Anyone have experience with Smart Start University in Cleveland?

[Rick Bettcher]

I'm considering this training because it's condensed into 4 days and gives me a wealth of local resources and other investors to network with. I realize I can probably find equivalent information either on BP or other REI websites. But the problem I find with that is all the conflicting information - especially when it comes to investing in northeast Ohio.

My original interest was to start in wholesaling and eventually working up to rehabs/flips. All the other online training seminars/gurus that I've looked at failed to mention that wholesaling in Ohio without a realtors license is illegal if done the way they are  instructing. I thank the many folks on BP who've brought this to my attention.  NONE of the online wholesale "experts" ever mentioned Point Of Sale requirements that many cities have which essentially make wholesaling IMPOSSIBLE the way they all tout.  This is the kind of information that working with a local (Ohio) based training company shares as part of their core training. That one fact (which Smart Start University brought to my attention) has completely made me reassess whether or not I even want to get involved with wholesaling.

I find value in working with local investors/educators who know the reality of wholesaling (or investing in general) in Ohio. I don't mind paying them for their knowledge if it means avoiding the many mistakes they made so I don't have to. And it definitely fills in the blanks that the countless online gurus/educators fail to mention in their sales materials. 

So my question to anyone who's read this far is, have you gone through the Smart Start University program? If so, did you feel it helped you in your REI career? Would you recommend it to a family member or close friend?