REIA Groups the worst type of meet up

[Michael Guzik]

Howdy guys and gals! I have a question.... Every single REIA meet up that I have attended has been some guru, pyramid scheme and/or waste of time where I am just being sold some stupid program, course, boot camp or mentoring opportunity. Not only am I constantly trying to be sold something but they want me to pay a 200$ a year membership fee or pay individually for attending each meeting. I am wondering if it is like this everywhere or only like this in San Antonio? I might be the only one but I seriously think that what these people do is morally wrong and is a disgrace. I really never understood why people looked at me sideways whenever I said I wanted to be a REI and now I think I know. Someone comes to these meet ups hoping for a path to financial freedom and excited about real estate, and they are met with a salesperson trying to shove some program or boot camp down their throat. They then get discouraged and the flame of hope and excitement dies then and there. It astounds me how people do this and are okay with taking advantage of people that don't know any better. I've gone to all 4 of their different REIA meet ups in SA and it's the same thing "Buy our three day boot-camp for $200 now instead of the $1000 regular price!" "Look at my "students" success she wholesaled her first house and made 20 grand! Buy my mentor-ship program for 30k and you can make even more than that in a year!" I just can't stand this stuff and maybe it's just me but if I had 30 grand just sitting around I wouldn't be at this meeting looking for guidance and asking questions.. and I certainly wouldn't be spending it on a program I would be using it to purchase an investment property. The funny thing is that at the last meet up I went to I introduced myself and mentioned bigger pockets, and the"guru" laughed at me and asked what that was, and made fun of me for using the term house hacking. He was very condescending throughout the whole speech and constantly asked me "I bet bigger pockets doesn't teach you this does it big guy?" I looked up his name and his boot-camp and low and behold there was a discussion about him on bigger pockets exposing him to be a guru just trying to sell his boot-camp or mentor-ship program along with the prices of both and what is actually taught in the boot-camp and mentor-ship program(which is next to nothing). To sum it up at every REIA meeting he advertises his boot camp every 5 minutes; which is no exaggeration, then at the boot camp he advertises and tries to sell his mentor-ship program. In the mentor-ship program you must run every deal by him, and have you basically do everything and then take 60% of the profit. Thank you to the person who posted that, and thank you t BP you saved me and dozens of others from wasting our time and money. Sorry for going off on a rabbit trail but this really upsets me, is everyone's REIA like this? I've found the only ones worth going to are the free ones set up by local people or average joe's... Thank you for taking the time and energy to read this and please comment on yall's experiences or opinions on the matter thank you!