Coweta Fayette Real Estate & Newnan Homes for sale blog by Richard Weisser of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers

Thanks for the post. It is a great reminder. Have a great Spring!

Richard....that is deplorable.....the rich getter richer at some poor, unsuspecting soul's expense...

Richard, As the social media explosion continues it's more important than ever to be careful of the get rich quick schemes. People everywhere are proclaiming to be Twitter or Linked or FB experts and they are ready to sell you anything and everything. We have to do our research and one of the best places to get answers is right here on AR.

Amen to that, Richard. If we all just cared about each other -- yes, even strangers -- a bit more....  I know, that sounds so lame. And yet, how sad is it that a statement like that could be described as "lame"? Sounds rather fundamental to me. -- Tanya in Montreal

Richard,

These types of seminars are making a comeback. Mostly, they seem to be selling "more seminars", nothing else.

In other cases, however, when they do have a big promotion, it can be disastrous.

Brian

I'd almost put some lenders in that category these days as well.  File for a loan modification, spend some of your limited savings and then be turned down.  Apply for a short sale as next alternative and then they ask you to contribute money for approval.  But wait you already took $3000 of my spare change and now you want more?  Meanwhile the CEO's are raking in millions.  Something wrong with this picture but I can't put my finger on it.

Richard, it's too bad there are people out there who will take advantage of someone when they are desperate. Not very many people pay attention to the disclaimer.

Richard, I cringe as I scroll thru the channels and hit the infomercials. So many promise that very thing, and I know desperation leads to doing "not so smart" things. I think it is so bad, usually they "interview" someone who was down to his/her last dime, they did what they could to raise the money for whatever con scheme it is, and voila, they are now sitting by their pool in their multi million dollar home.

If it sounds too good to be true, it really really is.

Great shot by the way. He even posed for you!

Unfortunately that which you speak of is life...and the sad thing is it is when one is down the vultures converge. Good, sage advice!

Richard, I have often wondered if they are so wealthy, then why do they have such a rigorous schedule traveling from place-to-place to spread their a-m-a-z-i-n-g trade secrets to help everyone?! It's a shame and a sham!

Despite being on the "Do Not Call" list, I receive daily calls from those "do you want your web site to be on the top of Google search pages" companies. Along with them and all those get rich quick infomercials, like you, I hope there is a special place in Hades for them.

The grand ole pyramid scheme is making a comeback in my neck of the woods. "with a small 2,200 dollar investment you can make up to 1,500 per week!!"

I actually went to one of the meetings to people watch. VERY SAD. Most of the audience were retired folks from the community.

And who was leading the meeting you ask??? A LOCAL REALTOR!!!!

The one that gets me are the ones that for a large price will show you have to get rich. Now, if there was so much money to be made why would you waste the time teaching others how to do it.  I would work the program what I know is a great idea and forget the mundane teaching part.

With that in mind, it should tell you where the real money is!

Hey Richard, theres a lot of those types of people and companies in our industry.  They prey on new and unexperienced agents trying to get them hooked on bogus SEO and Lead generating services.

Actually, as an investor, I only agree with PART of your point, Richard (and the rest of you on here).

Referring to the fable of the Ant and the Grasshopper...

If you spent most or all of your money while the going was good--not properly preparing--you've already enjoyed YOUR party.  I've held off mine.  Now you need my assistance, and I'm going to provide a situation that will be win-win.  I admit that if you didn't need the cash so badly, you probably will not have found my offer to be as appealing.  That's why fire sales exist.

I think that people who prepared properly ought to be rewarded.

The portion of your statement that rings ABSOLUTLEY true is that we should never intend to profit ourselves through intentional trickery.

I have no problem charging someone for my coaching.  However, I do my best to ensure that this person receives a real value.  If I have more business than I can handle and someone requests my time, I have no problem charging a higher rate--actually trying to discourage this person from paying me.  However, if this person still wants to pay me, then I have to decide whether I want the additional business at that price.

If I cannot help you, I will not charge you.  I take pride with helping other people, not hurting them.

That is where a lot of so-called gurus seem to blow it for the rest of us.  They toy with people's emotions through ingenuine "hope," and they get people to pay them far too much for what they plan to offer.

I've been at some of these seminars where there are teams of people to try intimidating you into spending anywhere from $5K to over $100K for additional coursework through them.  THAT, I believe, is tremendously wrong.  I'm pretty sure that is what most of you are referencing here.

Cindy: I entirely agree with your assessment of several of the banks.  It's tough to fully appreciate the "value" some of these highly paid CEOs provide.

Richard, My dad use to say people that buy lottery tickets are the ones that can least afford to throw their money away on such long odds. He also used to say buying them was a voluntary tax for dumb people.

