I have provided loans to people I connected with on BP, and have met many new BPers through their attending our Black Diamond events. And some of those people, while not necessarily doing business directly with me, have made connections at Black Diamond and done deals together. So that's an indirect connection that originated at BP.
@Mark
@Mark Pedroza undefined
It is particularly distressing when the heads or founders of the local REIA turn out to be the ones that attendees should be protected from, as opposed to being the the model of integrity. Unfortunately, it has happened to others.. While I don't mean to imply that heads of REIAs by definition lack integrity, there are always a couple of bad apples that give others a bad name. Most of the time, REIA heads are ready willing and able to help investors and can be trusted to give you the straight scoop.
To protect yourself in the future, never assume. Just because someone appears to be in a position of authority, ask around about them before committing yourself. If you ask 30 attendees about the reputation of a person, by the time you get to the end of the list, you'll have a pretty good idea of what people think about that person. Google everyone. It's amazing what you will find, even occasionally of people on BP. Pay particular attention to court records. People aren't screened before they join, of course.
And also be sure to question your own role in the problem in retrospect. Not saying you did anything wrong, but sometimes lack of experience can contribute to a problem without your realizing it, I try to take ownership of my own shortcomings.