Best books to read?

[Randal McLeaird]

I'm looking for some suggestions on books for CRE. I just bought 4 textbooks - 2 on development, and 2 on analysis and finance. I've been thinking about getting my CCIM designation to compliment my Broker license but my heart is really only in the investment side of the business and not in the representation side of the business and I feel like the CCIM would be a waste of money with more dues and the extremely high cost of the designation.

So, I'm going to read these books first:

"Real Estate Finance and Investments"
William B Brueggeman

"Real Estate Development: Principles and Process"
Miles, Mike E.

"Professional Real Estate Development: The ULI Guide to the Business, Second Edition"
Richard B. Peiser

"Commercial Real Estate Analysis and Investments"
Geltner, David M.

I'd also like to see if anyone has any recommendations for other books that will give me a personal perspective of the CRE space and kind of enlighten me to the lifestyle. Not so much a textbook as a real life account. I've read Trump books and they're a good type to read for inspiration but a little too much self-aggrandizement in his writings.

If anyone has read the above books - I'd be happy to hear any reviews.

I've been in the SFR side of the business for a while so this is the start of the learning process. I've considered searching for employment at a large commercial firm but again, it leads back to the brokerage side of the business and not the investing side.

This has been an internal struggle for me in that I want to learn as quickly as possible but I also don't want to lose the autonomy I've created for myself with my business.

If anyone has had a similar struggle and can offer any advice, I'm all ears.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts, suggestions, or advice.

[Rob Gillespie]

Randal,
I did not complete the designation nor am I an agent, but I did take the CCIM intro course. It was well worh the money. The best advice I can give is to hang out with commercial guys in the area. I belong to groups like the apartment owners association and the National association of industrial and office properties. You can learn a ton hanging out and having a few beers with guys that have a million sq ft. of property under roof.

Hope that helps.