patrick.net

One of my favorite books is called Empire of Debt. One of my favorite stories is "The Emperor Has No Clothes." So, for a book title, you might consider The Emperor Has No House.

Not bad, but would people get it right away?

I have to capture their attention instantly. If they have to think a bit, they may not take the time to see what the book is about.

Maybe something like:

In Debt, Under Water and Disillusioned
(How to Avoid the Housing Trap)

or

Realtors Are Evil

That may seem too strong but I bet it would get tons of news coverage for a week. Lots of successful authors go this route.

If you stick with The Housing Trap, you could put two mirror images of a drunken Lindsay Lohan on the cover.

Biff

I've decided to take their advice and write a short (100 page) self-published book

You should, imho.
You may consider going for a bigger picture and cover mechanics of bubble formation using housing as an example. "The Club of Greater Fools"?

Baby, Let's (not) Play House -- How to Avoid the Cult of Residential Real Estate

How Not to Sink Your Wealth

Learning to Live Without Millstones 101 - A Guide to Happiness with Patrick Killelea

Why You Should Keep Renting From Jody Chunder -- A Guide to Ecstasy with Patrick Killelea

Biff Baxter says

Realtors Are Evil

That may seem too strong but I bet it would get tons of news coverage for a week. Lots of successful authors go this route.

How about "Realtors® Suck"?

That's more concise, and it makes me chuckle.

I could have an asterisk and note at the bottom: "Patrick Killelea is not associated in any way with the National Association of Realtors®, duh."

BTW I removed the picture of the nasty-looking Lindsey Lohan because it's too depressing.

"Good morning, liar". How to greet your realtor in the morning.

Or how about "Don't buy it!" as the title.

Has a nice double meaning.

Or how about "Don't buy it!" as the title.

I like the double meaning, and it reminds me of Abby Hoffman's Steal This Book. If it does well, you could follow up with a sequel about urban homesteading, titled SQUAT.

Finish this title to set the hook.
But I see the situation as " FROM TULIPS to TWOLOANS " why do we keep taking the bait ?.
Woulda been better off investing in Tulips.
Maybe,Add a photo of a home melting in the background of a few giant tulips.

or

Tulips referenced as one of many investment debacles.

Housing Hype - Exposing the bubble.

I like the Housing Trap for the title. It tells readers right away what the book is about. It's short and snappy and (for us old-timers) easy to remember!

Great idea, Patrick. I hope you sell a million!

I love "Don't Buy It".

Maybe I can offer a cheap Kindle version, but also a more expensive printed edition.

Bits are ephemeral. I want some paper trace of all this to remain for future generations to refer to in future bubbles.

I would buy it for sure.

You might email Jacob of ERE fame about the blog/book setup. He has done well and basically you just promote the book via your site, many do this as an Amazon affiliate too. Very popular model these days.

Very smart move i believe. The book should do well for you. I would pre order.

like any product, you want to market it to the largest possible audience. Patrick does well with writing so that everyone can understand. KEEP IT SIMPLE

Yes, I'm planning on keeping it short and brutally clear.

Overnight I decided that "Realtors Suck" is a bit too juvenile and might get the title caught in spam filters.

Then it occurred to me that "Don't Buy It" is probably not the best title for a book you want people to buy, even if it's referring to houses.

So I'm back to "The Housing Trap: How house buyers are captured and enslaved by debt" with a nice vicious-looking bear trap on the cover, and the Patrick.net housing bubble as the bait.

APOCALYPSEFUCK is Shostakovich says

Poobah Pat,

Will you interview me for the book?

Gladly!

"It only goes up!"

APOCALYPSEFUCK is Shostakovich says

Will you interview me for the book?

So, Mr. Apocalypsefuck, how would you recommend that buyers protect themselves from the deceptions and emotional manipulation of realtors?

Patrick, if you could use any comments from someone who bought property after a fully-burst bubble finished unwinding itself, and is pretty much happy with Tokyo's post-bubble price-to-rent ratio, I'd be happy to oblige. No guarantee that I can approach the humor of Mr. Apocalypse, of course.

Yes! Please describe your experience waiting out the Tokyo bubble. This thread is an OK place, or you could start a new thread. Can I quote you in the book?

Patrick, great; I can post thoughts in this thread (though they might get a little long), answer any specific questions you have about my situation (you can send them by e-mail or post them here), or even get quotes from Japanese RE agents if they'll add to the book. And you're welcome to quote me in the book!

I will buy it if AF is interviewed. Also you could charge $14 for the paperback version (makes a nice gift) but make it extremely cheap online as if it is cheap enough people will just pay and download it instead of trying to find it for free. Also you get a wider audience via e-book.

