{"id":145218,"date":"2022-10-19T11:10:06","date_gmt":"2022-10-19T17:10:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/?p=145218"},"modified":"2023-10-25T13:30:46","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T19:30:46","slug":"real-estate-by-the-numbers-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/real-estate-by-the-numbers-review","title":{"rendered":"Real Estate By The Numbers: An Essential Book For Every Investor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n      <iframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm?e=BIGPOC4624377556&#038;light=false\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe>  \n\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">We\u2019re taught throughout our childhood to answer questions. Questions like what\u2019s two plus two? Who was the first U.S. president? And what\u2019s the equation for photosynthesis?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">J Scott opens his latest book alongside co-author Dave Meyer, <\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.biggerpockets.com\/products\/real-estate-by-the-numbers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Real Estate By The Numbers<\/a><\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, with a recollection of his younger days and how he cruised through high school and college because of his ability to memorize the answers to \u201ceasy\u201d questions. After all, if all you have to do in life is answer questions that have clear answers, what\u2019s to stop you?&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Eventually, J found a mentor he frequently lunched with who challenged his long-time thinking after he asked what equations he used to run his nine-figure investment fund. It turns out, as J learned, that the most successful investors in the world don\u2019t have an arsenal of equations built into the back of their minds that guide them to victory on every deal. No, in reality, the seas are imperfect and rocky.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The core of investing boils down to not necessarily knowing all of the answers but knowing the right questions to ask.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">An Essential Book For Every Investor<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Real Estate By The Numbers<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;is an extremely important book. Not because it\u2019s information that\u2019s not available elsewhere (although the combined expertise of Dave Meyer and J Scott are invaluable). Not because it&#8217;s going to hold your hand and answer every question you have on a predefined path. Not because you\u2019re going to read or understand all of it in one go. In fact, the book is labeled as a reference guide on the cover.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It\u2019s essential because it\u2019s one of the only books in the real estate world that holds the answers to most of your questions about what makes for a good investment and can be modified for a multitude of scenarios. In deal analysis, no two properties are the same. Therefore, the tools you apply in your analysis will vary. Dave and J do an excellent job at deep-diving into the most important concepts while providing you with enough extra information and guidance to give you the edge in making the right decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the managing editor of the blog here at BiggerPockets, I can assure you that the content in the book is rigorous and dives deep. Deeper than many of our articles on the same topics. It&#8217;s really special. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Deal Analysis For Everyone<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Real Estate By The Numbers&nbsp;<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">is broken into<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> five parts: Personal and Business Performance, The Concepts, The Key Return Metrics, Funding and Financing Deals, and Making It Work For You.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Within each of these parts, several chapters break down key concepts with hyper-focused precision, often guiding you through the step-by-step instructions of each. For instance, Part 1, Chapter 2, is about balance sheets. Balance sheets and their analysis is the first lesson you would learn in every Accounting 101 class in the country. Here it is boiled down into nine pages, delivering the most important information and cutting the fluff out.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Net present value (NPV), one of real estate\u2019s most important metrics in determining the quality of an investment, is also explained in nine pages. Along with these concepts come fully fleshed-out scenarios helping you get a hands-on picture of what this looks like in action. Furthermore, most pages feature spreadsheet callouts that take you step-by-step through implementing the information into excel. And it gets even better because these callouts are sorted into a master spreadsheet available as a free download alongside your purchase of the book, something wholly invaluable on its own.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;ll also get extra content with your purchase, like videos from J Scott that walk you through using three different spreadsheets that cover flipping, exit strategies in flipping, and general rental investing. Plus, templates for financial statements, balance sheets, and more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A Must-Have<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Overall,&nbsp;<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Real Estate By The Numbers&nbsp;<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">is the definitive book on deal analysis and should be in the libraries, if not on the desks, of every serious investor, whether prospective or 100 deals in. Rookies, pros, and the most elite of investors will find J and Dave\u2019s work to be a master class in investing.