The Thrill of the Deal
“Dale. I loved your book. It should be in the library of every high school and college in America. It would help the young guys get started.”
Richard Deihl, Former President of Home Savings and Loan
by Dale MARQUARDT
“An indispensable—and highly readable—guide to making it in commercial real estate.”
The Thrill of the Deal is a story of the American dream, realized through real estate. In it, we see how Midwesterner Dale Marquardt moved to California and used imagination, guts, luck, and good humor to build a $50 million income-property portfolio that changed his family’s fortunes in a single generation. Through blow-by-blow accounts, Marquardt shows the essential elements of negotiating, planning, financing, problem-solving, and ultimately succeeding as an investor or developer. The book is an indispensable—and highly readable—guide to making it in commercial real estate.
“What an inspirational ride!
Dale hit it big by trusting his instincts, continually facing forward and staying positive, even during challenging economic times. On page after page in Dale’s tale, there are invaluable, inspirational leadership lessons for us all.”
• Jim Barr, Freelance Creative Director, South Lake Tahoe, CA”
About Dale
Dale R. Marquardt earned an economics degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1961 and immediately began working in the insurance industry in Minnesota. In 1969, he and his family moved to California, where he came to admire the success of his commercial real-estate clients so much that he soon followed them into development and construction. They told him that no one is born knowing how to build apartments, you just have to start and then learn along the way. He obtained general contractor licenses in both California and Nevada, and with some luck—and money borrowed from friends—profitable commercial projects followed. In recent years, he has been able to build multifamily apartment complexes and self-storage facilities with his own funds and has achieved an enviable level of solo success.
