FAQs

2. I'm an experienced real estate investor. Why should I join?

Five bottom-line reasons.

First, do you know how to use your retirement account (your traditional or Roth IRA, SEP, Keogh, etc) to buy real estate? You read that right: do you know how to use it to buy real estate? Most advanced investors don't even know this is possible, let alone do they know how to do it. We can teach you this secret and profitable technique. It can skyrocket your wealth. And this is just one of many advanced things we can share with you. N.O.R.E.I.A. can teach even the oldest dogs the newest tricks.

Second, the networking in our Association is priceless. You will find members who will be interested in buying your properties and selling you properties.

Third, we have a number of Vendors who give N.O.R.E.I.A. members significant discounts. For an active investor, the discounts alone will recoup the cost of a year's dues.

Fourth, the local, state, and national laws are constantly changing. N.O.R.E.I.A. will keep you up to date on all the latest changes that effect every aspect of real estate.

Finally, our Association offers the advanced investor, who is so inclined, a chance to give back and share with the next generation of investors. Many of our experienced investors find this sharing non-threatening and very rewarding.
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3. Are all your General Membership and Workshop meetings at the Quality Hotel?

No. Be sure to check our Calendar of Events regularly to get up to date listings on program events, times, meeting places, costs, and features.
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4. I have real estate-related products and/or services to sell. Can I become a Vendor member?

Yes. The Vendor membership is meant to help real estate businesses access our target market of real estate professionals. For a small annual sum, Vendor members get a business card size ad in the newsletter, a one page promotion in the Vendor Section of our website, the right to distribute information to our members at our General Membership Meetings (not available to guests or non-members), and the ability to distribute information about your product or service into our N.O.R.E.I.A. Membership Manual. See our section, How to Advertise to Our Target Market, for more details.
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5. I have heard that N.O.R.E.I.A. members can earn money by getting Vendors to become Vendor members of our Association. Is that true?

Yes. Any current N.O.R.E.I.A. member whose dues are paid can earn $25 for each Vendor they get to sign up as a Vendor member. The $25 is paid at the next General Membership Meeting by the Treasurer once the Vendor's check has cleared N.O.R.E.I.A.'s bank account. Each year the Vendor renews his/her dues, the member is paid $25, assuming the person is still a member of N.O.R.E.I.A. If they are no longer a member, the $25 goes to the Association. (Members are not paid for regular membership sign-ups). Paid, current Vendor members can receive $25 for signing up other Vendors. Vendors do not get $25 for their own membership or renewal.

Vendor members are valuable to our Association. Not only do they supply additional funds for the Association, but most also offer good deals and discounts to our members for using their product or service. This is a win-win for all involved, and we want to encourage members to solicit as many Vendor members as possible.
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6. I am currently a regular general member of the Association. I would like to become a Vendor member. Can I do this?

Sure. You can upgrade your regular membership to a Vendor membership, to enjoy the benefits only offered to Vendor members, by paying the difference between the regular and Vendor membership rates. Also, the new, one-year Vendor membership is effective as of the upgrade. On the annual renewal, the regular Vendor member dues are due. The member does not earn $25 for his/her own membership; those funds remain within the Association.
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7. What are N.O.R.E.I.A. Bucks?

N.O.R.E.I.A. Bucks are an incentive system used by other REIA groups nationally and approved by our board in 2002. They system works this way:

Every time a current, paid member helps the Association in any way, they can earn N.O.R.E.I.A. Bucks, a credit system, which is redeemable for N.O.R.E.I.A. events and dues. For example, if someone helps greet people with the Hospitality Committee at our General Membership Meetings or Workshops, they can earn N.O.R.E.I.A. Bucks. The amount of Bucks earned is at the discretion of the board member helped.

In general, the full board has suggested the following compensation for the following services:

$5 NOREIA Bucks for helping the Hospitality Committee at General Membership Meetings and Workshops.

$10 NOREIA Bucks for each set of 10 links for our website. For example, if someone sends 20 new possible links to the appropriate committee member, and 10 are approved, then that person will earn $10 in NOREIA Bucks. (See our Links to Investing Sites Section for more details).

$20 for each Local Success Story submitted and approved. (See Our Local Success Story Section for more details.)
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8. What can I redeem my N.O.R.E.I.A. Bucks for?

