A lot of my friends ask me what the new Western Kentucky REIA is all about so I thought I'd start my blog with telling you a little bit more about it.

   VISION - To have a place where RE investors here in Western Kentucky can come together to meet, share information, stay motivated, get education and training, and have an enjoyable time doing so.  This group was born out of meetings between J.W. and myself back in November 2007.  We etermined that what we really needed was a group of other investors to bounce deas off of, share strategies and information with, and pass good deals onto.  Look around, the other investors in your area aren’t competition, they are your ssociates, neighbors, and your biggest asset.  Together we can all be more rofitable as we share knowledge and experiences and seek win-win deals for
everyone involved.

  MISSION STATEMENT - Our Mission Statement says it all - We seek to:

    “Provide our members with the education, training, motivation and
networking opportunities that will enhance the member’s ability to successfully
use RE Investing as a Wealth Building tool.”

    That’s what we’re here for, to help each of you succeed in what you do.  There are several ways that we hope that our association will accomplish this.

    A.  NETWORKING - Meeting other RE investors, sharing stories, experiences and interests.  We’ll be having a set networking time at each meeting.  We’ll also have a Membership Directory so that any time you need to
contact a fellow REIA member in another county, you will be able to.  Networking increases your investment opportunities.  As a REIA member, you will have access to potential deals that other members have going.  Investors can use the Member’s Directory or the Member’s Email list to find potential buyers for a property.  Each time you make a new friend at a REIA meeting, you are increasing your pool of potential investors and potential
investment opportunities.  Let’s face it, if I have a good deal and need to pass it along, I am going to pass it along to a fellow REIA member first. 

    B.  EDUCATION - At each meeting, we will be providing relevant articles on the subjects covered in the meeting.  We’ll additionally be having featured local, regional and hopefully, national, speakers to share with you their
experiences as RE investors.  We have to be constantly learning and changing as investors and we are dedicated to helping that happen in this Association.

    C.  TRAINING - We’re going to be trying to bring in people as featured speakers and for weekend workshops to teach real estate strategies.  There’s nothing better than having a successful person not only tell you, but show you, how he or she does things.  In addition, we hope to have Mentoring opportunities available in the near future for newer investors to be able to work directly with more experienced investors. 

    D.  MOTIVATION - Nothing will drag you down as a RE investor faster than a lack of motivation.  We must stay positive and be on the move to be successful in this business.  This association seeks to help keep you motivated to succeed.  We will have speakers who will motivate you to act instead of just listen and the positive feedback from your peers will keep you ACTING and doing what it takes to succeed despite fear and doubt that sometimes creep in.

    E.  HAVING FUN - One of the key things in any profession is that you actually enjoy what you do.  This is a fun business.  We get to help people and we get to make some money doing it.  We want you to be able to have fun as a RE investor.  It’s no fun thinking that you’re out there on your own.  We want you to have the confidence to know that you have a group of individuals behind you ready to assist and help with your business.  You’re not alone, we have all been there and hopefully we can find somebody to help you succeed and enjoy this
business.
   
3.  WHAT’S ALREADY BEEN DONE, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND
HOW DO I GET INVOLVED?

    A.  ALREADY DONE - Our REIA has already filed its paperwork to be a member of the National REIA.  The national REIA has a ton of wealth-building  information only for members and you can access them online at
www.nationalreia.com.  We also have our initial website up and running at www.wkreia.com.   We have a place and time to meet each month here at the Curris Center in Murray, KY at 7:30 pm on each 3rd Thursday.

    B.  NEEDS TO BE DONE - Right now we’re looking for people to get involved and help J.W.  Davis and I lead this organization.  We need people to get involved and serve as County Directors, Section Directors, and Board Members. 

        1.  County Directors are involved in overseeing the membership for each county.  A County Director would need to keep spreading the word to other investors and would be the initial contact person for REIA members seeking information about that county.  Being a County Director has some big benefits for active investors.  For instance, if somebody calls me with a deal over in Bardwell, I don’t do hardly any business in Carlisle Co, so I would call the Carlisle County Director to help me with evaluating the deal and getting the property sold, and of
course that person would be compensated for their assistance.   The next type of leaders are Section Directors.

        2.  Section Directors are in charge of a specific type of RE Investment opportunity, for instance we envision having a Section Director for Commercial RE, one for Mobile Homes, one for Residential Rentals, etc.  The same benefit as being a County Director applies for being a Section Director.  If a member calls in and needs a helping hand with a Commercial deal, we will refer them to the Commercial Section Director.  Lastly, we need board members.

        3.  We currently have 2 available spots for members of the WKREIA Board of Directors.  Board members will help lead the REIA and make decisions concerning the strategic plan and future goals of the REIA. 

    C.  HOW DO I GET INVOLVED?  The first step to becoming involved is to join the REIA.  We are pricing memberships based on the national REIA model it $120 per year.  That’s $10 per month and the benefits far outweigh those costs.  That will get you or your business one membership.  We need members and we need leaders to oin our organization and make it as great as we know it can be.   HOWEVER, and I WANT TO MAKE THIS VERY CLEAR -  There’s no requirement that you pay or become a member before coming to a meeting.  Bring your friends, family, or anybody interested in Real Estate.  There’s no monetary requirement to show up to
see how you like it, and we will have a donations jar available at each meeting and if you are able, you can contribute to our organization that way.  After you’ve become a member, you can get more involved by being a
County Director, Section Director, etc like I talked about before.

That is basically what our Western Kentucky REIA is all about and we would LOVE for any of you to get involved.  Call me at 270-761-4289 if you are interested.