Making Real Money in REI

[Ryan Urban]

There's an old saying in the writing business: "The only people making money in the writing business are those who are teaching people how to make money in the writing business."

As I look around the current REI landscape I see a ton of "gurus", "new concepts", "can't miss systems" and "the new wave of the industry" sales pitches, not to mention wall-to-wall informercials.

I'm fairly new to REI, but I'm making aggressive offers on solid properties, I have more than sufficient funds set aside for down payments, and my credit is good. In other words, I'm doing it the "old fashioned way."

I've also looked at all the different strategies, from wholesaling to mobile homes to quick sales to birddogging, and I've seen testimonials from students who liked the courses and "really hope" they'll "make a lot of money with this program."

So here's my question (and sorry for the long preamble): Are there really people who are following these programs, and who are making significant money with them? I can see the flipping strategy working, but what about wholesaling, tax sales, pre-foreclosures?

Is this stuff real, or are the only people in the industry making money, those who are teaching others how to make money in the industry?