push in my case to set things straight between Dad and my boys, worked out OK. As long as you write it hopefully I will be a subscriber." Bill Porschen, Naples, FL
"Thanks for your always-useful newsletter." Dave Holle
"I have subscribed to your newsletter for a couple of years and I truly enjoy it. Lots of practical information, some great insight into the future of the business, etc. All this great information relayed in your trademark brutally honest style." Tom Johns, Salinas, CA
“I love your variety of topics. Well worth the price. Darrell Woodruf, Montrose CA
If you have a comment you would like to add to this Web page, please click here to send it to me. Please give me your comment and at least your name, city, and state.
Thanks,
John T. Reed