We have a pyramid scheme that landed (literally, private jets) in town a few months ago.  For a stupid tax entry fee of $499, they claim you can make $30,000 in the next 3 months.  Most of the gullible, jaw dropping fools that they recruited are real estate agents and their affiliates!  Desperation is right!

Richard:  My favorite (NOT) right now is the short sale flip.  Spent an entire office meeting this morning telling my co-workers about an experience that still sickens me.  One day, when the investigation is over, I'll spill my guts.

Richard - Your photo says it all.  Real estate road kill buzzards - they're everywhere.

Road Kill! Love it laraine.

Richard, not to get off topic, but I will anyway.

Why do you copyright your posts and how do you copyright them? Just curious being new to this and understanding that putting together a great post can be quite time-consuming.

If you get a chance would you reply?

Richard, deviousness and desperation abound in tough times, and Real Estate Professionals are NOT immune. I've just filed my 3rd DMCA (legal notice to cease & desist for copyright infringement) in two weeks. The perpetrators .... Listing Agents who elected to "lift" my marketing materials without paying for them. Unfortunately for them, the host servers readily comply with taking down the materials within 6-12- hours; now its up to those agents to deal with the infringement filings ... and their brokers, of course. NOT a good time to be a broker, for sure.

Richard, Be careful not to paint a picture with too broad of a brush.  I agree that there are a lot of scams out there.  But there are a lot  of very worthwhile programs sold in similar ways that what might seem to some as some bogus ripoff. 

Look at some coaching programs that charge thousands of dollars.  They always have some members who are very successful but many are not.  Is that the fault of the program or the fault of the individual?

"Why do you copyright your posts and how do you copyright them? Just curious being new to this and understanding that putting together a great post can be quite time-consuming."

What you write (or draw, or music you record or write down) is copyrighted from the moment it is put in tangible form (i.e., written down or recorded in some way). You do not need to make a special effort to copyright your material, nor do you need the copyright sign anymore to prove your ownership.

However, by registering your copyright, you are eligible for more protection and possibly a higher payment for damages if your material is misused by someone else without your permission.

To be 100% covered, you can collect your writings, drawings, music, etc., into a "book" (i.,e., looseleaf notebook, some other form of binding) and register them with the U.S. Copyright office for a small fee.

IMO, it is unlikely that casual posts here or anywhere else will be stolen, and if they are, the value lost to you is fairly small. Not so if you've written a book, or a series of blogs, that took real effort, research, etc. Those might well be worth the extra protection of filing for an official copyright with the government.

People who prefer to make their ownership very obvious will still add a copyright notice at the bottom of whatever they write, but it is no longer required to protect their work.

For more detailed and specific information, here's the link:

www.copyright.gov

Richard, I always like reading your posts, and this one I truly agree with you.  I just don't know how some people live with themselves..knowing they are taking money from people who CAN NOT afford it, but get wrapped up in these seminars....."I hope that there is a special place in Hades for those that seek to profit from human suffering under the guise of “helping” them.".....AMEN!

Richard - Did you work from home today with the TV on in the background? Or did you suffer from insomnia last night? Sounds like you've stumbled upon those informercials...I agree with you and hate that people take advantage of others who are already in a distress situation.

Richard - My mother always said if you want to get rich...write a book about getting rich.  I beleive that these seminars, books, tapes and the rest are awful and do prey on us at our lowest points.  This great rich quick, taking advantage of those less educated, less savvy less whatever is what got us into this mess in the fist place.  Unfortunately, the fat cats on wall street are just changing the lore on the hook.

Richard,

So true. It's very important now to keep a cool head and not be sucked into something that smells the least bit fishy.

How true how true. There are more "get rich quick" scams around more today than ever and I think some of the folks who have commented have missed the point you are making.

There ads never seem to end.  I hit delete or next as soon as I see them, regardless of medium.  It is a sad commentary on the human condition.  I remember a sociology class I took eons ago and a famous sociologist, Emile Durkheim said something to the point being 10% of people alive will be deviants.

Hi Richard.  You got that right, scams and such come out of the woodwork in times like these.  It always pains me to see my friends and associates get misled.  Some are able to get their money back and some aren't.  Payment by credit card offers some protection but of course it's best not to get involved int he first place.

Richard, scams are there, but so are great opportunities.  I signed up for what I felt was a scam but paid my money anyway.  What I found was a set of tools for my real estate business that changed the way I work.  Just be careful and jump with both eyes open!

Richard, love the post. I wrote a similar one on Monday of this week along the same idea. Read it if you get the chance. And slightly different than the get rich quick schemes, but taking advantage of people down on their luck, we had companies taking advantage of flood victims here in RI recently just after the devastating floods and charging double and triple their normal restoration rates. What goes around does come around though. 

