One of the best ways to learn real estate investing is to get out of the classroom and into the house.

That is exactly what happened at a recent KREIA New Investor Focus Group event, where experienced investor and longtime KREIA member Eric George led newer investors through a live property walkthrough. The goal was practical: show how an experienced investor evaluates a property before deciding whether to submit an offer.

Instead of simply talking about rehabs, repairs, and estimating, the group walked through an actual house and discussed what to look for, what questions to ask, and how to think through potential risks before buying.

Looking Beyond the Cosmetics

Eric walked the group through the property from the outside in. He started with exterior photos, gutters, downspouts, grading, windows, roof ventilation, and possible water issues. Inside, the group discussed documentation, lighting, kitchens, bathrooms, basements, HVAC, plumbing, electrical concerns, flooring choices, odors, and repair budgeting.

One of the biggest lessons was that experienced investors look deeper than cabinets, paint, and flooring. Cosmetic improvements are easy to notice, but the more important questions often involve moisture, health and safety, mechanical systems, and hidden repair risks.

A house may look simple at first glance, but an experienced investor is asking: Where could water get in? Are the mechanicals safe? What might come up on inspection? What repairs are truly necessary?

D ... Read More…

Parliamentarian Michelle Rawn announces the results of KREIA's 2026 Election, held at the June 25th main meeting.

2026 - 2027 KREIA CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS AND OFFICERS

OFFICERS

John Mays – President (term ends 2027)
David Espinosa – Vice President (term ends 2027)
Jack May – Secretary (term ends 2027)
Lenny Gant – Treasurer (term ends 2027)
Wally Kallbreier – Treasurer Elect (term ends 2027)

BOARD MEMBERS

Jay Bownman (term ends 2027)
Sharon Bell (term ends 2027)
Angie Chambers (term ends 2028)
Duffy Ford (term ends 2028)
George Foree (term ends 2028)
Phillip Frazier (term ends 2028)
Jonathan Hayes (term ends 2027)
Mike Kroupa (terms ends 2027)
Rue McFarland (term ends 2027)
Karen McKnight (term ends 2028)
Frank Miller (term ends 2027)
Noah Miller (term ends 2028)

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Christopher Jaquith

By Michelle R. Rawn

It's that time of year again — time for the KREIA election. The Election Committee would like to inform you of the election procedure.

KREIA is run by a board of directors consisting of five officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Treasurer Elect), twelve at-large board members, the immediate Past President, and the Parliamentarian.

The officer positions serve for a one-year term, while the at-large board members serve for a two-year term, with six new members being elected each year. The only exceptions are when an at-large board member chooses to run for an officer position before his/her two-year term has expired or has to resign prior to the end of his/her two-year term.

This year you will be able to choose to vote in person at the June 25th meeting or online at the KREIA website. In-person and online voting will end promptly at 7 p.m. Eastern on June 25th. Those elected at the June meeting are strongly recommended to attend the July board meeting and will be sworn in to take office at the July regular meeting.

All board members are required to actively participate on at least one committee. Several members are actively involved with more than one committee, and several are committee chairs. In order for KREIA to be successful, all board members are required to be active members helping at all KREIA events.

If you are interested in running for the KREIA Board, please email Michelle at Michelle@rawnlawfi ... Read More…

Building wealth is all about the ROI (Return on Investment). Making your money work for you instead of just stock-piling it and hoping it will be enough to retire you.  As with any type of investing there is risk involved in being a real estate guru. But it has been my experience that the benefits far outweigh the risks. 

One of the most advantageous things about real estate investing is the ability to use leverage instead of cash to do your deals.  

Let’s say you have $50,000.00 that you would like to invest. You find a rental property selling for $60,000.00. The fair market value of the house is $70,000.  Banks will generally loan 70% of the fair market value. Therefore, you could get a loan for around $52,000. You use $10,000 of your “investment” money and purchase the rental property.  

If it’s a 3-bedroom house in a fair neighborhood.  The house would easily bring $750 per month or more in rental income. Yes, there are expenses—taxes, insurance, the payment on that mortgage, vacancy, maintenance. But even after all that, in effect the $10,000 you invested in purchasing this property is giving you a return of 15%.  How many other investments in your portfolio are showing you that kind of return? Don’t forget, you’ve only spent $10,000 of the $50,000 that you are planning to invest, so you can do it 4 more times. 

Another super quality of buying real estate is you earn that ROI tax deferred. ... Read More…

Got plans between noon and 2 p.m. August 26, 27, and 28? If you're an investor looking for opportunities to rehab houses and help the community, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenburg invites you to check out a sampling of vacant houses on those days.

