Carleton Sheets Facts
The infomercials of Carleton Sheets ran repeatedly for almost 25 years. Millions of Americans signed up to buy his program for $9.95, hoping to become millionaires overnight by purchasing investment properties and "flipping" them after rehabilitating the properties. However, after the housing market collapsed, and millions of Americans were forced into foreclosure, his infomercials have come to almost a complete halt.
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Significance
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Born in Illinois, Carleton H. Sheets learned investment strategies at a young age by mowing lawns to earn extra cash. After a brief stint as a marketing director, he was fired for his lack of business experience. Sheets began looking into self-employment options, obtained his license to practice real estate and began his "rehabbing" career.
Sheets participated in a joint venture with the Professional Education Institute in 1984 to produce an infomercial for television. This infomercial, "No Down Payment and Beyond," ran for a quarter of a decade.
History
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His "$9.95" infomercial pitch during late-night television has turned Carleton Sheets into an infomercial icon. He promised to turn people with no money and no real estate experience into millionaires overnight. During the recent housing boom, millions of people bought into this promise, and his infomercials began running more frequently.
Unfortunately, as soon as housing prices started rapidly falling during the current decade, the collapse of the housing bubble led to millions of Americans being pushed into foreclosure as their subprime mortgages went unpaid. Many of these Americans were followers of Mr. Sheets.
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Identification
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Carleton H. Sheets sold over three million books and tapes in this country alone. He has made millions in revenue from his infomercials and private real estate ventures. However, many of his followers were unhappy with his advertising promises, and they've made numerous complaints to the Better Business Bureau.
Misconceptions
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Although Carleton Sheets maintains a devoted group of followers, he is no longer the media infomercial king. Married five times, Mr. Sheets has run into a few financial problems of his own. His investment properties in Florida, purchased during the housing boom, have been huge flops. Although his infomercials have almost completely stopped running in the late-night circuit, he still maintains a presence, albeit in a different outlet: online webcasts to ask lawmakers to extend housing tax credits to give the real estate market a push.
Expert Insight
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Although Carleton Sheets is not solely responsible for the economic recession, he played an active role in persuading millions of Americans into purchasing his seminar. Many buyers did not have the requisite financial background or real estate expertise to understand the dangers of purchasing investment properties with no money down. However, most Americans have learned a valuable lesson during the housing crisis, and lawmakers have implemented strict lending requirements to avoid another financial collapse. Hopefully, if Sheets reemerges in the infomercial world, consumers will be less likely to risk their life savings in the hopes of striking it rich in real estate.
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References
- Photo Credit yacht image by visserijfoto from Fotolia.com
