Looking to sell your deals, buy deals? Or are you looking to learn from experts?

[Curt Smith]

Let me explain how these 2 topics are related and while I'm at it I'll share with you how I got started buying rentals in Gwinnett county thanks to a few experts I met along the way.

A few years ago I, while I was working my day job as an engineer which I still have, I was wondering if I could get started doing real estate deals of some sort by reading recognizable book authors like Wendy Patton and similar names. Reading books got me into buying my first foreclosure. Then I realized I needed expert help and fast.

What I discovered when I started looking is that many experts are members of the local Real Estate Investor Associations! It makes perfect sense to me that I needed to join a REIA to help me learn, find deals, meet experts and ask questions etc.

I ended up finding and joining all 4 of the GA area REIAs but found one of these REIAs is where I get 90% of my help.

- North GA REIA - http://reioutpost.com/
- North Metro REIA - http://www.northmetroreia.com/
- Atlanta REIA - http://atlantareia.com/
- GA REIA - http://gareia.org/ - I'm a member, go to all the meetings and most of the free evening classes too.

For me GA REIA is where I get 90% of my real estate help, mentoring, learning about new deal types etc.

Here's the calendar of the free with the general membership week night classes.
http://www.memberize.com/clubportal/Calendar.cfm?clubID=1668

The Saturday events are often just $19 to $29 and would be free with the step up in membership signup.

http://gareia.org/membership/membership-levels/

I recommend that you join a REIA at the higher levels because this will force you through the trainings and top shelf offerings than letting it go to buying them as you go. Often you'll never get to it then you are working without the knowledge and savings you could have had. For GA REIA the $149 new member and $99 renew is a great value and is cheaper than the other REIAs which I don't use as a reason for one vs another.

If you are a contractor, sell products that real estate investors might need to buy like air conditioner cages you can join as a Business Associate and have a whole REIA to get your product infront of. Which I happen to need a few AC cages right now. :)

Two big high lights of GA REIA I'd like to mention because they've been so helpful to me personally:

1) Deal makers meeting Wednesday mornings 10-12 at the Tilly Mill office. And the Deal makers email list. The email list would be very useful for anyone even if your are not in GA or have a day job like me. Deal makers is where experts go to talk deals, sell and buy and learn from a business associate about new or cheaper solutions. The email list is where you can ask questions 24x7 and usually get solutions / help the same day.

2) In-town rehabbers. Meets the 4th Tue, twice to the same site to see the beginning of a project then a month later to learn what tricks and products went into that house / project.

This is a true story: today I used a tip I got off the Deal makers email list of an appliance repair man who's reliable and cheap. His "other" service of swapping out appliances for like new ones but cost 1/3 as much as my usual appliance shops. He's going to swap out a double wide refrig for a newish white one for only $250 delivered!!! Honest. This one tip paid my GA REIA membership for the next 2 years, yup. For me, I save or learn something at every meeting.

Regardless of which REIA you join, do yourself a favor and realize that the small amount of money you'll spend on 1, 2 or even like me 3 REIA memberships are small potatoes when compared to the thousands it'll cost you for not being in a REIA.

Yours, Curt Smith

An affordable housing provider in the Atlanta area
sweetgumproperties.com

PS we are looking for buyers with wrecked credit who want to buy a home in the surrounding counties around Atlanta. Pass this along. Contact me via my website.

PPS we pay referral fees to agents or bird dogs for upside down or dis repaired homes anywhere around Atlanta. Contact me via my website.