Author Topic: Than Merrill (A&E) - how to make $$$ in Real Estate  (Read 3760 times)

G-dog

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Than Merrill (A&E) - how to make $$$ in Real Estate
« on: August 29, 2016, 08:24:53 AM »
Several 'free' events in my area. Apparently further info you have to pay for. Calls himself the #1 expert in real estate. Hook us how to get money from others.

I accept you can make good income stream from real estate, but not just by using others money.

So - sounds like a scam. How big of a scam? Is this guy a real expert? Keeps talking about his 'systems'.

Jack

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Re: Than Merrill (A&E) - how to make $$$ in Real Estate
« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2016, 08:49:13 AM »
I went to one of those once. The free event is 10% information, 90% sales pitch for a $200 (I think) class. I read online that the $200 class is apparently a sales pitch for a $15,000 class.

If you know nothing (and are very, very good at resisting sales pitches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) the free class might be worth going to. Otherwise, just read stuff on biggerpockets.com instead.

(See that bit in bold? Read it again, because I can't stress it enough! I'm nigh-impervious to sales pitches and even I signed up for the $200 class at the end, only coming to my senses and canceling the next day. Actually, that reminds me: that free class is "okay" if you want to learn about real estate, but excellent if you want to study salesmanship techniques.)

G-dog

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Re: Than Merrill (A&E) - how to make $$$ in Real Estate
« Reply #2 on: August 29, 2016, 09:13:04 AM »
Thanks Jack. In the TV infomercial for this, it looks like it is flipping houses as a way to generate a continuous income stream. This sounds mutually exclusive to me.

Did you think any of the info was useful?  Any intro session on financial matters that I have been to, the information is usually dumbed down to the point of being at least misleading, or flat out untrue. Optimistic would be a more polite term.

This makes me wonder how much Than makes on RE, and how much he makes on these seminars. The infomercial showed him making several hundred thousand on RE in the last two months. A loose definition could easily include the seminar gigs in that cash stream - then I might believe the number.

Chiron

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Re: Than Merrill (A&E) - how to make $$$ in Real Estate
« Reply #3 on: August 29, 2016, 12:13:10 PM »
Thanks Jack. In the TV infomercial for this, it looks like it is flipping houses as a way to generate a continuous income stream. This sounds mutually exclusive to me.

Did you think any of the info was useful?  Any intro session on financial matters that I have been to, the information is usually dumbed down to the point of being at least misleading, or flat out untrue. Optimistic would be a more polite term.

This makes me wonder how much Than makes on RE, and how much he makes on these seminars. The infomercial showed him making several hundred thousand on RE in the last two months. A loose definition could easily include the seminar gigs in that cash stream - then I might believe the number.

My experience going to a different "intro" class was similar to Jack's.  You can get some very basic info from it, but nothing you can't get reading an intro blog article from any of hundreds of real estate blogs.  They will give deal analysis examples that use low maintenance/management/vacancy numbers to give an inflated sense of ROI.

Disposaleer

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Re: Than Merrill (A&E) - how to make $$$ in Real Estate
« Reply #4 on: August 29, 2016, 12:23:19 PM »
I went to one of those once. The free event is 10% information, 90% sales pitch for a $200 (I think) class. I read online that the $200 class is apparently a sales pitch for a $15,000 class.

If you know nothing (and are very, very good at resisting sales pitches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) the free class might be worth going to. Otherwise, just read stuff on biggerpockets.com instead.

(See that bit in bold? Read it again, because I can't stress it enough! I'm nigh-impervious to sales pitches and even I signed up for the $200 class at the end, only coming to my senses and canceling the next day. Actually, that reminds me: that free class is "okay" if you want to learn about real estate, but excellent if you want to study salesmanship techniques.)

I had the same experience, except I didn't return the tickets and didn't end up attending the second class. I still have the tickets as a reminder that I am not as resistant to smooth talking as I think I am. No time-share seminars for me!

