It has been my pleasure to serve as the Executive Director of the Two Rivers REIA for two years this month.  I founded our local chapter of the National REIA back in October of 2006 and, as with most associations, it takes a while to really get things rolling.

However, from day one, our focus has been on offering, 1) affordably priced education (and by that I mean TRUE education, without always having a vendor there pushing some kind of product), 2) networking opportunities,  through which investors at various stages of their RE investing career can interface with like-minded peers, and 3) mentoring opportunities, by making sure that we provide some expertise from members who are RE investment savvy as much as we can, without charging for the privilege.  

And over these past two years, we have continued to gain in our membership, such that as of this month, we have over 50 active members!   I count this as a milestone only, for we've only scratched the scratch of what our potential is for Two Rivers REIA of Central Iowa group, but this achievement does allow us to take a breath for just a few seconds; to appreciate our members who are finding benefit through their membership and for these early ones, I am indeed thankful.   

This is the primary objective of the Two Rivers REIA -- to make sure members are learning to find better deals, or learning how to manage properties better for a better return on their investment, or any one of a hundred different benefits that accrue from membership in a professional association.

My hat is off to those who have attended early meetings, become members, and continued to attend meetings to envigorate the discussion, possibly even giving something back to the group. 

With several of the recent presentations, I think we're well on the way toward providing tangible benefits to members and guests.  The upcoming meeting at the John and Mary Pappajohn Education Center, at 1200 Grand Ave on November 1, 2008, will be an introduction to expanding possibilities for our future.    

If you've never been to a Two Rivers REIA meeting and you're within a few hours of Des Moines, this event should be a good one to choose!   The admittance fee is nominal, and more details can be found here.  The David Lindahl group is providing two presentations, offered by our featured speaker David Seymour, and I think it will be an event you won't want to miss!   Interested in attending?   Here is our online registration form!