"Filled with creative strategies that work in today's market. A must-read for the real estate investor!" -Albert Lowry, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of How You Can Become Financially Independent by Investing in Real Estate A few years ago, even reckless real estate investors could still make money because the market was booming. But many markets have softened, and making a profit isn't as simple as it used to be. However-with the right strategy and long-term thinking-there is still plenty of money to be made in real estate. If you're willing to look outside your local market, you'll discover emerging markets that are booming. And there are also smart investing strategies that work especially well in slowing markets. You can do it! You just need the new rules and wise tactics you'll find in this practical, profitable guide: * Invest in up-and-coming, high-growth emerging markets * Learn the powerful strategy of market-timing * Use lease options to get more for your money * Learn creative strategies to engineer hands-off investments * Find foreclosures and other hidden bargains * Invest in bargain-rate new construction projects There are great deals hiding in every real estate market, and this book makes finding those values easy. Whether you want to locate the next up-and-coming growth markets, or find creative ways to finance your investments, Making Hard Cash in a Soft Real Estate Market is a savvy guide to investing for anyone who wants to play it safe and profitably.

"For the first time in more than a quarter century, Congress has passed and the president has signed into law a major reform the of the way political campaigns are financed. Effective November 6. 2002, the law shuts down much 'soft money' raised and spent by political parties and outside groups. The law also will affect how political campaigns are funded, how political advertising is conducted, how laws are enforced, and how nonprofits and political parties conduct voter registration and other grassroots activities."--Book description.

HOW DOES MONEY HELP IN CREATING A HAPPY LIFE? In The Geometry of Wealth, behavioral finance expert Brian Portnoy delivers an inspired answer based on the idea that wealth, truly defined, is funded contentment. It is the ability to underwrite a meaningful life. This stands in stark contrast to angling to become rich, which is usually an unsatisfying treadmill. At the heart of this groundbreaking perspective, Portnoy takes readers on a journey toward wealth, informed by disciplines ranging from ancient history to modern neuroscience. He contends that tackling the big questions about a joyful life and tending to financial decisions are complementary, not separate, tasks. These big questions include: • How is the human brain wired for two distinct experiences of happiness? And why can money “buy” one but not the other? • Why is being market savvy among the least important aspects of creating wealth but self-awareness among the most? • Can we strike a balance between pushing for more and being content with enough? This journey memorably contours along three basic shapes: A circle, triangle, and square help us visualize how we adapt to evolving circumstances, set clear priorities, and find empowerment in simplicity. In this accessible and entertaining book, Portnoy reveals that true wealth is achievable for many—including those who despair it is out of reach—but only in the context of a life in which purpose and practice are thoughtfully calibrated.

This one-volume reference presents the major conceptual approaches to the study of U.S. political parties and the national party system, describing the organization and behavior of U.S. political parties in thematic, narrative chapters that help undergraduate students better understand party origins, historical development, and current operations. Further, it provides researchers with in-depth analysis of important subtopics and connections to other aspects of politics. Key Features: Thematic, narrative chapters, organized into six major parts, provide the context, as well as in-depth analysis of the unique system of party politics in the United States. Top analysts of party politics provide insightful chapters that explore how and why the U.S. parties have changed over time, including major organizational transformations by the parties, behavioral changes among candidates and party activists, and attitudinal changes among their partisans in the electorate. The authors discuss the way the traditional concept of formal party organizations gave way over time to a candidate-centered model, fueled in part by changes in campaign finance, the rise of new communication technologies, and fragmentation of the electorate. This book is an ideal reference for students and researchers who want to develop a deeper understanding of the current challenges faced by citizens of republican government in the United States.

When it comes to elections, campaigns matter. And despite the ever-increasing role of volunteers and amateurs, modern American political campaigns are a professional affair. Understanding how they are run and how campaign strategies are set requires an in-depth analysis of what political consultants do, from opposition research to public opinion polling and from directing media strategies to mobilzing voters--with fundraising a priority at all stages. At all levels of the electoral arena, modern, sophisticated campaigns cannot hope to be effective without the guiding disciplines of professional consultants. This thoroughly updated edition of Dennis W. Johnson's classic text, originally titled No Place for Amateurs, highlights the growing importance of social media, targeting and analytics, Super PACs and dark money in a post-Citizens United world.