Vultures never cease to exist.  They make their living scheming just as we make our living putting in an honest days work.  Just say no.  There is no such thing as get rich quick unless you win the lottery and then if you do that, chances are you're just recouping the money you've spent over the years trying to get rich "QUICK."

very sad that so many take advantage of those in need...sad but it happens all the time

thank you for the post

Richard - It's Hay season and even the vultures are out looking for carion. Fortunatually I'm busy enough not to be distracted by infomertials and scams. Idle time can lend to blood letting

Richard very good blog.  Just like people taking advantage of our senior citizens.  I think the penalties should be very severe for any one who engages in this kind of behavior.

I've been tempted, but  this reminds me to focus  on what I do best - real estate

Ever notice that there are a lot of poeple that are marketing to real estate agents to try some "get rich quick" scheme? I guess we are seen as easy targets...

Last years was how people can buy short sales and flip them with no money.  Not easy and can be fraudulent if not done properly!

Hi Richard-

Such behavior is despicable.  I can't believe that people can buy the snake oil that some are selling.  It's so sad.

--Sara

I've been seeing a marked increase in people buying lottery tickets. Last week I saw one guy buying 50 tickets! 50????

You gotta be kidding me???? When I mentioned it to the clerk he said - "That's nothing! I'm seeing people buy 200 or more!"  Then I remember a friend of mine saying that she thought of buying lottery tickets as an "investment."  Investment? Investment in what?   But that's the sign of despiration...they see no other way out than making a fortune on a long shot!  Terrifying.

Hi Richard~  It is sad to see people acting like this and buying into it.  I guess they see it as there being some hope as they are getting pretty desperate.  Common sense is not so common anymore!

I actually found Active Rain while researching a scam in 2008. It was the same game play- the market is down, I have the solution, just pay me upfront and you'll prosper. The only one who made money was the scam artist. 

It's taken me at least three trips down the primrose path investing in "foolproof" systems before I learned the lesson that there are no foolproof sustems...

Yes some are preying on the tragedy of some people.

But, there are some good guys out there, you have seen a need and are trying to fill it.

So true, bad times bring out a lot of bad people!

The amount of short sale schemes(scams) are growing. We had a agent in the other day to promote his out of state group that has a $5 million line of credit. Seems that they "buy" the short sale, read sign a contract, then starte marketing it to flip. Along the way they handle negotiations, manipulate the BPO(their words exactly), we get both sides of the commission and the Realtor who pitched this gets a share of the profits. We checked the Realtor's sales and found one since 2005. He said he found these guys on the internet. Shame on anyone who believes this crap.

The amount of short sale schemes(scams) are growing. We had a agent in the other day to promote his out of state group that has a $5 million line of credit. Seems that they "buy" the short sale, read sign a contract, then starte marketing it to flip. Along the way they handle negotiations, manipulate the BPO(their words exactly), we get both sides of the commission and the Realtor who pitched this gets a share of the profits. We checked the Realtor's sales and found one since 2005. He said he found these guys on the internet. Shame on anyone who believes this crap.

Yeah, tough times seems to bring out these scams even more. They offer non-existent hope to people who really need legitimate help.

I hope that there is a special place in Hades for those that seek to profit from human suffering under the guise of "helping" them.

We can only hope that bank & insurance executives and government officials have not legislated themselves an exemption.

I hate the scams, & I rarely use the H word. Last year, some dork in the FL panhandle had a gulf coast beach home listed for $10,000 with descript as "make an offer". Gimme a break!!!

The broadcasts proliferate at about the same rate as does the economic slide of the U.S.

One the radio, the TV, magazines, web site ads, in the mail.  You can't get away from them. 

I would love to make millions each month and not have to work. Show me where those seminars are. I want in :-)

Richard:  You have nailed this topic down perfectly.  For some unknown reason, the minds of scoundrels seem to be far more creative and work at a much faster pace than those of honest folk .. or those working to protect us all.  Perhaps the combination of desparate need and hope makes us extremely vulnerable and saps us of our reasoning powers easily?  Reminders to "BEWARE" are very important ... and perform a great service ...

Gene

Richard:

I'm challenged by your comments, and the comments of others blaming the so called scams for robbing people, and the comment about Hades, you're way off base there.   

Part of the challenge for all of us, is to use discernment and wisdom in what we do and don't invest into.  I think the fact that people sell training, programs and the like, are fantastic.   The problem is NOT that ALL the material is a scam, but that most(80% most) of people have a victim mindset that doens't allow them to suspend belief long enough to try and do something new.