Here is the press release from August 22:

Mayor Greenberg announces Louisville Landbank Authority will host "Landbank-A-Rama" open house 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (August 22, 2025) – Today Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced the Louisville Landbank Authority will host Landbank-A-Rama, a three-day open house series taking place August 26 through August 28, 2025, designed to showcase a selection of vacant and abandoned residential properties available for purchase.

“This is an integral part of our comprehensive Safe Louisville Crime Plan where address vacant or abandoned properties that can become hosts for illegal activity,” said Mayor Greenberg.  “Every resident of every neighborhood deserves to be safe and feel safe.  This is a chance for us to revitalize neighborhoods and address the root causes of crime.”

The event supports the Landbank’s mission to return underutilized properties to productive use, energize neighborhoods, enhance property values, strengthen the local tax base, and reduce vacancy-related crime.

Each day of the event will focus on a specific neighborhood cluster, with three to four properties open for public viewing from 12: ... Read More…

Nan Upton started out as a teacher, and in her time on KREIA's board and as KREIA President (2005 - 2006), she was able to help others learn how to use real estate investments as a vehicle for reaching financial freedom.

We sat down to lunch with Nan one day in 2024 and plied her with many questions, which she graciously answered. Her journey as a single mother working hard to provide for her children — and navigating the '80s and '90s as a woman competing, and winning, in what many considered a man's game — is an inspirational one.

She has many tips and life lessons to share.

— Lauren Willoughby

    KREIA: When did real estate start pinging your radar?

    Nan: I was always semi-interested in real estate. My parents had what was then called a two-flat. They lived downstairs and upstairs there was a tenant. The tenants were sometimes my mother’s best friend. And it was rather nice if they had kids. We had playmates, my brother and I. So, it was always kind of a nice thing, unlike many of the landlord stories you hear today.

    But what really got me started in real estate was that I was diagnosed with cancer while I was still in my 30s. And as a teacher you don’t make great money. The doctors gave me a 50/50 chance, which didn’t sound terribly good to me. And I had two small girls at the time. So, I knew I needed to make some money or have an income other than what I had. ... Read More…

National REIA's Legislative Update for the first quarter of 2025 takes a look at the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, enacted in 2017. Some of its provisions are set to expire in 2025. NREIA discusses some key aspects regarding:

• Individual tax cuts
• State and local tax deduction caps
• Alternative minimum tax
• Tax reform proposals and more

It also talks about the Corporate Transparency Act and Beneficial Ownership Interests.

Click to download the update (PDF) or read it online.

In the Benefits Update portion of this bulletin, National REIA takes a look at DealMachine and MSI, industry partners.

DealMachine is National REIA's top recommended tool for finding off-market deals. Included is a web address for 7-day free trials with included skip tracing and postcards.

MSI offers investors unique, intelligently designed insurance coverage. Follow the link inside to find insurance products especially designed for real estate investors.

KREIA was founded in 1978 by three men — Noble Roberts, Gene Dyson, and Rue McFarland. Noble was named our first president. From KREIA's beginning, with about 12 members, we have grown strong to over 800 members, and more join every day.

We would like to thank Noble Roberts for leading us, inspiring us, and for helping so many men and women learn how to invest in real estate. Following his example, many of us have reached financial freedom, allowing us to secure our families' futures. And we'd like to thank him for showing us how to provide safe housing for so many other families.

Noble lived 99 abundant years of service to his country and his community. He was a soldier in WWII, a professor of biology, and a leader in his church.

Noble Lafayette Roberts, of Shelbyville, Kentucky, died on Sunday, January 19, 2025, at the age of 99, just a few months shy of reaching 100 years old.  Noble was born June 10, 1925, in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

Please see his full obituary here.

 KREIA President John Mays previews our Holiday Party, which happens Saturday, Dec. 7, at Woodhaven Country Club. It's going to be a blast!

John describes everything we can expect — music, great food, open bar (wine and beer on tape for 2-1/2 hours!), prizes, raffles, presentations, and our annual donation to the Home of the Innocents.

What's on raffle? A huge TV, a vacation stay in a riverside cabin, and much more!

It's only $25 per person, KREIA members and non-members alike. Join us!

KREIA President John Mays previews our Oct. 24th main meeting, "Real Estate Law," which features attorneys Michelle Rawn and John Benz updating us on what landlords need to know, including info on Louisville's new Lead-Based Paint ordinance. REGISTER NOW if you haven't already!

John also shows us the gift card he received from Home Depot -- a benefit of KREIA that can more than pay for an annual KREIA membership! If you aren't already taking advantage of Home Depot's discounts, rebates and rewards, you're leaving a LOT of money on the table!