Can you tell share your experience with BNI?

I was actually looking into starting a BNI group here. It seems that every group I've come across already has someone in the Mortgage field! I've heard some good things about these groups and even attended a seminar type of thing with a friend who is in one.

Rick - I was in a similiar situation.  All the chapters in my immediate region already had a mortgage broker.  I had been in contact with a Realtor from another startup that didn't work (due to 1 person).  We started meeting September, '06.  We reached the requisite number of members to become fully charted by May, '07.  Since then we have grown to 18 members and have an overall goal of becoming a spotlight chapter by January, '08. (A spotlight chapter has 30 members, average one visitor per member per month, average 2 "1-2-1"'s per month). Get with your BNI director or ambassador and tell them you would like to start a chapter.  They will be most willing to help get you going.

Lewis - I have had very positive experiences with BNI in Maryland.  The region's director is an excellent resource as are the ambassodor's we have.  Our group has a very positive synergy and though we are a young chapter we definitely realize the advantage's of the giver's gain mentality.