Empower Your Real Estate Journey with Central Iowa REIA

Real Estate Investor since 1997
Hi, I’m Craig Campbell with Casey Investments, LLC. First, I want to thank the leaders at Central Iowa REIA for inviting me to share my experience. I’ve been a real estate investor since 1997 and a proud member of Central Iowa REIA.

Two meetings in particular stood out to me this year. At the March meeting, held the day before Landlord Day on the Hill at the Iowa State Capitol, Daryl Kruse shared important updates about what was happening at the Capitol. That meeting showed me that Central Iowa REIA is serious about keeping investors informed and helping us have an impact with our state representatives. Then at the July meeting, we had a roundtable discussion on finding tenants for rentals, which was both practical and interactive. Both meetings highlighted the kind of timely, relevant information you gain when you’re part of this community.

That’s why I believe Central Iowa REIA has been such a valuable place to learn, network, and grow as an investor. Whether you’re brand new to real estate investing or have years of experience, all are welcome at Central Iowa REIA.

Craig Campbell – Casey Investments, LLC
Real Estate Investor since 1997

My husband and I have been members of the Central Iowa REIA [and its predecessor
IaREIA/ILA with Andrew Lietzow] since we became property owners/managers in 2012. The knowledgeable speakers and educational meetings, as well as the annual
conferences, have been an invaluable resource for us as we grew our rental business. Keeping up with new codes and laws is fundamental to staying on the right side of the legal system. We also have learned many practical lessons from networking with other landlords at our meetings. There is no advice more useful than that coming from someone who has been there and done that!

Another important function of our REIA is lobbying on behalf of Iowa landlords. Much
potentially disastrous legislation has been averted or changed through the efforts of our lobbyists. Many landlords are not aware of this necessity, and therefore do not appreciate how much this organization does on Capitol Hill to fight for our rights as business owners. If you are a landlord, and you don’t belong to REIA, you are missing a critical opportunity to improve your business.

Lynia Ghormley

I’ve been part of a REIA and/or Landlord Association since 2011, roughly five years before I took over Property Management in our company in 2016. I immediately began taking education classes and learned about laws and details and best practices I never dreamed existed. Right away we got a fantastic contract and started a one-page document that saved us a potential $10,000 fine per door. The education and experience have never stopped.

In the beginning I especially loved finding like-minded people who didn’t tell me I was an idiot for wanting to be involved in real estate! There were a couple people who coached me along, many others shared their experiences at meetings. I got to learn some do’s and don’ts from their experiences in real situations.

I’m a much better landlord and business owner with my REIA experience than I could ever have been alone. I also have a great support group when I have questions and needs. My favorite part of the REIA membership is the life-long friendships and in-person meetings every month.

Several of our previous REIA members noticed how COVID had decimated attendance at meetings. Some of us got together and tried to rekindle interest for in-person meetings and education. The results have been a new group – the Central Iowa REIA.  One of our goals is to continue the things we loved the most about the previous organization (IaREIA/ILA) – education, networking at in-person meetings, legislative updates and influence within the law-making process, trusted vendors, being a part of the National REIA, and conventions when we get that far.

Being a part of a REIA has changed our business model and created professionalism within our business instead of our previous mom and pop approach to landlording and investing. We highly recommend membership for anyone interested in real estate investing in all forms.

Leslie Couture, Eight Seas LLC
Aug 21, 2025