You can apply your NOREIA Bucks toward your annual dues, local workshops, and purchased website advertising. They cannot be applied toward national speaker's events or the deposit on library lending. Regular members and Vendors can earn NOREIA Bucks; guests and past members, whose dues are delinquent, cannot.
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9. Can I earn so many N.O.R.E.I.A. Bucks that I won't have to pay dues for the next year?

Yes! Submit a local success story or two (that really happened, of course, and that you can verify). Help on a subcommittee regularly. Submit links to improve our online resources. You could very quickly earn enough NOREIA Bucks to eliminate, or substantially discount, your annual dues.
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10. How do you prevent counterfeit N.O.R.E.I.A Bucks?

Each NOREIA Buck issued will be assigned by a current board member only, who will record the NOREIA buck recipient's name and explanation of how the buck was earned. A receipt of the NOREIA Bucks will be given to the Association Treasurer. NOREIA Bucks are not transferable; they may only be redeemed by the person who has earned them. They have no cash value, cannot be redeemed for cash, and they expire after one year of issuance. Lost NOREIA bucks are lost forever, even if the Treasurer has records of NOREIA Bucks earned. Current members must keep track of their actual NOREIA Bucks Bills and use them within one year for themselves only!

When the NOREIA bucks are redeemed at a workshop, for one's annual dues, or for any other purpose authorized by the board, the Treasurer will check the NOREIA bucks handed in with the NOREIA Bucks record. Anyone found handing in counterfeit NOREIA bucks will owe the Association the face value of the fake NOREIA Bucks. Furthermore, N.O.R.E.I.A. reserves the right to immediately cancel any member's membership who is found in possession and/or use of counterfeit NOREIA bucks, and to ban that person forever from our private Association.

NOREIA board members know each other's signatures and we share at our monthly board meeting who is volunteering and earning NOREIA Bucks. It just ain't worth trying to get over for a few bucks.
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11. I would like to volunteer and help. How do I go about doing that?

Figure out what you would like to do. Contact the relevant board member in charge of that committee to see if he/she has a need for help. (Hint: we almost always do!)
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12. I have specialized knowledge or skills and would like to speak at one of your General Membership Meetings or Workshops. Is this possible?

Sure! We are always looking for people with legitimate expertise in our local market to inform our members on different areas of need and interest. Keep in mind that we do not pay local members to speak to our Association. Also, while nearly every speaker has reported business from speaking to our target market, the purpose of your talk cannot be the promotion of your individual product or service.

For example, let's say you have a pest control business, and you want to talk to our members. Fine. You need to call the General Member Committee Board member, or the Workshop Board Chair, and propose your idea. The two of you will agree on a topic and the content. Your talk cannot center on your individual business. The event must educate our members about some important, general aspect of your business agreed upon ahead of time by you and the board member; for instance, in this example, the talk may center on the current understanding and treatment of Formosan termites.

Now, if you happen to have flyers and business cards on the back table describing your company and services; and, if you happen to get business because of your talk and marketing . . . hey, that's great. But our events are never to be used primarily to promote an individual business. We sponsor educational sessions, not infomercials.

Our guest speakers have been very pleased with the results of speaking to our Association members. They have all made money from it, and our members have benefited from the shared expertise. Win-win. Contact the relevant board members to see if we can do something meaningful together.
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13. How come I'm not getting my newsletter and General Membership Meeting reminders?

Once your membership expires, your name is automatically removed from the active member computer list. This means no label is generated for you that month to go on the reminder postcard. No label, no postcard; no postcard, no reminder.

Be sure your dues are current. On your address label, you will notice a date. That is when your dues expire. Make sure you have renewed before your expiration date so there will be no interruption in your service. If your dues have expired, make your check payable to NOREIA and send them to NOREIA, P.O. Box 8064, Metairie, LA 70011; or, give them to our Treasurer at the next General Membership Meeting. Also, are you sure we have the correct name and address for you? Are you sure the post office has the same?
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14. I have gotten a renewal invoice; what should I do?

Decide whether or not you want to remain a member; if you do (and we hope you do), send your renewal dues to NOREIA, P.O. Box 8064, Metairie, LA 70011, Or, you can bring your invoice to the next General Membership Meeting and pay your dues then. Make your checks payable to: NOREIA.
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15. My website password is not working. Why?