They will give you some informational handouts and explain how to get into real estate using "Other People's Money". They talk about wholesaling and flipping. They don't really go into buy-and-hold rentals and how to evaluate ROI. It's all about getting you excited about quick money and getting you to shell out money to learn more. You can learn it all on real estate blogs like Jack and Chiron said.

G-dog

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Re: Than Merrill (A&E) - how to make $$$ in Real Estate
« Reply #5 on: August 29, 2016, 12:37:23 PM »
I'd like to believe I am immune to smooth talking or marketing - but we are all susceptible to some degree.

I can see where someone is interested in real estate investing, but hasn't acted. And then this comes along. The pump is fully primed. It's like a sign that this is meant to be.

And I am sure they have a canned argument to the 'it sounds too good to be true'.

" I bet you all are sitting there thinking 'buy property with someone else's money? ' . This sounds too good to be true. But here is how we are different....."

Thanks to all for their comments. I was wondering if he already had a reputation as a charlatan.

thedayisbrave

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Re: Than Merrill (A&E) - how to make $$$ in Real Estate
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2016, 04:14:34 PM »
He came to my city once.

I like to keep an open mind, and generally I think you can always learn something from other people, and seeing that it was free, I talked my mom into going with me.

We're both licensed Realtors and real estate investors.  She for much longer than I but I manage the books now.

It was a total and complete sales pitch.  I didn't learn anything.  Anyone who is interested in real estate investing would be much, much, MUCH better off reading BiggerPockets or attending the local REIA meetups.  About what I expected, but I had to be sure.

Though I will say, it was pretty amusing to me.. I don't think I've ever seen my mom roll her eyes that many times in one sitting :D

libertarian4321

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Re: Than Merrill (A&E) - how to make $$$ in Real Estate
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2016, 06:41:05 PM »
A whole bunch of these "Reality TV" flippers are running these seminars.  All, of course, claim to be the best.  I suspect that few, if any of them, make any real money "flipping."

Most of them make money selling "get rich" books, tapes, and seminars. 

Why get dirty fixing a house, when you can stay clean and "sell the dream" to a bunch of suckers?

BTW, most of the "successful flips" shown on the various "flipping" reality shows don't really make money.  They play fast and loose with the truth.


G-dog

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Re: Than Merrill (A&E) - how to make $$$ in Real Estate
« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2016, 07:49:36 PM »
I've also heard that some of the renovation shows do really shoddy work. Sad to go exploit folks like that - but 'you get what you pay for' comes to mind too.

NoNonsenseLandlord

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Re: Than Merrill (A&E) - how to make $$$ in Real Estate
« Reply #9 on: September 03, 2016, 06:00:57 AM »
Flipping real estate can be very lucrative, but buy and hold is the key to longer term cash flow.

younggunner

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Re: Than Merrill (A&E) - how to make $$$ in Real Estate
« Reply #10 on: September 04, 2016, 08:11:43 PM »
Been to one, it is definitely a scam.  Be warned

piethief

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Re: Than Merrill (A&E) - how to make $$$ in Real Estate
« Reply #11 on: September 12, 2016, 07:50:17 PM »
If they were doing half the business in RE they pretend to be they wouldn't have the cycles to have a seminar business on the side.

LiseE

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Re: Than Merrill (A&E) - how to make $$$ in Real Estate
« Reply #12 on: June 11, 2018, 09:27:25 AM »
I just attending the first class/seminar.  Very good salesmanship and for the low low price of $197 I bought tickets to the next three day workshop.  I know now that it will be an even bigger sales pitch for the $15,000 master class but I rationalized (which sadly I'm very good at) spending the $197 because I've probably spent that much already in real estate investment books over the past two years.  I have no intention of spending 15K (as I know damn well that could be a downpayment on a property!)  but am planning to attend as I'm always open to learning.  I know I can find this info for free in books and online, but my hope is that the material is organized in a manner that will help with my learning and get my motivated to move the ball forward.

I'm a perpetual "learner"  .. and I need to get into action!