Real estate investment news you can use!

August 2026

MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD

When Does Education Become Procrastination?

One of the things I enjoy most about being involved with the Chicago Area Real Estate Investors Association is meeting people at every stage of their investing journey. Some members have owned rental properties for decades. Others are closing multiple deals each year. And many are just beginning to explore real estate investing.

Over the years, however, I’ve noticed a common pattern.

I’ve met people who have read every book, listened to every podcast, attended countless seminars, and invested thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of dollars in real estate education. They come to meetings, ask great questions, and genuinely want to become investors.

Yet years later, they still haven’t purchased their first property.

If that sounds familiar, know that you’re not alone.

Education is one of the best investments you can make. The more you understand financing, analyzing deals, tenant screening, market cycles, and legal issues, the more confident you’ll become. But there comes a point when education stops moving you forward and quietly becomes a substitute for taking action.

This is often called analysis paralysis.

The truth is, you’ll never know everything before buying your first investment property. Every experienced investor I know, including many of the members who regularly share their stories at our meetings, learned lessons from their first deal that no book or seminar could have taught them.

That’s because confidence doesn’t come from knowing every answer. It comes from solving problems one step at a time.

Your first offer.
Your first inspection.
Your first negotiation.
Your first tenant.
Your first unexpected repair.

These experiences transform concepts into knowledge that stays with you for the rest of your investing career.

That doesn’t mean you should jump into the first deal you find. Education and due diligence matter. But if you’ve been preparing for years, it may be worth asking yourself one honest question:

What am I waiting to learn that I don’t already have the resources to figure out?

Sometimes the answer isn’t a lack of knowledge. It’s fear of making a mistake.

The good news is that you don’t have to face that fear alone.

One of the greatest benefits of being part of CAREIA isn’t simply the educational presentations—although we cover an incredible variety of topics, from financing strategies and fair housing laws to wholesaling, buy-and-hold investing, short-term rentals, self-directed IRAs, and much more. Every meeting offers practical insights from experienced investors and industry professionals.

The real value is what happens before, after, and between those presentations.

It’s the conversations during Networking Night where you meet people who have already overcome the same challenges you’re facing. It’s asking a question you’ve been hesitant to ask and discovering someone else had the same concern. It’s hearing how another investor handled a difficult tenant, financed their first deal, or recovered from a mistake.

It’s realizing that successful investors aren’t fearless; they simply learned how to move forward despite uncertainty.

Our accountability groups take that one step further. Instead of leaving inspired and then waiting until next month to think about investing again, members set specific goals, share them with others, and report back on their progress. Whether your goal is analyzing five properties, meeting with a lender, making your first offer, or closing your first deal, having others encourage you and expect an update can make all the difference.

If you’ve been coming to meetings for a while and haven’t yet taken that first step, perhaps this is the month to make it your goal. Lean on the experience of the investors around you. Ask questions. Join an accountability group. Attend Networking Night. Build relationships with mentors who have already walked the path you’re beginning.

Your next seminar may teach you something new, but your first deal will teach you something unforgettable.

Vanessa Krynen
Chicago Area Real Estate Investors Association - Treasurer

Upcoming Events

CAREIA

Board of Directors

CAREIA Monthly General Meeting

Monday, August 10, 2026 @ 7:00 p.m.
Networking starts at 6:45 p.m.
Hyatt of Lisle • 1400 Corporetum Drive, Lisle

Topic: Empowering Investors Through Smart Property Management

Key Note Speaker: Ran Fridman

https://www.careia.org/event-6736265

Short Term Rental Sub Group Meeting

Monday, August 17, 2026 @ 7 p.m.

Portillo's Hot Dogs, 531 N. Randall Rd., Batavia, IL 60510

A FREE Member & Non-member Event

Anyone who has an interest in investing in short or mid-term rentals are invited to attend our monthly STR sub group meeting. Each month we will have an open forum to discuss all things short term rentals.

https://www.careia.org/event-6736267

Real Estate Networking Night

Monday, August 24, 2026 @ 6:30 p.m.

Portillo's Hot Dogs, 235 E. North Avenue, Glendale Heights, IL 60139

A FREE Member & Non-member Event

https://www.careia.org/event-6640176

Cash Flow Game Night

Wednesday, September 2, 2026 @ 7:00 p.m.
McDonald's off Highland Avenue
1 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard

A FREE Member & Non-member Event

https://www.careia.org/event-6736274

CAREIA Monthly General Meeting

Monday, September 14, 2026 @ 7:00 p.m.
Networking starts at 6:45 p.m.
Hyatt of Lisle • 1400 Corporetum Drive, Lisle

Topic: TBD

Key Note Speaker: TBD

https://www.careia.org/event-6736275

Short Term Rental Sub Group Meeting

Monday, September 21, 2026 @ 7 p.m.

Portillo's Hot Dogs, 531 N. Randall Rd., Batavia, IL 60510

A FREE Member & Non-member Event

https://www.careia.org/event-6736276

Real Estate Networking Night

Monday, September 28, 2026 @ 6:30 p.m.

Portillo's Hot Dogs, 235 E. North Avenue, Glendale Heights, IL 60139

A FREE Member & Non-member Event

https://www.careia.org/event-6736277

President: Keith Jablonowski

Vice President: Steven Bell

Secretary: Rob Hayes

Treasurer: Vanessa Krynen

Librarian: Dwayne Denzinger

Programing: PK Kleinert

Vendor: Brian Rothas

Newsletter: Belinda Moore

Publicity: Kinzi MacIntyre

Membership: Danny Galvez

Tech Director: Pete Gordon

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Our mission

To support and
promote local real estate investors
though networking, education, support, leadership on
legislative issues,
and promoting professionalism
and standards of excellence in the
real estate
investing industry.

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WORDS OF WISDOM

“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.” – John F. Kennedy

Library Book of the Month

The Complete Guide to Investing In Rental Properties

Steve Berges

For most people, becoming a landlord is not the reason they decide to buy rental property, but rather, what they really want is a way to create income and wealth. In this comprehensive handbook, real estate investing expert Steve Berges shows you how to maximize profits in the single-family and multi-unit rental market. He reveals the secrets that have made him one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the field. He also shows you all of his indispensable tricks of the trade, explains why they are so important, and connects them to other essential steps for super-profitable investing, starting with his Five Golden Rules for Success.

He also shows you how to:

Select a house and negotiate the best price and terms
Perform a comprehensive financial analysis to maximize value
Secure financing and prepare for your closing
Find qualified tenants and draft favorable lease agreements
Reduce operating costs, increase rents, and improve profitability
Avoid the little-known pitfalls of real estate investing

With Steve Berges' expert guidance and no-nonsense advice, you can maximize your investment, minimize your time and effort, and make the most of every foray into the real estate market.

To check out materials:

Only members can borrow materials
Review inventory here: https://www.careia.org/LibaryList
Fill out CAREIA Library request form
Receive materials at the next General Meeting
Materials are due back in one month
Note. If materials are not returned, member is responsible for paying cost of materials for replacement.

National REIA Benefits

Members of CAREIA can register at National Real Estate Investors Association (National REIA) https://nationalreia.org. and learn about the negotiated group discounts from National vendors. Login CAREIA website https://www.careia.org and go to Account -> Members Only: National REIA for more details.