The "Members Only Resources" sections of this website are some of the best resources on our site; be sure you are a current dues-paying member so you can access them all.
Each year, we will change the password. All current, paid dues members will be informed of the change. If your password is no longer working, you have an old password. Check to make sure your dues are current. If they are, contact the Treasurer to confirm that you are a current, paid member and, if you are, you will be given the new password.
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16. I can't download and/or view some of the website content. What's wrong?

The problem is likely not with the website, unless the entire site is shut down. While we have attempted to limit the technology of this site, keeping it as simple and inclusive as possible, there will always be some people whose software and hardware are significantly behind the times. If this is the case with you, and you have not updated your hardware and/or software in at least the last eighteen months, you may not be able to access all that we have to offer. Sorry. Consider upgrading your systems. Each year, you will fall further and further behind not only what we offer, but also what is available to you through the entire web. It would be a shame to miss such excellent resources.
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17. I was turned down by a Vendor for benefits. What do I do now?

If you cannot prove that you are a N.O.R.E.I.A. member, you may be denied benefits. Can you blame the Vendors? Hundreds of people visit this site each month. The Vendors didn't agree to give away their products and services to the general public, just to N.O.R.E.I.A. members. Be sure you can prove you are a current, paid member.
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18. I want to advertise on the N.O.R.E.I.A. website. How do I do that?

See our section, How to Advertise to Our Target Market, for plenty of options and details.
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19. I want to borrow some library books. How do I do that?

See our section, The NOREIA Library, for the exact details on borrowing N.O.R.E.I.A. Library materials. You must follow these directions exactly, or you will not get the materials you desire.
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20. Why do you want my email address?

We want to keep you informed in a convenient, cheap way for both of us.
Each month, we will send you a short email message letting you know that that month's newsletter is now posted on the website. Inside the newsletter, you will find information about upcoming events, moneymaking opportunities, new Vendors, workshops, inspiring quotes, etc. It's a simple way to keep you connected and informed with cutting edge information.

You don't have to be a paid member to give us your email address. Guests, former members, and website lurkers are also welcome. It doesn't cost us much to send you an email and let you know about updated resources. If that will help you, feel free to give us the info we need so we can give you the info you need.
Note: your email address will never be given away, shared, or sold to outside groups. We will use it only to inform you about activities involving N.O.R.E.I.A. We appreciate your confidentiality and trust and will do nothing to violate either.
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21. I'm looking for a specific N.O.R.E.I.A. form, but I don't know the name of it. How can I find it?

Check in the listing of forms in the N.O.R.E.I.A. Forms section.

22. How can I share my Success Story?

If you have done a deal, and you would like to share it, we certainly encourage that! It can be a big deal, or a small deal. (To us, each of our member’s successes, no matter how big, are big deals! We are proud of your success, and we encourage you to share it for the benefit of others.) We are all here to learn from each other and to be inspired by each other. Please consider taking the time to write a success story.

We understand that this can take some time. A good success story should include: 1) How you found the deal; 2) How you funded the deal; 3) Your plan for the deal; 4) How the deal did or did not go according to plan; 5) How you made money off the deal; 6) what you learned from the deal; and 7) how NOREIA helped you do the deal, either directly or indirectly. We also would like a digital picture of the photo (with you in front of it, preferably).

We know this is a lot to ask and can take some time to produce. That’s why we are providing $20 in NOREIA bucks for each success story you submit.

Please: this is not a bribe to solicit “fish stories.” It’s an acknowledgement of the obvious: we are all leading such busy lives, if we don’t reward you in some way for producing a good success story, we know we may not get very many of them. To thank you for taking the time to share your success, we want to reward you with NOREIA Bucks.

All success stories should be verifiable. Be prepared to produce paperwork documenting your deal, should we ever ask. Again: we don’t want fish stories. We are not going to ask to see any paperwork unless it looks like a fishy deal. Please keep it real.

To submit a Success story, email our Communications Director, with your story in the body of the email message or as a MS Word attachment to the email. Ideally, we also would like a digital picture, at least of the property. That too can be sent at the same time and as an email attachment.

We don’t guarantee web publishing of every success story we receive. Final approval is at the discretion of the website coordinator and the Communications Director. More complete descriptions are more likely to be approved. Note: if you submit enough success stories, you can end up with a free NOREIA membership! So tell us all about your success! We are proud of you!

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