Want to flip houses or own rental properties? Great! The world can use more quality homes for people to buy and rent. But as we’ve mentioned in previous posts, you can’t do it alone. You will need to work with realtors, appraisers, title companies, inspectors, and many more folks in order to be successful.
If we work together, we can all achieve more. Here in Grand Rapids, we have a great advantage – there are some great groups around! Here are three you should check out if you want to grow your Grand Rapids real estate network.
We are involved in all three of these groups, and get great value from each. So jump in!
1. Rental Property Owners Association
Otherwise known as the RPOA, this is a group that focuses on helping landlords and real estate investors succeed. As of this writing, they are the largest landlord association in Michigan, and are able to offer a wide variety of benefits and services.
First, the RPOA can provide forms and legal documentation. Having quality contracts is very important! They also offer free limited legal advice, a tenant screening service, technical support, and an extensive contractor list for when you need repairs done.
They also provide education on a variety of topics, from purchasing rental properties to lead paint laws. They offer courses on seller financing, self-directed IRAs, lease and contract law, and much more. If you are just getting started, or expanding into a new area, these classes are incredibly valuable.
The RPOA offers networking opportunities every week, and has some great discounts included with membership. These include money off at Home Depot, Sherwin Williams, Indoor Climate Solutions, Office Max, and many more.
Membership is fee-based, and starts at $219/year. We have found that the membership has more than paid for itself.
If you’re looking for a more casual, networking based group, try the West Michigan REI Club. This is a group that meets once a month, currently at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Wyoming. There are over 400 members, and typically 40-50 people attend each meeting.
The group has realtors, attorneys, appraisers, property managers, lenders, contractors, house flippers, landlords, accountants, and many more attend each meeting. Put simply, if you need to meet someone in a given field, you will probably find them here.
Each meeting, there is a ‘haves and wants’ section, where you will be able to describe what you’re looking for, as well as anything you’re offering. This is great, because it allows you to connect with the right people once the mingling starts.
Speakers also present regularly on a variety of topics. From insurance to quit claim deeds, you can learn a lot and meet experts along the way.
This group is free to join, and anyone is welcome at any meeting regardless of experience level. This is one of the quickest ways to grow your Grand Rapids real estate network.
BiggerPockets.com is a wonderful resource for anyone looking to invest in real estate. There are hundreds of articles, and they covering almost every topic in the field. If you are interested in flipping houses, you can find that here. Owning duplexes? Yep. Investing in mobile homes or real estate notes? You bet.
The information on this site is vast. You can read and learn, for free, just about everything that you can pick up from a $10,000 seminar.
Of course, there are a lot of great educational websites. This one stands out, because it also has a great community of Grand Rapids real estate people on board. You can connect with folks you might never have met in person, and follow it up with coffee.
We have several great partnerships that began on this website. When you combine the great information and great people, it is a wonderful resource. It is free, but has additional features for paid members.
With these three options, you should be well on your way to growing an extensive and helpful network of Grand Rapids real estate professionals. Take advantage of them, and you will really accelerate your progress.