Despite several introductory chapters, it remains unclear why Bell found it necessary to "translate" Allen's bestselling real estate book, Nothing Down
, in her own words, so women could understand it. That isn't the only aspect of the book that raises questions. Another is a story about how paying an elderly woman $35,000 for a home that was worth $85,000, but assisting her in moving to a new place shows how buying real estate with nothing down is all about helping people. Despite her shrill and repetitive writing style, Bell is clearly giddy about the property she has accumulated with other people's money, often as a result of someone else's financial distress. Because women are busy—in fact, Bell admits she is too busy to write longer chapters—the book is structured into five-minute dollops of Allen's advice on investing in real estate, followed by quizzes and homework. But readers trying to grasp the underlying theory and expectations behind acquiring real estate cheaply and renting it out or flipping are likely to feel shortchanged. (Jan.)
