Updated October 1, 2021

The Rio Grande Valley Real Estate Investors Club (or RGV REIC) is an organization in South Texas that helps members learn more about real estate investing, networking. The organization offers incredible member benefits, deals, and discounts.

4 Steps for Joining the RGV REIC

1. Pick a Membership Level
2. Add to Online Cart
3. Submit Payment
4. Join the Facebook Group

Many cities across the United States have a real estate investors club or association. Often these local associations are part of a larger group, the National Real Estate Investors Association. Membership in your local real estate association has a number of benefits. Members have the opportunity to attend monthly meetings and learn about investing in real estate from local experts. It allows real estate investors to network with like-minded individuals in a supportive environment. And in most cases, they will enjoy discounts with vendors commonly used by real estate investors, such as Home Depot.

4 Steps for Joining the RGV REIC

Pick a Membership Level

The Rio Grande Valley Real Estate Investors Club has a number of membership levels.

The most inexpensive membership option for real estate investors is the monthly pay-as-you-go option for $25 per month. This is essentially the drop-in rate for individuals who are not sure if they want to commit to a year-long membership. On the RGV website, you can pay for a monthly membership with a Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express Card.

Presumably, this rate corresponds to the drop-in rate. If you attend an RGV REIC meeting in person, you can pay with cash or check, but contact them beforehand to make sure. In any case, the monthly membership does not come with any additional benefits like vendor discounts.

The next level of membership commitment at RGV is the individual membership, which allows you to attend monthly meetings and the periodical special seminars and focus groups offered by RGV. Unlike other real estate investors associations, the individual membership offered by RGV also gives members access to one business partner, spouse, or family member of your choice.

Note, however, that legal paperwork must be furnished to show proof of a business partnership. The individual membership is $179 for the year, and can be paid for on the website with a credit card.

The third level of membership commitment at RGV is the membership 2BA arrangement, whereby the primary member can bring along two other individuals, such as business partners, a spouse or a family member. Whatever the case may be, this arrangement gives membership rights to three people for one year for $269, which is essentially a discount offering for the third person at $90/per membership. This level of membership can be paid for on the website using a Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express credit card.

If you’re thinking about joining the RGV REIC but are unsure how much of a membership level you want to commit to, take note of the fact that your first meeting is free! All you need to do is fill out a simple form on the website to learn more about upcoming meetings and membership options.

Add to Online Cart

Whatever membership you decide is right for you, just click the “Buy Now” button and you’ll be directed to a PayPal portal where you can make your payment. Since PayPal processes the transaction, you can also pay with your PayPal balance or a connected checking account.

Submit Payment

Finally, all you’ll need to do is submit your payment. There are no applications to fill out and no approval process to join the Rio Grande Valley Real Estate Investors Club. All you need to do is submit payment and have a willingness to invest the time to build your knowledge about Rio Grande Valley real estate. Do keep in mind, however, that if you are obtaining either an individual membership or a membership 2BA and bringing a business partner (or partners) with you to meetings, you’ll have to show paperwork documenting the legality of your business partnership arrangement.

Join the Facebook Group

Once you’ve paid for your membership and joined the RGV REIC, you can join their Facebook Group. This group is a great place to get updates about monthly meetings, special events, and opportunities available for members of the RGV network.

Benefits of Joining the RGV REIC

One of the best parts to joining a local real estate investor club or association is that members often get discounts with local vendors that service real estate investors.

For example, Home Depot often provides investment club or association members with a two-percent annual rebate, along with great discounts (as much as up to 20 percent) on building supplies and volume pricing. RentPerfect also provides discounted solutions for property management, including customized lease agreements and tenant screening services.

Another benefit of joining the RGV REIC is access to the monthly meetings. At these monthly meetings, local investors will share some of the strategies that have helped them profit from investing in real estate. These experts might discuss everything from obtaining unconventional financing to how to become a landlord. There are also focused seminars that can really help an aspiring real estate investor jumpstart their real estate career by learning about investing topics in-depth.

