Renatus: After DETAILED research I just don't get why?

Question

Hello BP People!

II'm sure questions about Renatus have gotten somewhat redundant however I query as it seems to me such prior by individuals about are often too delicately verbaged and therefore NOT responded to in a quantifying manner.

I have read, quite literally, researched THOUSANDS of posts, comments, oral and written iterations of various natures yet I've yet to find even ONE individual that actually QUANTIFIES their success with the education effecting a lucrative or even nominal progression (and I'm not referring to selling the education but success in REI FROM the education) either monetarily or with a personal success story.

It seems everytime an individual inquires into such, when a student or member of Renatus responds it is never inclusive of such but rather, and please forgive my tone, an outline of a sales pitch.

When doing some rather intricate research on individuals who HAVE partially quantified success (to a cheerleader degree, that is, never with bottom line figures) further research exposes that they ALREADY HAD much money to invest in property acquisition and the would not be bruised by the cost of these educations for which one does not receive a license or even certification much less a degree but for which they cannot even GET a student loan as Renatus is not reflective of an educational institution for which one can apply for grant or loan. They are told they can sell the education to pay for their education.

I've not seen even ONE individual report going from modest income to success unless they has money to start with and thus enjoy the annual cheer leading meeting (which is quite costly just to GET there and it requires time off from one's sustainable income) and many Facebook friends.

Perhaps someone could lend some clarity as I've been trying for 7 months now to find an actual success story and simply have not been able to.

People I know that have spent MANY thousands of dollars (I mean SO much at 19%-23% interest rates on credit cards as they can't get student loans) and the annual meeting yet ALL are now in debt so deeply they CANNOT focus but on their life maintaining, usually not RE jobs, just to pay the credit cards escalated by paying for education. I'm talking about individuals that are myopically retired from mandatory work and can least afford to recover.

It is my hope that someone will finally clarify as, thus far, when attempting to get someone to personally clarify and share, the defenses go WAY up.

Having associates who participated in (and are still paying for) the first two levels of education and NUMEROUS fee based workshops, I've had opportunity to review the material and I'm just not getting what Renatus is selling. To me, with the advent of the internet in the 1990s, all of this information is available for free or a fraction of the enormous cost one pays to Renatus and STILL has no license to do much of anything except write more checks if wishing to invest.

What am I missing? I am not one of such financial status that I could afford to lose $20K that I'd have to put on unsecured credit cards or second mortgage.

Thank you, in advance.

Craig Wilcox · Answer

@Karyn L., I have sat through the pitch in the past and came away with the impression that it would be helpful in two situations, although there could be more. 1) If I already had a significant amount of money to not only purchase the course but also to purchase investments. I think there would be good information to make sure someone invest their funds prudently. 2) If I wanted to be part of a multilevel marketing business to produce income. There are a lot of people in MM companies that make a good income but it takes time and effort, like anything. If you do not fit into one of those two situations or it does not make sense for your own situation then I believe you already have your answer. There is so much free (BP) and inexpensive (books) REI information available now that you do not need to spend a lot on education and a degree is not needed. However, there is a huge benefit to having a mentor but I would be careful of paying for a guru mentorship. I would suggest that you start out going through the free guides and course here on BP. If those don't resonate with you, find a book with a REI strategy that makes sense to you. Some good ones are right here on BP like "The Book on Rental Property Investing", "BRRRR", and "Set for Life". But there are many more out there like "The Millionaire Real Estate Investor", "Landlording on Autopilot", "The ABC's of Real Estate Investing", "Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing" etc. I believe the key is to find a strategy that makes sense to you for your situation, follow that strategy and do not stray from it until you are generating enough income that you can take on a second strategy. Never, never, never give up!

Mike Cumbie · Answer

TLDR version:Has anyone ACTUALLY had success from RENATUS?I've never used them and have no personal experience. When I was starting out I looked into a similar program (30K but the world would be mine). I choose not to go with it and put that same money into a property. I still feel good about that decision. I am a strong advocate for training and mentoring. However pushing 20-30-40K programs on someone without the capital to even look at property rubs me the wrong way. Those programs are good for someone who has had some measure of success in the industry and needs to expand to the next level (IMHO).Good Luck in whatever you decide to go with.

