Qualified or not to start a REIA?

[Tony Wooldridge]

Hello BP nation.  I need a little help.  I live in a smaller farming community (approx: 45,000 pop) in S.E. Washington, Walla Walla Washington to be exact.  It is a GR8 community and has been coming into its own in the Winery community that has contributed to its interest/investment opportunity.

I am fairly new to the REI world but I have been extremely active since making the decision to start my REI business. I have been educating myself for quite awhile. I have got my LLC, RE Attorney, CPA, RE agent(s), the usual team. My wife and I have decided to build a house flipping business. I dove head first and started a DMM campaign (I haven't been able to locate a wholesaler in my area as of yet/so I must learn and become a deal flow expert as well!) and have made offers but no takers yet. I spend a great deal of time building my new business.

My farming community currently doesn't have a REIA or meeting place for RE investors. My goal this year is to get one successfully off the ground. Here is where I need your help BP nation. I obviously don't have my first deal yet (not lack of trying) but am constantly working towards making that happen. I know how valuable it is to have a REIA and I am quite confident that other investors would feel the same way. But would you come to a REIA started by a guy that doesn't even have his first deal yet?

I want nothing from the other investors who would attend other than an opportunity for all of us to gather and network together and share in what we all love REI. I don't want to sell anything to anybody or have anyone for that matter to take advantage of the investors that attend. I just want a place we can network. However, I have visited with community folks, RE agents, RE attorneys, CPA's, Mortgage folks, Title Company Managers, to see if they would be interested in educating the group on their areas of expertise (once again NO sells stuff just educating us on a topic in their field and how if would help us as investors). All of these folks I mentioned above stated they would be interested in educating us on a topic that I/We decide we want to learn about.

So once again, is this something I should pursue as a newbie without a deal what do I have to offer anybody? I know what I have to offer but do others see the value in bringing groups of people together for the greater good of the group? Thanks ahead of time BP nation and here is to wishing each and everyone of you success in your 2017 REI ventures! Thanks for allowing me to share.