But perhaps the best benefit to joining the RGV REIC, or any local real estate investment association, is the network that members build. Success in real estate is largely dependent on your network, whether you’re looking for a property manager, real estate agent, or a qualified accountant who knows about Bexar County Property Tax. Members of the RGV REIC will have the opportunity to mingle with like-minded, success-driven individuals in a supportive setting where networking is encouraged, especially at networking events.

RGV REIC Annual Events

Local real estate investment associations or clubs usually rely on local experts to deliver educational seminars or presentations at monthly meetings and periodic breakout sessions and focus groups. Occasionally, they will invite a real estate expert with national experience to speak at an event. If you’re a member of your local real estate investors association, they will often let you attend these events for free or at a serious discount. Just check the calendar of RGV events to see what’s on the schedule, or join their free Facebook group.

There are also periodic events that focus on networking, such as holiday parties and summer get-togethers. These events are certainly fun opportunities to mix and mingle with like-minded people who believe in financial independence. But more than that, they’re semiannual events designed to build your network. Check calendar for specific upcoming events, as the nature of these meetings may change year to year.

Local REIC members may also be eligible to attend National REIA events for free or at a discount. Check the NREI website to see what kinds of national events are planned for the coming year.

In past years, the Nationa REIA has coordinated week-long events, like cruises. If you’re a busy professional who wants to kick off investing in real estate, but your day job leaves you too tired to build your way up, this can become the perfect opportunity to combine a work vacation with a week-long immersion course that can jumpstart your way to financial freedom.

Do I really need to join a real estate investors club?

No one says you have to join a real estate investors’ club to learn how to become a real estate professional. For instance, in order to become a real estate broker or REALTOR, you just need to take a course and pass a certification test. But you’ll quickly find that even if you’re the world’s best salesperson, it’s next to impossible to find a seller or potential buyers if you don’t have a network.

Imagine, for instance, a new home on the market—one with granite countertops in the kitchen, wood floors throughout, set in a gated community with decorative high ceilings and a beautiful courtyard of ceramic tiles graced by a bubbling fountain. Believe it or not, it can be hard to get new homeowners into any property, even a seemingly perfect one. But if you are a broker with a network of real estate professionals, sometimes all it takes is a few phone calls or in-person conversations to close a deal.

The same is true no matter what area of RVG real estate you want to be involved in. For instance, a connection in your network can tell you about a foreclosure or investment property that has a lot more potential than its property management company thinks. And if you have an extra vacation house that goes unused most of the year, a network connection might know the right property management company help find an occupant and generate cash flow.

In short, being part of a real estate investors association will give you an indispensable network of like-minded real estate professionals who can help you further your real estate investment goals. If you work, live, or own land in Hidalgo County (for example, McAllen or Edinburg) or Cameron County (for example, Brownsville), then joining a real estate investors association with a focus on the Rio Grande Valley is even more important.

Join the Rio Grande Valley REIC Today

The Rio Grande Valley is a beautiful place with warm weather, exotic fauna, and citrus groves. It’s attracted an increasing number of new residents from around the United States. It’s rated one of the safest regions in Texas, and has become increasingly popular for a growing population of retirees. All of this bodes well if you’re thinking about investing in Texas real estate.

Whether you’re a seasoned investor or just curious to learn more about investing in real estate, no real estate investor can make a go of it alone. To that end, it would benefit all current and aspiring investors in the Rio Grande Valley to join the Rio Grande Valley Real Estate Investors Association so they can grow as a real estate investor, enjoy vendor discounts, and expand their network.

Keep in mind that the RGV REIA is not an exclusive club geared only towards people who want to solely want to make a sale or build a portfolio of rental properties. Rather, it is a safe and supportive environment where career-focused individuals can learn more about real estate and develop a source of income. And with a commitment-free drop-in rate of $0 for your first meeting, there is no harm in checking it out!

As always, take advantage of our free educational content and every other Tuesday we have Toby’s Tax Tuesday, a great educational series. Our Structure Implementation Series answers your questions about how to structure your business entities to protect you and your assets.

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