Fundamentals of Real Estate

This book is divided into six main sections plus a section of appendices to make it easier for the reader to gain a basic understanding of real estate. Real estate as an area of study and as a business is taken up in the introductory section of three chapters. Section Two, "Real Estate as a Commodity," consists of seven chapters that cover legal rights and interests in real estate, planning and zoning, encumbrances to clear title, property descriptions, and methods of conveying ownership to real property. Section Three, "Brokerage and the Sale of Property Rights," focuses on the operation of the real estate market. Brokerage and agency, contracts, market value appraising, and title closing are all covered in the five chapters of the section. Section Four, "Real Estate Finance," is made up of four chapters. Chapter 16, on the terminology and techniques of real estate finance, contains "must" knowledge for everyone in real estate. The remaining three chapters cover in depth mortgages and trust-deeds, financial calculations, and financial institutions. Section Five, "Real Estate Ownership and Administration," focuses on concerns of property ownership. The following are some of the contents: