I must admit, when I was just getting started as a real estate investor here in Harrisburg, some of the promotion for flipping houses seminars around Harrisburg was quite compelling. Seminars are frequently named for celebrities or real estate ‘gurus’ who have achieved stardom by—supposedly— making a bundle through real estate investing.

Fortune Builders, for instance, uses the stars of “Flip This House.” And, Rich Dad Education throws around the name Robert Kiyosaki of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” fame. But, you will never see these luminaries at a Harrisburg real estate investing seminar, if only because they are being staged in multiple markets simultaneously.

Now that I’ve been around the industry for years and written my own success story, I advise newer investors that they should have second thoughts before attending one. The plethora of new TV shows make fixing and flipping seem deceptively easy without telling you how to actually build a professional real estate investing business. There are several seminars focused on Harrisburg lately, so I’d like to explain some of the reasons that I can confidently tell you why.

The Flipping House Seminar in Harrisburg Is Just Another Stop On The Tour

There are certainly plenty of real estate investing opportunities here in Harrisburg. It’s a good place to get started, too. But, you’ll need some real estate investing training, first. And, these seminars are not the place to get it. In fact, attending a cookie-cutter seminar could be one of the biggest mistakes in real estate investing for beginners. Let’s take a look at a few of your recent and upcoming options.

Than Merrill

Harrisburg will play host to a Than Merrell seminar promoted by Fortune Builders. His show “Flip This House” made investing in houses and flipping them for big money look very easy. After all, if an ex NFL player can become a real estate millionaire, why can’t you?  His company, however, only concentrates on filling seats with prospects and then selling everything that is not nailed down.

You could come away with some general knowledge during the two-hour program, but not with the skills and understanding of how the business actually works and how it could generate income for you in your Harrisburg market. Attendees are not going to find out about which local neighborhoods offer the best chance of finding a distressed property that can be fixed up and sold for solid ROI. This seminar’s general program about real estate investing might garner your enthusiasm, but you need training customized for the market where you are going to invest.

Than Merrill’s program is like a shotgun blast instead of finely targeted shots of information that attendees can retain and successfully use right here in Harrisburg.

Real Estate Elevated

Real Estate Elevated is coming to town, too, and pretty much follows the same format. This seminar features the stars of “Flip Or Flop”—who were so successful that their celebrity marriage publicly flopped. You get a short introduction to real estate investing and maybe enjoy a photo opp with a cardboard cutout of the former couple who created all those beautiful flips on TV. The real celebrities, however, will not be in attendance.

What you will find on the stage are professional pitchmen who are attempting to offset the cost of the seminar and the marketing needed to gain your attendance. But, what can a seminar salesman who comes from Los Angeles truly know about the Harrisburg market? It seems that their real goal is to upsell as many people as possible to purchase a variety of additional products and programs that could cost anywhere from a few hundred to many thousands of dollars. The seminar is the loss leader that doesn’t tell the public they are walking into a much more involved sales pitch.

SuccessPath

The Success Path programs are pretty much a carbon copy of the other seminars on our list. There are two separate websites currently on the internet dedicated to discussing whether SuccessPath is a scam. Attendees have said roughly 70% of the program time is spent trying to sell additional training and materials. These options are definitely not free. If the program was presented from the back of a covered wagon it would look identical to the “snake oil” sales scams from the Old West.

This program is very carefully structured to help reach their goals—not yours. You might say the only people involved who make serious money are the people behind the seminars, and not the hopefuls who attend. In my opinion, at the end of the long and expensive day, you will not have really moved forward toward a professional real estate investing career.

Real estate investing might not be rocket science, but it is certainly not easy, and it requires comprehensive training from someone who actually has your interests at heart. When a serious mistake is made because of a lack of knowledge and experience, your entire financial commitment could just go up in smoke. That’s just not a risk you want to take by attending a seminar that fills you with false confidence.

Fortunately, There Is A Better Way to Get Training

Fortunately, before I became too awed by the bright lights of house flipping seminars in Harrisburg, I discovered the benefits of training as a HomeVestor® franchisee. Not only did my comprehensive one-week training teach me the nuts and bolts of flipping houses, but it also connected me with a dedicated Development Agent who had knowledge about my regional market. He was able to walk me through challenging transactions right where I live when I was just starting out and continues to be a pair of ‘Second Eyes®’ when I’m considering a deal. Even better, he’s invested in my success for the long term.

I had some hard knocks on the way—as everyone does—but, with training and ongoing support from HomeVestors®, I have succeeded in building an enviable and ethical professional real estate investing business. Now, when newer investors ask me what advice I can offer, I do not send them to sign up for a house flipping seminar in Harrisburg—I tell them to explore becoming a HomeVestors® franchisee.

And, that’s just what you should do, too. If you’re ready for comprehensive professional real estate training and support, call HomeVestors® today.

Each franchise office is independently owned and operated.