I signed up with the Investors United School of Real Estate in Baltimore MD, which touted itself on being the first actual school for Real Estate Investing in the country and hailed the moto "You Earn While You Learn" and after reviewing their website and personally visiting the school from Northern New Jersey.
I met with the CEO and President Charles & Ian Parrish to discuss my expectations in personal mentorship and training. I was told by the CEO Charles Parrish after speaking with him about my personal situation and coming from New Jersey that he would work with me personally and even call his real estate contacts in New Jersey to help me get started.
I then signed up on May. 9 with Colleen Parrish (CFO) by putting $2,500 as a down payment and monthly payments of $420 which would begin on June. 20 for 36 months for a tuition total of $15,127.21. I felt confident that I would be able to payoff my tuition quickly with my hard work and Charles Parrish working with me personally.
I begin to attend the weekly classes and follow the steps I was told to do, but when I had questions relating to locating properties via public records. Ex: NJ-Landlord-Tenant Court in Maryland its called Rent Court and they have different procedures to acquiring the name and addresses of property owners which I spoke with Charles Parrish about his response was I didnt know what I was talking about and left it at that.
Also when I tried to send him a Property Data Form to review about a possible purchase he never responded back but had someone else call me back. The problem was I was being told one thing in classes by the instructor and told by (Pres) Ian Parrish something else and then later being told to work specifically with a Scott Miles who is a Resident Instructor. Now I was scheduled to meet with him on 5/16 and 5/23 for a "FAST START" Orientation which was supposed to cover Locating Property Owners, Filling out the Property Data Form etc..
I met with the instructor on 5/16 but he never showed up on 5/23 to teach that class and the school had someone else show up to teach me Win2Data which is the computer system used for locating property information within the Maryland Area and being that I'm from New Jersey it wasnt relavant to me.
After trying to put some deals together on my own and needing someone to guide me and at least putting in a phone call once a week to see how I'm doing and if I'm having a problem in any area. The above were a few examples of the disconnect I felt with the school overall and I then began to see this school wasnt what I was looking for in terms of being organized and providing you with the one on one personal training I was looking for.
When I met with Colleen Parrish with my written resignation and request for refund of $2500 down payment, she told me that It wasnt school policy to refund the money and that the administrative fee was $2,500 and non-refundable. She then called her son in Ian Parrish who repeated the same thing but said he would be willing to buy back the books I received for $295 and I should be happy with that -"CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT"-I then asked them to show me in the contract where it states an "ADMINISTRATIVE FEE" being $2500 and being non-refundable, the son (Ian Parrish) responded it didnt have to be in writing.
I told them I just wanted my $2500 refunded so I can go about my business plus my wife just was laid off as myself was already and that we had 2 children and really needed the money. It was to no avail. I was shocked at the hostile attitude I wa met with from Colleen and Ian Parrish. They were totaly unsympathetic to my personal situation. I told them I myself wasnt happy with the servces offered at Investors United but I in no way will say people wouldnt benefit from the school.
Just let this be a word to the wise. Before Signing up with this school ask for in writing the school's success rate and if you are not satisfied what is their refund policy in detail. The lesson learned is "Everthing that Glitters Aint Gold"
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