Investors United School Of Real Estate

There's alot to read in one of the negative reviews. I find it very interesting that the author would go to such detail, yet not give his name. I've personally seen new members get leads after only one week in the school, and make offers on their second week. There is no mandatory profit sharing with anyone in the school unless the member agrees up front to partner with someone else on a particular property. There is only one group consulting class a week, not the 2-3 the author suggests. The author says that not one of the nine people in his group ever made money, yet complains that the school took 50% of the profits? If he never had a sale, what was the profit taken from? He then says the most that ever came of his prospecting was 'nibbles" but somehow someone else closed "dozens" of those deals.

I've seen members make nice profits from this, but they are people who commit themselves to their own success. They do the work to generate their leads, handle their own negotiations, follow thru with their studies and come to the once a week class to ask questions and get help when they need it.

Jack Foley (I signed my name to my comments, unlike the above author)

Investors United School of Real Estate

Pros: Office building instead of weekend at motel, library with computers for off hours learning, mostly friendly staff and excellent information on contracts.

Cons: Will sell you your own dream, slanted towards those who can spend big and politely snobbish towards students with less money, promises of 'Earn while you learn' or 'Success Guaranteed' and offer to back you with their own money are unreal, no learning appears designed to allow you to grow independent of their organization, much of the information they teach can be found online.

"In the last quarter of 2014, I sign contract to enroll in Investor's United, explaining that as an long distance truck driver, I could not work and attend the school and would rely heavily on the promises of 'Earn while you learn' and 'Success guaranteed' to pay for future classes and sustain myself. I did not need much. If success depended on working hard and applying myself, I was confident that I had the ability to perform. They reassured me that there was no need to worry and it would be easy. I was disappointed when I pulled back the curtain to find much fiction."

"I joined in October or November of 2014, excited as anyone of the dream of developing into a different way of life than working towards each paycheck. At our first meeting, the president, Ian, assured me that his observation of my confidence and attitude towards working hard would easily translate into a future of real estate investing. I told him I would have to stop working to pursue learning investing and would rely on the 'Earn while you learn' promise to pay bills, including the tuition for the school. He assured me that there would be no problem.

The classes were good, often leaving me feeling like I've come out of church, surrounded by like minds pursuing the same goal. In class, determined to be successful, I learned quickly, asked questions often and applied lessons learned once home towards that first success that would lead to others. In prospecting for owners who wanted to sell, I tried every technique, reviewed my success and email Ian often to tweak toward my progression. I even found a motivated seller on Craig's List with a property worth a quarter million. One month in, even knowing I would split the profit at 50% (which was their way) would still yield enough to save my car note, my residence and my storage locker. They were slow to react on this but in class I quickly became viewed as the one who would do this.

I was so strong in class, that the elder Mr. Parrish offered me the opportunity to become his apprentice. I had butterflies the morning he set for me to meet with him. On our meeting he shared with me the success' others have had when they took on the apprenticeship offer he was will to share with me. That he would give them one of his leads for them to pursue. Then he told me that this apprenticeship would cost only ten thousand dollars. An uncomfortable position for me, considering everyone there knew of my economic situation, considering I emailed Ian often on everything, including my financial status. When I told him I did not have that kind of money, him simply stopped talking.

I lost my apartment, then my car, went on food stamps and continued school online until they denied my access. How much would it cost them to allow me to continue? I was never going to quit. Guess it was my loss for believing. I did learn a great lesson in that one.

Devastated, I sought out the information online from other sources. Discovered many, like Master Investor Academy, that presents the same strategy without the limited information to control you growth and split your income. I liked the school and the people, but guess they had to disconnect me, as I would learn the truth at some point"

"Overall, my experience with Investor's United was a disappointment. Appearances are excellent but, I think, most of that was me believing in me. As a perfect example of a student who could be held up as a model, poor but willing, they could not earn me anything and the guaranteed success never came to pass.

If asked, I would tell everyone to avoid this school."

Pros: Office building instead of weekend at motel, library with computers for off hours learning, mostly friendly staff and excellent information on contracts.

Cons: Will sell you your own dream, slanted towards those who can spend big and politely snobbish towards students with less money, promises of 'Earn while you learn' or 'Success Guaranteed' and offer to back you with their own money are unreal, no learning appears designed to allow you to grow independent of their organization, much of the information they teach can be found online.

