My First Real Estate Textbook

Author Song Hee-gu · Publisher Seosamdok · Published 2026-06-23 · ISBN 9791193904435

About the Book

** New book by the author of the series "Manager Kim Who Lives in His Own Home in Seoul and Works at a Large Company"
** Bestselling author of 500,000 copies · All real estate lectures at cultural centers nationwide sold out
** #1 in non-fiction loans at libraries nationwide

"Please, turn your real estate lectures into a book!"
Finally, Song Hee-gu's "My Own Home" real estate lecture, which received a flood of publication requests, is now available in book form!
Overwhelming storytelling that keeps real estate beginners up all night
It contains condensed information and messages that even experienced intermediates will read and reread, highlighting key points.

Song Hee-gu, the author who received much love from readers through the series "Manager Kim Who Lives in His Own Home in Seoul and Works at a Large Company" and "My Rich High School Friend," returns with a new book after three years. This new book compiles the author's real estate knowledge, which had generated numerous publication inquiries and sold out lectures at cultural centers nationwide, into a single volume. Like his previous works, this book, which takes the form of a novel, helps readers internalize the basics of real estate, its trends, and criteria for good choices, following the perspective of a real estate beginner dreaming of owning a home.
The protagonist, 'Chobora,' a homeowner-less real estate beginner, is notified by her landlord that her jeonse contract will expire and transition to a monthly rent. Just before being forced out, a real estate expert named 'Chogosu' appears before Bora. With Chogosu's easy explanations, Bora's mind is gradually filled with knowledge: why house prices rise and fall, what location and development potential mean, and what kind of house to buy at what timing to avoid losses.
This book is an entirely new type of 'storytelling real estate textbook,' designed to help readers naturally learn core real estate concepts and practical judgment criteria by following the most desperate and realistic struggle of a person who started from the brink. If you've put off studying real estate because the economy is difficult, loan regulations are tight, or you haven't saved enough money to buy a house, this will be the most essential first textbook in your life.

Why does your dream of 'owning a home' always end up as just a dream?
A storytelling real estate textbook to save beginners tired of studying real estate!
"I just read it like a novel, but I can understand the real estate trends!"

Everyone dreams of owning a home. They dream of a comfortable space of their own, free from the worry of being evicted, and expect their assets to grow over time. But why do we just repeat anxious and worried questions without even trying? It's probably because of the complex structure and characteristics of the real estate market. The real estate market is like a living organism. It's a market where trends cannot be predicted by one or two factors, and various complex causes combine to create diverse outcomes. Moreover, the barrier to studying real estate is high. Unfamiliar terms that have been heard of but whose exact meaning is unknown, and the flood of diverse opinions and information on the internet can confuse one's mind. Even when one decides to study and attends lectures or opens a book, it's often given up quickly due to overly difficult concepts and explanations.
The storytelling in this book approaches readers who have experienced such failures kindly. It understands the long hesitation and fear of real estate beginners and explains the basics of real estate through easy-to-understand analogies from everyday life. Furthermore, it fosters the ability to think so that readers can judge and decide for themselves. Breaking the rigid framework of existing economic books that felt like sleeping pills, this book adopts the engaging format of a 'novel' to aid readers' quick comprehension.
"When should I buy a house?", "What kind of house is a good house?", "Does the house price always go up if there's a subway station?" To Bora's questions, which anyone studying real estate for the first time might have wondered, Chogosu provides piercing explanations and clear insights. While reading this book, there's no need to forcibly memorize theories or underline text. Just immerse yourself in the vivid conversations between the two and the realistic episodes that feel like your own. As you follow the flow of the story, you will experience the wonder of the market principles, once unfamiliar, naturally seeping in.

"I thought all apartments would go up in value... but there are places where prices don't rise. Going back to my initial question, if I can buy an 800 million won apartment with my money and a loan, which 800 million won apartment should I buy? There seem to be many options."
"Again, it's the best among what you can currently afford, meaning an apartment with a good location and product value."
- From Chapter 6, 'Bora, When Will You Buy a House?'

"Am I buying at too high a point?"
"My neighbor's area is being redeveloped, so will our neighborhood's villas also go up?"
"Should I wait until government regulations are lifted?"
"What if the market declines after I buy a house?"

From a real estate beginner trembling with worry and anxiety
To a household head who reads market trends and makes decisions independently!
How to properly prepare for the most precious sanctuary in your life

