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| Mortgage-Free!: Radical Strategies for Home Ownership (Real Goods Solar Living Book) | 
 enlarge | Author: Robert L. Roy
Publisher: Chelsea Green
Category: Book
List Price: $30.00
Buy New: $9.09
You Save: $20.91 (70%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (22 reviews)
Sales Rank: 70443
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 368
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6.2 x 0.9
ISBN: 0930031989
Dewey Decimal Number: 643.12
EAN: 9780930031985
ASIN: 0930031989
Publication Date: June 1, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Good General Overview limited in detail August 1, 2005
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Mr. Roy's book is a great primer on thinking about different strategies for owning a home that don't involve the normal process. The book is primarily based on the idea that if one can or wants to live a life outside of the consumerist norm then it is possible to own a home. Primarily, he advocates that the person who wants to own a home and not spend the next thirty years of their lives as an indentured servent to the bank that they should do as much work as they can themselves. Anyone who is interested or willing to do the work in building or renovating a home, has a low income, wants to maintain a simple life but doesn't know where to start will find this book has useful ideas to get you started. Those who desire to live in the best neighborhoods, are uninterested or unwilling to do the work on their own home, or not likely to accept a simple lifestyle will likely scoff at the notions this book presents.
The main thrust of this book advocates that people choose not to participate in the suburban "keeping up with the Jones's" lifestyle. For some this may be a revolutionary idea. This, of course, is not a new idea but is not one that is commonly embraced by Western civilization. For those that are already outside of the consumerist mainstream this book will probably not cover any new ground. He does provide a sensible arguement against the "death-pledge" (the Old French etymology for "mortgage"). There are a great many people that believe that the only way they can ever own a house is through the 30 year loan route. Mr. Roy makes a case that if one has the desire, discipline and patience that they can own a home without going to the bank to get a loan.
The book provides a general set of strategies that are primarily useful in rural area. The author recommends that one lives a simple lifestyle, builds on land that would not be considered particularly valuable by others, the home is built by the owner using as many salvaged (inexpensive but high quality) materials as possible, and that the builder reduces as many living cost as possible. One example of cost reduction is the use of some sort of temporary structure on the property while the home is being built in order to reduce or eliminate the cost of renting or paying on a mortgage in another home.
The book provides a good overview of methods that have been used to achieve home ownership in rural areas. It does address the idea of the same sort of idea in urban areas by saying that it's not bloody likely. This reviewer tends to agree with that but others may have differing opinions.
Enpowering Book! June 30, 2005
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
As a novice to the idea of mortgage-free home ownership, I found this book very inspiring and enpowering. As one of the other reviewers stated, this is not a book for your typical American consumer. But, if you're ready to step out of that lifestyle towards financial freedom, read this book. It is practical and easy/fun to read. I liked the personal testimonies and the different resources Rob Roy suggests throughout.
For other inspiring ideas, stories, and photos check out "Homework-Handbuilt Shelter" by Lloyd Kahn.
An Excellent Resource for All June 7, 2005
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Roy start his book with the basics; how to save money in your current situation. Many of these suggestions are simple, yet effective. I especially liked his comment that "eating out is entertainment, not sustenance". Roy shows us how to reduce our monthly expenses so that we will be able to save enough money to buy property with strategies that are later developed in his book. Another section that was extremely useful to me and my husband was the section where Roy describes all of the things he did wrong when he first purchased land and built on said land. I am sure that learning of his mistakes will prevent us from making those same mistakes when we decide to buy our land and build. As a couple looking toward homesteading in the near future, this book was worth it's weight in gold to us. I am sure we will refer to it often in our quest for our little slice of the American Dream.
A Radical Idea and an Excellent Resource April 23, 2003
60 out of 63 found this review helpful
Once in a while, I read a book that makes me question something I always took for granted. For example, it was Ageless Body, Timeless Mind by Deepak Chopra that showed me people don't have to grow old and brittle before they die. It was Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki that taught me what it really means to be rich. And I credit Mortgage-Free!, by Rob Roy, with being the book that proved how people can own a comfortable, beautiful home without taking out a mortgage.I decided to read Mortgage-Free! because the title intrigued me. Little did I know that it would be such a fantastic book, or that it would relate so closely to the theme of my website, SustainableWays.com (for which this review was originally written). I always thought that having a house was synonymous with having a mortgage. But when you really think about it, a mortgage is not much of a good deal. The author shows how most people who take out a mortgage end up paying nearly three times as much as the house they live in is worth. Even worse is the inevitable nature of debt as a work trap: "An unholy percentage of American men and women are working largely for their houses, at jobs they would not choose were pay not the overriding consideration. I spent nearly five years at that game, surrounded by co-workers caught in the mortgage trap. My escape was made possible largely by our mortgage-free home." -Rob Roy, Mortgage-Free! It's the author's own experiences in walking the talk that really makes this book and excellent investment. Yes, the ideas may seem outrageous, but Rob Roy makes it undeniable that they are, in fact, do-able. Not only does he describe his own 25-year success in building and owning mortgage-free homes, but he also provides a number of examples of others doing the same thing. On top of that, this book is rich with book recommendations, phone numbers, and other starting points. Basically, he covers every base so well that the only reason you'd have NOT to follow his advice is down-right laziness. This book will best serve people who are independent, open-minded, and logical. But if you're a die-hard conformist that scoffs at anything unconvential, then this book is not for you. Even though the ideas and methods presented in Mortgage-Free! will be most useful to people living or willing to move to rural areas, anyone can benefit from the knowledge provided in this book. Even now, as I'm flipping through it, I'm continually amazed at how helpful and thorough this book really is. It touches on everything from eating well, to helping the environment, going to college, and so on. This is definitely a holistic, integrative piece of work. Ultimately, this is a book I felt I had to buy because of its usefulness as a reference. If you read it more than once, you'll realize that Mortgage-Free! isn't really about owning a home. Even if you don't end up owning or building a house, this book will have served you well in that it'll have made you question something that you normally would've accepted. Avoiding a mortgage is just one of the many aspects of a better way to live: On your own terms.
A must read for anyone who wants to take control of life. February 20, 2003
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
This is not just another book on buying real estate. If one applies the strategies Roy presents you can only improve your standard of living. This is just not a book of theory. Roy is living what he says and gives numerous examples of other families going the same. This book is a must have for anyone that is considering building their own house and becoming self-sufficient. The book contains various strategies on achieving mortgage free home-ownership and includes an though appendix of resources.
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