"I joined in October or November of 2014, excited as anyone of the dream of developing into a different way of life than working towards each paycheck. At our first meeting, the president, Ian, assured me that his observation of my confidence and attitude towards working hard would easily translate into a future of real estate investing. I told him I would have to stop working to pursue learning investing and would rely on the 'Earn while you learn' promise to pay bills, including the tuition for the school. He assured me that there would be no problem.

The classes were good, often leaving me feeling like I've come out of church, surrounded by like minds pursuing the same goal. In class, determined to be successful, I learned quickly, asked questions often and applied lessons learned once home towards that first success that would lead to others. In prospecting for owners who wanted to sell, I tried every technique, reviewed my success and emailed Ian often to tweak toward my progression. I even found a motivated seller on Craig's List with a property worth a quarter million. One month in, even knowing I would split the profit at 50% (which was their way) would still yield enough to save my car note, my residence and my storage locker. They were slow to react on this but in class I quickly became viewed as the one who would do this.

I was so strong in class, that the elder Mr. Parrish offered me the opportunity to become his apprentice. I had butterflies the morning he set for me to meet with him. On our meeting he shared with me the success' others have had when they took on the apprenticeship offer he was willimg to share with me. That he would give them one of his leads for them to pursue. Then he told me that this apprenticeship would cost only ten thousand dollars. An uncomfortable position for me, considering everyone there knew of my economic situation, considering I emailed Ian often on everything, including my financial status. When I told him I did not have that kind of money, him simply stopped talking.

I lost my apartment, then my car, went on food stamps and continued school online until they denied my access. How much would it cost them to allow me to continue? I was never going to quit. Guess it was my loss for believing. I did learn a great lesson in that one.

Devastated, I sought out the information online from other sources. Discovered many, like Master Investor Academy, that presents the same strategy without the limited information to control your growth and split your income. I liked the school and the people, but guess they had to disconnect me, as I would learn the truth at some point"

"Overall, my experience with Investor's United was a disappointment. Appearances are excellent but, I think, most of that was me believing in me. As a perfect example of a student who could be held up as a model, poor but willing, they could not earn me anything and the guaranteed success never came to pass.

If asked, I would tell everyone to avoid this school."

As a former IU student who technically did not earn any money while enrolled at IU, I thought the investment real estate education I received through IU was worth the initial investment. ($11K in my case).

A year after graduating from IU I did however earn a nice return (10%) on my investment by financing a mobile home with capital from a HELOC. I found a niche in mobile homes simply because banks will not finance them which spells opportunity for me. IU did not necessarily teach a class on mobile home investing, but the investors thought process they instill in their students made it possible for me to earn a 10% ROI with OPM. I have used skills I learned at IU to buy & sell other real estate as well.

When I joined IU I did so with the intent of educating myself more than for the "earn while you learn"I going to get rich quick philosophy.

Over all I found the Parrish family along with the instructors and associates to be very helpful and informative.

I can confirm 100% Investors United is a HUGE SCAM. Even worse, The Parrish family are heartless thugs who will not only rip off their so called students, but would brag about ripping off property owners both young and old.

I do not understand how they have not been jailed for the millions they have taken from unsuspecting marks like me. I thought I would learn an honest way to make an extra income, but all they wanted to teach my class was how to spend our time and money to bring them deals for their crooked auction business.

(which is in the same building as their so called "school") I can not believe that even years after they scammed me they are still trying to come after my hard earned money! How they can manipulate the court system to terrorize former students like this is astounding.

To those out there who got conned like I did, I sure would like to "unite" against these *** artist and prove this organization for the SCAM it is.

DO NOT TRUST CHARLES AND IAN PARRISH - OR THEIR WIVES OR THEIR FAMILIES. Do NOT go NEAR their 'SCHOOL' on Harford Road in Baltimore; believe me. Sadly, you will live to regret it!