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">But unlike other books that might come off as intimidating,&nbsp;<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Real Estate By The Numbers\u2019<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;positioning as a reference guide makes it much more approachable and easier to digest. It\u2019s situational. It\u2019s chock-full of answers. And it&#8217;s something you can come back to time and time again throughout your investing journey<\/span> without feeling the pressure to finish and memorize it in one go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It\u2019s a must-have.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n    \n  <div id=\"visibility-group-block_64dd5ab97ed79\" class=\"visibility-group  hidden\">\n        \n\n<div id=\"hero-block_62df1a82bfc88\" class=\"first:mt-0 hero-block py-4    has-background has-slate-200-background-color has-text-color has-slate-900-color\">\n    <div\n        class=\"gap-10 lg:gap-20 flex flex-wrap lg:flex-nowrap max-w-screen-xl mx-auto px-4 relative lg:items-center \">\n\n        <div class=\"relative z-30 lg:w-2\/3 \">\n            <main class=\"py-4\">\n                \n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Analyze Deals Like a Pro<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"my-3 md:my-5 lg:my-8 has-slate-900-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:16px\">Deal analysis is one of the first and most critical steps of real estate investing. Maximize your confidence in each deal with this first-ever ultimate guide to deal analysis. <em>Real Estate by the Numbers<\/em> makes real estate math easy, and makes real estate success inevitable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=button-custom-event-block_64138224164cd class='button-custom-event'>\n      <a\n    href=\"https:\/\/store.biggerpockets.com\/products\/real-estate-by-the-numbers?utm_source=blog&#038;utm_medium=marketing_block\"\n        x-on:click=\"window.analytics.track('Blog Block | Publishing: REBTN Book', {\n      referrer: 'https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/real-estate-by-the-numbers-review',\n    });\"\n    class=\" btn-shape inline-block no-underline has-background has-theme-blue-background-color has-text-color has-white-color\" target=\"_blank\">Get Yours Now<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=button-custom-event-block_641381f7164cc class='button-custom-event'>\n  <\/div>\n\n            <\/main>\n        <\/div>\n\n                <div class=\"lg:w-1\/3 first:mt-0 relative h-full lg:flex lg:items-center\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"object-cover w-full relative z-20 my-0  rounded-md hidden lg:block\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/REBN_cover_mockup_01-e1679000020543.png\" alt=\"real estate by the numbers\" title=\"\">\n        <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n  <\/div>\n  \n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n    \n  <div id=\"visibility-group-block_64dd31c79f00f\" class=\"visibility-group  \">\n        \n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"hero-block_64dd2875dba9d\" class=\"first:mt-0 hero-block py-4    has-background has-slate-100-background-color has-text-color has-theme-slate-color\">\n    <div\n        class=\" flex flex-wrap lg:flex-nowrap max-w-screen-xl mx-auto px-4 relative lg:items-center \">\n\n        <div class=\"relative z-30 w-full \">\n            <main class=\"py-4\">\n                \n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading my-0 tracking-tight font-extrabold has-theme-slate-dark-color has-text-color has-large-font-size\">Join the community<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"my-3 md:my-5 lg:my-8 has-theme-slate-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:16px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400\">Ready to succeed in real estate investing? Create a free BiggerPockets account to learn about investment strategies; ask questions and get answers from our community of +2 million members; connect with investor-friendly agents; and so much more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=button-custom-event-block_64dd2888dba9e class='button-custom-event'>\n      <a\n    href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/signup\"\n        x-on:click=\"window.analytics.track('Blog Block | Acquisition | Free Membership Signup', {\n      referrer: 'https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/real-estate-by-the-numbers-review',\n    });\"\n    class=\" btn-shape inline-block no-underline has-background has-theme-blue-background-color has-text-color has-white-color\" target=\"_blank\">Sign Up<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n\n            <\/main>\n        <\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div>\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We\u2019re taught throughout our childhood to answer questions. Questions like what\u2019s two plus two? Who was the first U.S. president? And what\u2019s the equation for photosynthesis? J Scott opens his [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":612375,"featured_media":145219,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7119,4252],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-145218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-biggerpockets-daily","category-deal-analysis"],"acf":[],"comment_count":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/612375"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=145218"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145218\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/145219"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=145218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=145218"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=145218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}