College of Wish I'd Done This the First Time Around

I had signed up for classes in February and was eager to see what my money had bought come April. Prior to attending the college, other investors I met through Brandon crowed about the amazing experience and said I would be blown away. They kept saying this even after I paid for my tuition so my hopes were high that I had not just dumped a bunch of money on some weekend-hotel seminar. I was not disappointed.

Another comment I heard repeatedly was that words cannot describe how great the college experience is: it turns out they were correct. I sit here pondering an accurate description and all my attempts fall short of the vivid picture I’d like to paint, so bear with me as I make an attempt.

Let me first say my expectation was somewhat low. I imagined sitting in an overly air conditioned and seldom vacuumed conference room in the basement of a Motel 6 taking notes from an overhead projector in a room populated with bald, pocket-protector wearing accountants. The thought of sitting in class for 8 hr/day for the bulk of my spring break vacation was not a comforting thought. I tried to focus on the education aspect and told myself this enormous sacrifice was what I had to do in order to accomplish my future dreams, which is what any self-sacrificing parent would do for their children; only instead of a child I had a hamster with a voracious appetite and large testicles. That part about the education turned out to be true: this was what I needed to do to make my dreams come true and not lose a fortune in the process. Fortunately that part about the accountants was a needless worry.

The first benefit to the college is that it's located in AZ. For anyone living in Chicago, you know April is not exactly a balmy time of year so heading south was not without its advantages. Flip-flops and sunglasses were the order of the day, although most our time was spent in conference rooms, but they were really really nice conference rooms and not the seedy, roach-infested slums of my overactive imagination.

The second benefit was the energy of being surrounded by people who are totally jazzed about the same things as you. Their enthusiasm was infectious and their stories of success were inspiring since I was so new to the game. Meeting and networking with hundreds of individuals who are learning and actually investing successfully across the country was quite a rush.

The third perk was the organization of the event, It was precise as the finest of Swiss engineered timepieces, despite the thousands of students attending. I was always able to find a free bathroom stall, get coffee or a snack without waiting in endless lines, and park conveniently. Everything started and ended on time, including the breaks, which, for an OCD time freak like myself, was soothing and impressive.

These three components lent to an excellent first impression, but paled in comparison to the actual classes, all of which were taught by dynamic, energetic, knowledgeable and successful investors. They say that it’s not what people say, but how they make you feel, but in the case of real estate education I think the, “what they say” , part is pretty damned important! However, each instructor covered their material so thoroughly and efficiently that I left each class feeling confident that I could go home and apply what I had learned. I also felt enthused and inspired to start using my education, a feeling I rarely experienced at my alma mater, Loyola.

As I scan back over what I wrote the description seems woefully lacking, but then saying “The David” is an elegant sculpture doesn’t really do it justice either does it? All I can say is that prior to attending NR's college, my friends and family warned of the dire experience they, or people they knew, had suffered at other weekend real estate conferences. This week long extravaganza was nothing like what the naysayers said; no one tried to up-sell me and I left feeling empowered. I can honestly say that if that one week was all my money had bought it would have been worth it….but I get to go again! I get to go 7 more times! Wahoo!

To see what I'm doing with what I learned keep reading or visit: www.newrichbdg.com