How about:

Yes, I'm planning on keeping it short and brutally clear.

Overnight I decided that "Realtors Suck" is a bit too juvenile and might get the title caught in spam filters.

Then it occurred to me that "Don't Buy It" is probably not the best title for a book you want people to buy, even if it's referring to houses.

So I'm back to "The Housing Trap: How house buyers are captured and enslaved by debt" with a nice vicious-looking bear trap on the cover, and the Patrick.net housing bubble as the bait.

lol, you're right, 'Don't Buy It' may subconsciously tell people not to buy the book (although I really liked that title :-)
I like 'The Housing Trap' very much. Please reconsider the bear trap picture for us animal lovers. But I will buy the book no matter what the title or picture.

I think the book will sell if u call it "why real estate agents suck" . I used to be one, hence my email that to many of my friends have and i dont want to give up, and i think it would create controversey and generate sales which is what u want. Not juvenille. Good marketing. If u want feedback from someone who knows a lot about the inside workings of CAR and NAR, let me know.

Sure, I'd love feedback from someone who knows about the inside workings of the CAR and NAR. Can you say some things about them here on the forum, since email to you bounced?

David Losh says

It used to be pretty benign until the Master Builders Association, along with the Mortgage Brokers Association, began asking for, and getting, cooperation in things like Land Use, and mortgage concessions.

You mean NAHB, right? The National Association of House Builders:

http://www.nahb.org/

And the broker one is NAMB, the National Association of Mortgage Brokers:

http://www.namb.org/namb/Default.asp

I agree that it should be about more than just realtors, since there are so many entities with a hand in trapping buyers.

Title: How I survived the housing bust (and you can too)

TMAC54 says

FROM TULIPS to TWOLOANS

You do know what's better than a dozen roses on your piano? Tulips on your organ...

(I'll be here all week, try the veal! Tip your waitress!)

California specific point/idea: Would it be possible to find out how many "planning commissions" and "city councils" and "county boards of sups" had RE Pro's on these boards. That means they were voting on the needed annexations and zoning changes that took place pre-boom (approx 1995-2000) boom (2000-2007) and post boom (2007 to now)?? What I think that may show is, on the way up, there had to be some conflict on interest issues. Those RE Pro votes seem like they would be part of the engine that blew up the balloon. Maybe?

I bet you're right, but it seems hard to find out.

Or maybe not. If there is some list of all the people on those commissions, councils, and boards, it could be compared against the list of agents registered in CA with the Department of Real Estate.

I also vote for "The Housing Trap" as the books title.

:) The people who published your web programming book can't help?

David9 says

The people who published your web programming book can't help?

They skinned me alive on royalties, though I probably came out pretty well overall since I got some good jobs just on the basis of that book.

I want to do this one myself, and retain both the copyright and complete editorial control.

I like dunross's idea of playing off of Lereah's BS book.

http://www.zillow.com/advice-thread/David-Lereah-book-title-changes/16560/

But, like Lereah's midstream change of spin, I do think the future is unpredictable.

I think it's 50-50 that we'll see some gut-punching wage inflation in this country this decade.

50% that the system just inflates the hell out of everything -- including rents -- and 50% that we just get more of the deflationary plate we're being fed from now.

I can't see the future, and I don't think anyone can.

elliemae says

Tulips on your organ...

Nobody else knows quite like Silly Mae exactly where my brain is at.
I thought of writing about shock value of real estate myself. The title would have been "WOMEN DRIVEN" gahead, let yer imagination meander awhile. A small percentage of adults will be concerned of the negative financial woes of housing costs.
But EVERYONE is curios about Driven women w tulips. Women were considered chattel prior to the industrial age. Not until 1973 were they financially equal.

I am actually trying to encourage your educational endeavors Patrick. Isn't it difficult to put a positive attraction to our passion of real property ?
So throw some sex, drugs and rock & roll in there.

About bloody time!

Patrick, I'm so glad you are doing this. You may not know this, but you saved me and my family from buying at the top. We sent your articles to our extended family who were practically yelling at us to buy a house. All our friends kept saying that we better get in, that the Bay Area never goes down, get in or be left behind, and lots of other wonderful pieces of advice. All those friends lost a lot during the crash. Mind you, a lot were rich children of rich Silicon Valley parents, that were bummed, but not left destitute, but others lost their homes and savings. I will gladly buy your book, promote it on my FB page and recommend it to any friend in this area I see planning to give away their life savings on a dump in the Valley. Thank you Patrick for your honesty, integrity and community spirit. You're the real deal.

"Don't buy it!"

Like it.