If the "For sale" signs, "Reduced price" banners and newspaper headlines aren't enough to show you that the housing market is in the midst of a correction, just check out your local bookstore. Shelves are well stocked with books about buying and selling in a down market, nabbing a foreclosure bargain and investing in tough times. That's how my desk looks, too. It's stacked high with the latest offerings from publishers. And that's why the end of the year is always a good time to clear it off, make room for new ones during 2008 and to make some recommendations for last-minute gifts for the hard-to-shop-for buyer/seller in your life. Remember, this is just a sample of what's out there based on what's landed in my mailbox. For a more complete list, check out Amazon.com for the top-selling real estate books.
Even the real estate industry has gotten into the game with books aimed at curbing what some insiders consider negative attention. Although some are written with a clear agenda, others are well-researched and balanced. One of those was written by David Lereah, former senior vice president and chief economist for the National Association of Realtors. In "All Real Estate Is Local: What You Need to Know to Profit in Real Estate -- in a Buyer's and a Seller's Market" (Currency, $21.95, 2007), Lereah argues that buyers and sellers need to pay close attention to what's happening around them, not just to nationwide headlines. He offers advice on how to compare towns and cities based on the characteristics that really affect property values in the long term. He also examines the six "megatrends" that he claims will have a profound influence on property values for years to come. Get this one for the person in your life who loves demographics and economics.
The subprime mortgage meltdown triggered a bumper crop of books about everything from buying a foreclosed home to flipping houses, most of them focused on strategies for finding deals. Danielle Babb and Bill Nazur offer "Finding Foreclosures: An Insider's Guide to Cashing in on This Hidden Market" (Entrepreneur Press, $21.95), which covers the basics from the ABCs of the foreclosure process to where to find the listings. The Dummies Way series offers its own take on the topic, as well, with "Flipping Houses for Dummies" (Wiley, $21.99). It covers some of the same ground, including how to market and sell your listings.
No doubt, one of the most popular categories this year was aimed at buyers and sellers, who need all the help they can get in today's market. Pam Brodowsky and Evelyn Fazio, through the "Staying Sane" series by Lifelong Books ("Staying Sane When You're Buying or Selling Your Home, $12.95), offer practical tips and coping strategies via stories/case studies that illustrate the ins-and-outs of buying and selling. The approach is lighthearted and somewhat sassy, and offers something you won't find in most others: A section called "When You'll Try Anything to Unload It" includes a chapter about the proper way to invoke the help of St. Joseph, patron saint of carpenters.
"The Fearless Home Seller: Razzi's Rules for Staying in Control of the Deal" (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $16.95), by Elizabeth Razzi, former real estate columnist for Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, walks you through the various stages of selling. The book is longer than it needs to be, but it offers some important insights into the fundamentals of being a seller.
Taunton Press always offers standout options for anyone with even a passing interest in real estate, architecture and home design. This year, one of my favorite titles was "Unbuilding: Salvaging the Architectural Treasures of Unwanted Houses" (Taunton Press, $30), by Bob Falk and Brad Guy. It starts with a Chinese proverb: "Waste ... a resource in the wrong place," followed by seven chapters about how to use used house parts in new ways. This book lacks the stunning photographs that Taunton is known for, but it makes up for that minor shortcoming with plenty of detailed instructions on reducing, re-using and recycling everything from floorboards to plumbing fixtures.
Design buffs shouldn't live another day without "Residential Designs for the 21st Century" (Firefly Books, $69.95), edited by Casey C.M. Mathewson. It's a weighty tome, and a rather bookish one at that, but anyone who appreciates modern design will enjoy the 200 contemporary homes from all around the world. The photography is top-notch and most case studies include floor plans.
For design books, John Silber, former president of Boston University, gets my prize for going out on a limb. "Architecture of the Absurd: How Genius Disfigured a Practical Art" (Quantuck Lane Press, $27.50) is a provocative look at how contemporary architecture sometimes doesn't work. Literally. Get this one for anyone who has ever wondered why their favorite contemporary building is always covered in scaffolding, or why the doyennes at your favorite museum are charged with grabbing the buckets when there's a rainstorm.
For beauty, nostalgia and good value, be sure to check out Acanthus Press, a small New York publishing company that focuses on archival, collector-quality books about architecture and design. Its authors pick a narrow focus and devote hundreds of delicious pages to that topic, which have included "Houses of the Berkshires," "American Gardens" and "Chicago Apartments: A Century of Lakefront Luxury." Its latest titles include two volumes of "Houses of Los Angeles." The press is offering a 10 percent holiday promotion discount. To learn more, go to www.acanthuspress.com.
And happy reading!
Jim Buchta • 612-673-7376