Profiting From Real Estate Investments An Investor Newsletter From HomeVestors Of America, Inc. By Marcie Geffner / Vol. 1 No. 12 06/26/2006 Are Real Estate Seminars Worth The Price? "Learn the secrets to success in real estate!" "Fast cash!" "No risk!" "Become a millionaire!" We've all heard the pitch, but are seminars that purport to teach novice investors how to make millions in real estate really worth your time and money? Maybe. Or maybe not. Red-hot housing markets in many parts of the U.S. have prompted dozens of self-proclaimed experts to offer seminars that promise to turn no-money down into great wealth with little or no investment of time or effort. Yet despite the frequent claims of "secrets" to be revealed, many of these seminars teach techniques that aren't new, but have been known to investors for decades. Many legitimate real estate seminars offer good tips and ideas at a reasonable cost, but others are offered only as money-makers for the real estate gurus themselves. The reality is that only a small fraction of the people who attend these seminars achieve the sort of results that are advertised, according to "No-money down mania," a May 16, 2005, article in Money magazine. "With real estate seminars turning out thousands of would-be moguls every month, all pursuing the same no-money-down schemes on the same fringes of a market bound to slow sooner or later, the odds of making a quick fortune in real estate are becoming vanishingly small," the article concluded. Investors who want to attend a seminar should do plenty of homework before they sign up. Here are some points to consider: What is your objective in taking the seminar? Do you want to learn specific real estate investment techniques? Get motivated? Network with other attendees? Earn a certificate or continuing education credits? How will the seminar help you meet that objective? Who is the sponsor of the seminar and who is the instructor? Fortunately, it doesn't take much time or effort to research most companies and self-proclaimed experts on the Internet. Use Google or any other search engine that you like, and you'll find plenty of information. The investment of an hour to do this basic research may save you a lot more money than you would have made doing anything else in that same hour. Don't hesitate to call the company and ask about the instructor, the seminar, the venue and so on. Any reputable seminar sponsor or guru should have a telephone number and should make a live person available to answer your questions to your complete satisfaction. The more you ask, the more confident you'll be as to whether the seminar is a good fit for your needs. Be sure to ask for any guaranty in writing and inquire about the company's refund policy in case you're unable to attend the seminar or you're less than thrilled with it after you've attended it. Don't put your faith in online testimonials that may not be authentic and could have been abstracted from surveys distributed to attendees immediately after the seminar. Whether they were as pleased with their experience two days, two weeks or two years later might be a different story than how they felt caught in the moment. Look past the hyperbole for hard data and measurable results. How many people have attended this course and how many of them actually achieved the promised success as a direct result of what they learned? How much is the information really worth? Some free seminars offer useful information, but no registration fee also can be a tip-off that you'll be subjected to a hard sell for the guru's products and services at the seminar. On the flip side, seminars that costs hundreds or even thousands of dollars won't necessarily deliver any information that's worth that much money. Remember to add the value of your time and travel expenses to attend the seminar when you consider the cost as well. If the instructor has written a mass-market book that's on loan at the public library or can be purchased new or used in a local bookstore, you might want to read the book before you decide whether to sign up for the seminar. The guru's best advice might be available in print for a fraction of the cost of the seminar, and if the advice doesn't suit your needs, you'll have saved yourself the investment in the live-action event. The same information also might be available on a CD or DVD or through a local investors club or community college course for a lot less money. Copyright 2006. Marcie Geffner. All rights reserved. COMING NEXT ISSUE: Why real estate investors fail in the marketplace. The Investor e-Newsletter is provided free by HomeVestors of America, Inc. HomeVestors of America HomeVestors can be the turnkey solution if you are interested in investment property. 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