Beginners are always scared. This is because they have to throw themselves into uncertainty without truly knowing. The protagonist, Chobora, also tosses and turns at night, filled with the same helplessness and fear as us. The fear of incurring hundreds of millions of won in debt, the anxiety of what if the house price falls after making a big decision to buy, are perfectly natural emotions that any non-homeowner would have experienced at least once. To those who, like Bora, have delayed buying a home due to anxiety and worry, the author, through the voice of Chogosu, delivers practical knowledge and courage. Chogosu, having been a beginner himself, deeply empathizes with that fear and, rather than hastily recommending a purchase, helps Bora make her own decisions through learning. By following Chogosu's easy explanations and heartfelt advice, one will eventually be able to overcome the fear of owning a home.
Part 1 explains easily confusing concepts such as why house prices rise and fall, and how location and development potential differ, using uniquely simple analogies. Furthermore, Part 2 unfolds Bora's eventful episodes as she directly goes to the field (site visit). Through this, readers find answers to fundamental questions like "Why do prices differ for the same complex and same size?" and gain an unwavering eye for selecting "better properties with potential for appreciation" using site visit checklists. After repeatedly visiting sites and meticulously checking properties, Bora finally formulates a concrete purchase plan in Part 3, tailored to her seed money. In this process, Bora steadily accumulates essential practical knowledge about various types and limits of loans, and even practical tax-saving measures. Through Bora's growth, readers will also gain "the ability to plan for themselves," from how to defend against a market downturn after purchasing an apartment to successful trade-up timings and budget scenarios.
Bora's fierce journey will be the most certain landmark to turn your dream of owning a home, which you haven't been able to achieve, into a reality. If you sincerely desire to own a home but are daunted by real estate studies and afraid to take the plunge, pick up this book without hesitation. The day you hesitate and let pass might be your last chance to own a home. May you never miss this perfect opportunity that has finally arrived.

"It might be a bit early, but I have a question. I will eventually sell this house, but when should I sell it?"
"You should sell it when you have the capacity to buy something better."
"Huh? Is that all? How do I judge that?"
"Then, when do you want to sell, Bora?"
"Preferably at the peak. Oh, you said the peak can't be predicted, but ideally, I'd like to sell right at the end of the rising market. But you also said that's unpredictable... Then it would be when I urgently need cash."
"It's rare to urgently need cash to the extent of selling a house. More importantly, while you might think 'sell at the peak and buy again at the bottom,' accurately timing the market is practically impossible. In reality, there are many cases where people sold thinking 'this is the peak,' but prices continued to rise afterward, making it difficult to even buy back the house they once owned."
"That would be a big problem then. So you mean I should sell when I'm trading up, right?"
"Yes. However, there are precautions when trading up. You should move to a place that has at least 1.5 times the market value of your current apartment."
- From Chapter 20, 'Bora, Signs the Contract'

Table of Contents

Prologue | Ultimately, People Who Buy Homes

Part 1 Starting Real Estate Study
1 Meeting the Expert
2 Ways to Buy a Home
Purchase and Subscription | Subscription Process | Understanding Jeonse Leverage
3 Why Do House Prices Rise and Fall?
Factors Affecting House Prices | Psychology · Interest Rates · Income · Supply · Inflation, etc.
4 Apartments That Attract Development Potential
Concept and Types of Development Potential | Homogeneity
5 Location and Site Are Different
Conditions and Determinants of a Site | Transportation · School Districts · Area Grade
6 When Will You Buy a House?
Rising Market · Adjustment Market · Declining Market · Stagnant Market | Apartment Product Value | Large-Scale Apartment Complexes | Site vs. Product Value
7 Which Statistics to Look At and How
Asking Price and Actual Transaction Price | Jeonse Ratio · Transaction Volume · Liquidity · Number of Listings · Unemployment Rate · Auction Bid-to-Sale Ratio

Part 2 Real Estate is Learned Through Experience
8 Bora Embarks on Her First Site Visit
Site Visit Checklist
9 Interpreting the Site Visit
Royal Dong and Royal Floor | Demand for Lower Floors | Comparing New and Old Buildings | Investing in Pre-sale Rights
10 Bora, Moving on Her Own
Criteria and Impact of Station Area | Quality of Movement | Environment | Price Ceiling
11 Bora, Goes to a Real Estate Office
Full Renovation · Full Repair · Partial Repair | Preference for Area Size by Market | Residential-Commercial Apartment Complexes
12 Exploring a Smart Home
Conditions for a Smart Home | Strengths of Apartments as Assets | Land Transaction Permit Zones
13 How Much More Will This House Go Up?
The Paradox of Government Regulations | Home Purchase Capital Scenarios
14 Pursuing Profits Created by Time
Characteristics of Income-Generating Real Estate | Conditions for a Good Home

Part 3 Starting My Own Real Estate Journey
15 Searching for the Best Option
How to View Properties | Prioritization in Property Judgment | Mindset for Real Estate Beginners
16 Excessive Caution Can Be Harmful
Practical Purchase Scenarios | Cash Flow Planning Before Purchase | Inter-Family Fund Transfers
17 Redevelopment and Reconstruction
Concepts and Terms of Redevelopment and Reconstruction | Product Business Feasibility | Location Business Feasibility
18 Everyone Does Real Estate, They Just Don't Talk About It
New Towns and Satellite Cities | Legal Tax Savings | Real Estate Assets to Avoid
19 Bora, Takes the Plunge
Post-Purchase Handling | Real Estate Contract Procedures | Checklist for Safe Contracts
20 Bora, Signs the Contract
Trade-up Scenarios | Short-Term Adjustment Market and Major Downturn Market
21 Successfully Owning a Home
Real Estate Purchase Standard Contract Checklist

Epilogue | To You Who Started Studying Real Estate
Special Appendix | Expert's Re-emphasized Real Estate Q&A