My first Knox REIA Meeting

[Ben Headrick]

I'm brand new to this world of real estate investing. I've spent the last few months trying to absorb as much information as possible from the BiggerPockets podcasts and the forums. I've heard several podcast guests mention how valuable their local REIA has been to their growth and success, especially starting out. I decided to give the KnoxREIA monthly meeting a shot, so a good friend and I signed up and I wanted to share my thoughts.

I'm not typically a "social person", so I didn't think I would get much networking value from the meeting. Boy, was I wrong. Initially, I met several people with, like myself, little to no experience with real estate investing. Then, I started to meet people with more experience that were willing to share their story about investing in the Knoxville area. I have so many questions starting with "Who do I talk to about--fill in the blank?" I now have a pocket full of business cards to answer those questions, or at least point me in the direction to someone who can.

I thought Sessions Court Judge Chuck Cerny and his panel of attorneys were wonderful. The panel discussion became informal pretty quickly, but I still found it valuable. People were asking real questions about real scenarios that I would have never thought to consider. The room discussed fair housing situations regarding tenants with disabilities, the allowance of pets that are considered service or companion animals, the typical eviction process, the importance of a well drafted lease versus a generic lease found through a google search, and other topics.

I especially want to thank Knox REIA president, Victor Jernigan for personally seeking us out in the parking lot and talking for a moment. I didn't get to meet everyone there, so if you were there, introduce yourself in this thread. I hope to be a regular attendee of the meetings and would like to be able to say hello to more people at future meetings. If you are on the fence about going to that first meeting, I highly recommend it. It is worth that first-time guest fee to see what it's really about.

[Payton Abernathy]

Hi guys !

Glad you all enjoyed the meeting and got to hear a very informative Q&A session relating to rental property and the tenant/landlord relationship. Myself, I'm am involved with flipping SFH, but would like to move into long-term rentals in the future. Special Thanks to @Victor Jernigan for setting us up with such great and knowledgeable professionals. I try to attend every month. I have been going for over a year.

Just some advise for those of you wanting to meet new and seasoned investors like yourself; try to get there early around 5:15, a lot of the networking goes on from 5:30-6:30 ( plus food and drinks are provided)   :), and if possible, stay after and socialize in the bar, no drink required. It's a great chance to meet others on a more personal level, discuss specific issues in real estate, and make a new friend.

Make sure you say Hi if you see me next time, I would love to share my experiences and learn from yours,

Payton