Taylor L. · Answer

There are so many education programs out there for all aspects of real estate. Most of them are iffy at best and scams at worst. I have no knowledge of this particular provider, but if you're concerned about a program's legitimacy, move on and keep looking for one you like. Classroom knowledge is cheap, action is valuable.

Aubree Folkersen · Answer

We joined 3 years ago and were not in a place where we were financially stable. We were renting out our house, living in the in-laws’ basement, experiencing medical and other hardships, and had $65K of debt (medical, consumer, vehicle, college, etc.). REI is not for everyone—it is definitely up to each person, their dedication level, mindset, and choice. For us, we felt it was the right thing to do and took the leap. We were ready to get out of our situation and get into a better place. The company offers interest-free payment plans that can be paid off early, without penalty. There is also a cash discount option, if you can come up with the funds upfront. There are different levels of the education. We started off with the lowest, Essentials (taxes, credit, debt payment, etc.), and jumped all-in after we started the courses and saw how beneficial they were to us (business management, advertising, all types of real estate investing, funding, etc.). We, personally, did the interest-free payment plan and there is no credit check. They fund it, solely, because they believe in what they teach and the success of others. We paid off the education, plus our $65K of debt, in 11 months with what we learned. We were able to get out of the basement, move back into our house, later sell it, and made double what we bought it for (without paying capital gains). I think it can be hard for people to quantify their success because most investors usually put their earnings back into more investment properties. In our case, we are on the hunt for another one, so I don't have a quantity of net worth/equity. We're also getting into Airbnb Arbitrage and are in the process of getting contracts, so we can't claim an income on that direction for us, either. These results are our own and not a guarantee for anyone. Everyone has the power to work hard, get out of their situation, and live the life they want, though. There is support within the company, coaching, and you can even attend some classes and meetings for free before deciding to join. For us, it was worth it. To anyone considering, I would say do your research, run the numbers, decide your dedication level, and follow your gut. For us, it didn't steer us wrong and has been the best thing that's ever happened to us, to this day.

Karyn L. · Answer

@Mike CumbieI SOOO agree, Mike. After writing my OP I started really digging up information and found out Renatus is actually Noveau Riche REBORN (Renatus MEANS "reborn" and sure enough, hierarchy is structurally intact sans Picollo).I saved myself a LOT of grief by finally posting in here. Just reading my own post made me realize something's WAY off with that organization.I'm registering for accredited RE class to get license and will encourage my partner to get home inspection licence (construction now...saving to plunk $20K down on Renatus). I need a class to learn how to approach him and tell him what he's so excited about is what it is. :-(Thank you SOOO much!

Karyn L. · Answer

@Craig WilcoxThank you, Craig. I did a bit more research using the names of individuals who are in the Renatus hierarchy and realized that they are actually none other than Noveau Rich reborn, LITERALLY! The word "renatus" means reborn and I the organizational structure right back to that organization and am rather shocked to find this to be precisely the same.I was looking into student loans, financial assistance and was told flat out this is not an educational organization, which prompted my intense research. If money has to come right out of one's pocket, YES, I think investing in actual, tangible property is greater option. It also strikes me that just buying the property isn't enough. One must hire Realtor, etc., to sell so law of diminishing returns enters my head.Looks like I'm saved BUT someone VERY close to me, who is in his 60s, is toiling away day and night (literally) to gather $20,000 to pay for the third level of this "education". Looks like I'll need to defer to an entirely different website genre to figure out how to explain to my man he's stepping into something like this.I'm going to register for accredited real estate courses to become licensed and encourage him to register for the ASHA inspection courses, which is what would be ideal, given his background in construction AND that both of us are close to retirement years and approach as a team. I'm VERY surprised no one else, or very few, have linked these two organizations together even though Renatus means "born again"...a LITERAL slap in the face to those who they scammed while operating as Noveau Riche...just Noveau Riche REBORN.Wow. My P.I. skills seem too still be intact (formerly licensed). I KNEW something was way off. I didn't realize how off until I wrote OP and read it back to myself.Thanks again!