I heard an ad on WTOP for Investors United. I went to an open house, and weas assured that by the end of the course I would not only make enough to repay the 'tuition', but that I would be making money 'hand over fist' (their words, not mine!). I am in IT and I was between jobs, so I paid $3000 out of $15,000 (!), and dedicated 6 months of full-time to this 'school' and its 'Instructors'. I tried every method of prospecting they gave us: Sending out postcards, making (hundreds of) phone calls, looking through dusty records in the courthouse, ads in newspapers, chasing landlords, attending their auctions, staying until 10-11pm to meet with their 'MasterMinds', 'sneaking' into Rent Court to see who was tired of renting, walking through bad neighborhoods (very scary!) looking for 'hidden gems', attending foreclosure auctions, even telling family and friends that I am now an 'Investor', and to lookout for deals. They tried to train us to lie to people, to deceive the Maryland real Estate Commission, and to use 'skinny contracts' - two-page contracts that violate all state disclosure and regulation rules, and to make any promise necessary to 'steal' their property. The most that ever came back were 'nibbles' that they immediately took control of, (they called it Mentoring). Turns out these 'mentors' closed any deals themselves, or, if they did let you 'help', ended up with 50-75% of any profit of the deals we students located and brought to them! All of this did not sit well with me, and when I complained and wanted out after 6 months FULL-TIME 10-12 hjours a day of their bull, I was surprised when they let me leave. 'Great, no more $400 monthly payments to learn how to do all the 'crooked' things these *** artists were intent on teaching us, in order to succeed.

I thought the nightmare was over, until they sued me in court 3 months later for the $12,000 balance - plus interest - and won a judgement against me. (Hey, I was the fool who believed the hype, and their contracts are structured so that they get you to agree not to contest them - READ THE FINE PRINT!

I was one of 9 that signed up at the open house, and we formed a little work-group to learn and grow together. They promised a guaranteed refund if not satisfied, but you have to not miss ONE class in a year (2-3 classes per week), and you must write and submit a typed, two-page 'review' of each class you take and submit it to them before the next class, or your guarantee is void! Besides, they told us after the first week, the time you spend writing classroom reviews you should be doing more prospecting, so we stopped and put the time to trying to maske deals. (Bad mistake!) In the YEAR that I was affiliated with them, only ONE of the nine that signed up ever bought a 'bargain' home, and, it was in such bad condition that nobody ever bought it, and it ended up back in foreclosure, and ruining the credit of the student who bought it.

These people are midget pimps, living in a puppet house, (literally, none of them are over 5 ft tall!), and they seem to have a vendetta against 'normals'. They have sued HUNDREDS of former students in court, (THEY WON'T TELL YOU THAT AT THEIR OPEN HOUSE!), and the use the students to bring them deals which THEY PROCEED TO CLOSE, while they tell you there is no money in them. They are Shysters, Liars, Crooks and *** Men (AND Women!). NOT ONE of the nine of us who started together EVER made any money - all we did was lose what little money we had, (some even took out loans!). We lost our money, our patience, our dreams, our dignity and for some, their homes - chasing after Charlie Parrish'es Pipe Dreams, while they closed dozens of deal themselves and kept urging us to 'just try harder' (?). I see now that all that laughter and mirth was really at our expense!

Now my own home is in jeopardy, and I cannot get a loan modification to help me because, everytime I open a bank account, their savvy lawyers slap a lien on it and take any money - without warning, (over $4,000 so far!). Without a bank account and a steady record, a loan mod is a non-starter! They are thieves who use their 'students' to feed them deals, and they brag about their big homes in Florida and take many vacations there - all at our expense! I'm a middle-class schmoe with a family, and my wife almost divorced me over this - she said it was a scam in the beginning, but I FOOLISHLY believed! (I believe they make more money suing students than they ever make marketing homes!)

TRUST ME ON THIS - I paid dearly for the experience, so you don't have to - DO NOT GO ANYWHERE NEAR INVESTORS UNITED. PERIOD! I do not know how the Real Estate Commission allows them to stay in business, the way they openly encouraged us to flaunt and violate almost EVERY RULE that Real Estate agents must follow in the state! I could not bring myself to LIE to people already in distress, and so, I guess I am not cut out to be their kind of a Real Estate Investor, and I eventually went back to my day job, a lot wiser AND a lot poorer! I rarely use this term, but, Truer Words were Never Spoken:

"Investors United SUCKS!" RUN, Don't WALK, away from these 'Dream-Sellers' and 'Dream Stealers'.

Signed: A Big FOOL!