Real estate investment news you can use!

July 2026

MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD

What holds people back from real estate investing!

What holds most people back from real estate investing is usually a mix of money, knowledge, and fear. Common blockers are the down payment and reserves, uncertainty about financing, not knowing how to find and evaluate deals, and worrying about repairs, tenants, vacancies, and legal issues.

Main barriers

High upfront cost: many people think they need a lot of cash to start, and often they do need more than they expect for down payments, closing costs, and reserves.
Lack of confidence: beginners often feel they do not understand how deals work or how to judge risk.
Time and effort: rental properties are usually not passive in the early years, since management, maintenance, and tenant issues take real work.
Fear of mistakes: people worry about buying the wrong property, overpaying, or getting stuck with a bad tenant or expensive repair.
Financing hurdles: qualifying for loans, rising rates, and stress-testing cash flow can stop people before they start.
Concentration risk: a single property is a large bet on one asset, one area, and one set of market conditions, which can feel uncomfortable.

Why it feels harder than it is

A lot of people are held back less by the market itself and more by mindset: they assume real estate is only for wealthy insiders or highly experienced investors. Social media can make it look easy, but the real work includes due diligence, vacancy planning, insurance, and active management.

Practical way to think about it

For many beginners, the real hurdle is not “Can I invest in real estate?” but “Can I buy the first property without overextending?” Building cash reserves, learning basic underwriting, and starting with a simple strategy usually matter more than trying to find the perfect deal.

Would you like a version tailored to first-time investors, rental property buyers, or house flippers?

YES!

For first-time investors, the biggest barrier is usually getting the first deal right without taking on too much risk.

First-time investor hurdles

Saving enough cash for the down payment, closing costs, repairs, and reserves.
Learning how to evaluate a property’s income, expenses, and likely maintenance.
Picking a strategy that matches your time and budget, such as renting, house hacking, or a small multifamily.
Managing fear of vacancies, bad tenants, or buying in the wrong area.
Staying disciplined so excitement does not turn into overpaying.

Easiest way to start

A simpler first step is usually a property you can live in or one with straightforward numbers, because it lowers the learning curve and reduces the amount of money at risk. Many beginners do better by focusing on one market, one strategy, and one type of property instead of trying to learn everything at once.

What matters most

If someone feels stuck, it is usually because they are trying to solve too many unknowns before they begin. A practical approach is to learn the basics, build reserves, and look at a few real deals so the process becomes concrete instead of abstract.

Keys- Learn The Process:

Learn about different types of financing
Learning how to find the right properties
Do the math! Take emotion out!
Seize the moment
Visit CAREIA meetings to get help

Brian Rothas
Chicago Area Real Estate Investors Association - Vendor

Upcoming Events

CAREIA

Board of Directors

CAREIA Monthly General Meeting

Monday, July 13, 2026 @ 7:00 p.m.
Networking starts at 6:45 p.m.
Hyatt of Lisle • 1400 Corporetum Drive, Lisle

Topic: Crushing it early... 15 properties first year of investing!

Key Note Speaker: Alex Diaz

https://www.careia.org/event-6640170

Short Term Rental Sub Group Meeting

Monday, July 20, 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-6640172

Real Estate Networking Night

Monday, July 27, 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-6756763

CAREIA Annual Picnic (Members Only*)

Saturday, August 1, 2026 @ 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Herrick Lake Forest Preserve, West Shelter

Wheaton, IL 60189

$7 per adult, 12 & under free

*Members Only and their guests

https://www.careia.org/event-6646946

Cash Flow Game Night (Members Only Event)

Wednesday, August 5, 2026 @ 7:00 p.m.
McDonald's off Highland Avenue
1 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard

https://www.careia.org/event-6736260

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: Infinite Banking & Real Estate Investing

Key Note Speaker: David Cheatham

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

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

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

“In my experience in the real-estate business, past success stories are generally not applicable to new situations. We must continually reinvent ourselves, responding to changing times with innovative new business models.” – Akira Mori, Real Estate Developer

Library Book of the Month

The Landlord's Survival Guide: The Truly Practical Insider Handbook For All Private Landlords

Lesley Henderson

This concise but comprehensive guide is for first time - as well as established - landlords. It is divided into sections, each of which is jam-packed with detail and insider tips. Most sections will only take minutes to read, and each section tells you exactly what you need to do - and why - to get best results. It provides advice on: viewings - how to arrange and conduct them; making a realistic rent assessment before spending any money; knowing what agents should charge and should do; advertising - how to write, where to place, and how to respond to callers - plus using the response to assess tenants; selecting tenants and closing the deal; Each section has tips, skills, time management ideas, and problem solving advice, plus supportive guidance and helpful websites and phone numbers. If you're looking for a bit of straight talking about your investment, or you're sufficiently interested to discover how to increase your own bottom line rather than some agent's, then this is the guide for you.

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.