They are going to put in a certain amount of work and their own money on marketing, photos, their overhead costs (agents are independent contractors who pay their own E&O and health insurance, income taxes, MLS dues, NAR dues, continuing ed requirements, etc., etc. all out of their commissions before they get to keep any $), their time, etc. then they also have to split anything they make with their brokerage. $4k would be losing money for me but again it sounds like a lower cost of living area.   

Some of the cautions:The fraudsters – who may or may not be affiliated with the company – persuade independent life insurance agents to sell promissory notes, luring them with lucrative commissions of up to twenty or even thirty percent.

If it wasn't fraud but simple incompetence (and he lost the money), then that isn't a crime and your options are more limited.Your legal contract (and/or the state laws the entity was incorporated in...depending on where) most likely requires the sponsor to share books and records with you (so you can at least know what happened).

On the other hand there are plenty of others that provide lots of transparency including all the way up to audited financials. 

My wife and I own and operate 23 senior living communities (assisted living, memory care, and independent living) across Colorado and we are now expanding into Arizona. 

You can learn to do this independently or get a rockstar REALTOR to lead the way.

A cap rate is independent of debt and assumes you have accurate expenses which you'll almost never find on residential property.

I think you're answer is one of the hardest yet important things people need to do to become not only financially independent but happier in life

The stated reason is that my independent agent is being cancelled by Safeco and will no longer be a Safeco agent. 

some of you may want to read this article. http://www.phillytrib.com/news/local_news/audit-re...kudos,Mary