What I'm referring to here is that we are all driven by our subconcious decisions, not our concious decisions.   So, most people make a purchase, or attend a seminar with the thought that the program can change their lives, and it can, if they apply it.  But, because it gets difficult, and is different than what is expected, we all suddenly start calling it a scam.  The problem there is that people simply have limiting beliefs that they are not willing to face up, so they blame the program as if it's the cause of them not reaching their goals.   Meanwhile, others take action, challenge themselves, break through their limiting beliefs, and start to live and realize their dreams. 

Now, I acknowledge their are people out there preying on others, I realize that, but it's an insignificant number in the big picture.   In my opinion, it has to do with personal empowerment, not scams.

Now, let me make one more statement... are the so-called 'scams' that we buy into any different than the entire realtor community getting behind the HAFA and HAMP programs presented by the treasury department and US Government?   To me, those are 2 of the biggest SCAMS out there.  False hope and lies to the public, but it's OK b/c it's the government?   Is it any different than the certifications that professional organizations like NAR promote on a daily and regular basis?  I don't think so.

I'm a proponent of CDPE(using this as an example of a high profile program in the current market) and of most other programs for educating realtors in ALL aspects of real estate, but they ALL have more than the usual number of students that paid for the program, and then did nothing, but guess what... I've seen no one accuse them of being scam artists or rip off artists.   Is it because they are NOT scam artists, or is it because of who promotes them publically...like NAR, and Buffini, and Mike Ferry, etc?

I would say BOTH.   First off, I know most of the programs are mean with great intentions, but I also know that many people(agents) just don't get it.   They want everything to be like it was 20 years ago, rather than changing and growing with the market.

Finally, you might consider this in the dialogue... your comments almost sound like the children of Israel who 'murmured and complained' the minute they were led out of Egypt after 400 years of slavery.   They had miracle after miracle show up, and then they were still committed to the old thinking, so they just complained, rather than begin working through their limiting beliefs.   Why did it take them 40 years in the desert, and was really a short journey?   Well, God had to work out of them the 'OLD' mindset of being told what to do, and they had to be ready to take GIANTS on for themselves.  

I think the 'SCAM' conversation is just that... OLD mindset, and I would challenge everyone to make a change and face the giants, rather than accuse them as 'scammers'.  

Hope this is considered constructively, as it's meant for growth and healthy dialogue, not personal attack.   

Thanks,
Coach

So many people are looking for hope or a way to make it better. It's unfortunate.

Mark Collard #58.  Very good response.

Many times, just like spam, a scam is in the eye of the beholder. 

Many might think that ActiveRain is a scam.  They always make sure they feature success stories and they promote how many members they have so it might look like it's easy and they should jump on the wagon.  Many times the success stories talk about how easy it is and how they got multiple transactions after just a few posts.  I've seen prolific bloggers posting about how wonderful it is and then later find out they are hardly doing any business. Anything will eventually work if you devote enough time and effort to it.  But just because it doesn't work for everyone doesn't mean that it's a scam.

In any system, there will be a few that are highly successful using it and then the majority will not be so successful.  Outright fraud is bad, but unless you give specific examples it's hard to say one way or another. 

There are often desperate people on both sides of these promotions.  I always tell my clients who are interested in the latest get rich in real estate scheme that if it was that great, I'd be doing it!

"I hope that there is a special place in Hades..."- Love that. I think there is a special place for them. When in desparate time, most people will be short sighted and won't be able to see things clearly. They are just trying to get out and will believe anything.

There will always be people who set out to profit from those who can afford it least.

Great post. I guess if everyone just did the right things, we'd all be better off. Sounds like common sense, eh?

Nothing brings out the vultures like desperation my friend. These days there is more than enough of that to go around.

There will always be people who believe everything they hear.  Thanks for reminding us that scammers are out there in bad times as in good.

Liz Grazi Tuohy     LGT Properties, LLC      Centennial,CO         www.lizgrazituohy.com

There are a lot of scam artists out there especially in this market, taking advantage of people that are already in trouble or people that are in desperate situation. BUT there are many folks out there that want to help people and that work with intergrity and honesty. I always say trust your gut, get referrals and investigate especially if it involves money.

I was up late last night working and I started flipping channels for diversion (paperwork)  Well - I found at least three channels with get-rich quick schemes.  Sure enough there was one where you buy real estate for no money and then sell it for hundreds of thousands.  "the bank is giving these away!" Sad. 

Richard, What a great reminder in today's hard economic times too often my fellow employees have fallen prey to the get rich scheme's that are around today.  It is very hard for some agents to understand that the glory days they experienced of rolling in the dough are over and that it takes hard work and dedication to suceed in this tough time.  A lot of them got complacent when money was good and now forget what it is like to earn customers.  I on the other hand, was home with my small children during the "glory days" and never experienced it and I think I am a better person for it.