You've seen them.  The TV infomercials, the full page newspaper 
ads, the direct mail letters.  Take cover!  We are under attack 
from the real estate gurus.

The real estate riches craze seems to hit the country every ten 
to twelve years or so.  The real estate gurus may or may not 
really be successful investors, but there is no doubt that they 
are masters of marketing.   There they sit, on the patio of 
water front homes with yachts clearly visible in the background. 
 They are chatting with an alleged student who only a few days 
ago lived in abject poverty, but now earns millions buying real 
estate.  "Yes, you can do the same if you only attend the free 
seminar soon to be held in your area."  

You've seen exactly that on TV, right?  What gives?  Is there 
any truth under all of that hype?  Haven't you been a little 
tempted by such an expertly designed sales pitch?

The truth is that anyone can make money investing in real 
estate.  It is one of the great wealth building opportunities 
available to any American who is determined to succeed.  You 
literally can achieve financial independence starting with 
little more than determination and knowledge.  The gurus are 
able to mount massive marketing campaigns, because they make 
millions promising to provide the secret knowledge of success.  

Those free seminars offered by the gurus are amazing lessons in 
the psychology of selling.  Attend and you will witness a few 
hundred people expertly whipped into a frenzy of greed.  The 
crowd is carefully led step by step into an uncontrollable need 
to buy the "magical wealth building secrets" offered by the 
guru's "boot camp".  

These super sales people have become so good at creating lust 
for wealth that they can now sell their educational seminars 
for as much as $15,000!  Many "up sell" from there with on 
going mentoring services and other extras.   Let's see, 100 
students at $15,000 each for a three-day boot camp.  Hey, 
there really is wealth available in real estate!

Let's be fair.  Most of these people really do teach the 
mechanics of successful real estate investing.  Carleton Sheets, 
Robert Allen, Russ Whitney and others have been promoting their 
seminars for years and have had thousands and thousands of 
students.  It stands to reason that after teaching that many 
people at least a few would become successful investors.  Those 
are the ones you see in the infomercials telling about all the 
money they've made after attending the seminar.  

Sure, only a small percentage of the students ever make any 
real money in real estate, but let's not be quick to judge.  
Four out of five new businesses fail within the first 5-years 
no matter what field they're in.  Real estate investing can't 
be expected to be much different.  

So what's the complaint?   Well it's not the education.  The 
author's experience shows that in most cases the information 
being taught is valid and useful.   BUT…  should it cost 
$3,000 to $15,000?   

As a real estate investor and creator of educational material 
I am often asked for advice from people considering a guru 
seminar.  These people are excited about the earning potential 
presented in the TV ads.  What they really want to hear is an 
endorsement of the particular guru and a positive review of 
the seminar to help convince their spouse and themselves that 
the thousands will be well spent.

Here's how I reply.  I ask if they have read every real estate 
investing book to be found on the shelves of their local 
library?  Next I ask if they have checked to see what real 
estate books are available from bookstores like Barnes & 
Noble or Borders?   Have they searched for real estate books 
at Amazon.com?  Have they attempted to locate and join a local 
real estate investor club?  There's one in most any city of 
any size.  Have they done an Internet search for "real estate 
investing"?  That's where you find privately published education 
from real investors.

I try to direct folks to the real estate investing material 
that's available free or at reasonable cost.  I have even found 
the tapes and books from expensive seminars at used bookstores 
and thrift shops for ten dollars or less.  Real estate investing 
information is everywhere if you will just look for it.

You see the real secret is… there is no secret.  All the 
gurus are teaching the same things.  It is basically the same 
information successful real estate investors have been using 
for decades.  You'll find it in the books at your library.  
It's available from others at investor clubs.  It's been 
focused and updated by private publishers and vendors at a 
fraction of the cost demanded by the gurus.

It's true!  You can make plenty of money in real estate and 
you don't have to be a guru to do it.