Contributors

This page highlights the various contributors to Real Estate Investing for Real, the official real estate investing blog of BiggerPockets Real Estate Investing Community.

If you are interested in contributing to our blog, please let us know. Contributors will get a place on this page including their image, mini-bio, contact info, and website URL (great for driving traffic back to your website).

BiggerPockets Founder & Managing Editor of the Real Estate Dispatch:

Joshua Dorkin
Founder / President
BiggerPockets, Inc.
BiggerPockets.com was founded by Joshua Dorkin back in August 2004. Joshua has worked in many fields, but today is best described as an entrepreneur, web designer, real estate investor. Mr. Dorkin’s vision for helping real estate investors through BiggerPockets, has helped to propel it into becoming one of the top real estate investing destinations online.

Real Estate Investing for Real Contributors:

Charles Feldman
Journalist / Media Consultant
Charles Feldman is an investigative journalist having worked over some 20 years for CNN, CBS News, Reuters News Service, and others. He has written and/or reported for several newspapers and magazines including: The New York Daily News, New York Post, New York Magazine, Philadelphia Magazine, Playboy (International Edition), Parade and more.

He is co-author of a soon to be published book on media “No Time To Think” in stores now. Mr. Feldman is also a media consultant and has advised companies, CEOs, lawyers, politicians and foreign government agencies.

Website: The Feldman Blog

Jason Hanson
Deal Closing Champion
Jason R. Hanson is the founder of National Real Estate Investor Month and the author of “How to Build a Real Estate Empire”. Jason specializes in purchasing properties “subject-to” and has purchased millions of dollars worth of property using none of his own cash or credit.

Jason is a successful marketer who teaches investors how to become direct mail experts and get superior response rates with their letters, through the uses of headlines, grabbers and “bait”. Jason also teaches investors the scripts, negotiation tactics and sales skills so they become deal closing champions.

Jason has a very straightforward approach to business and believes the keys to success are persistence, simplicity, and self-confidence.

Website: http://www.PrimoCoach.com

Steve Heideman
Mortgage Analyst
Steve Heideman is an expert on debt planning, the mortgage market and commercial real estate. His expertise and opinion are frequently sought from a variety of media sources in radio, television, print and the internet. At the beginning of the credit crisis, Steve was asked to give his input to the consumer protection regulation at the Federal Reserve Board in Washington DC for hearings on abusive lending practices. Steve is the President of United Mortgage Financial Group, Inc. a residential, commercial and investment real estate capital firm located in Tempe, Arizona and Fulcrum Investment Network a social network dedicated to education and the sharing of non-traded assets like commercial real estate and private equity. Steve also publishes a daily mortgage blog titled “The Mortgage Virtuoso“. Through varied partnerships and connections with hedge funds, banks, private investors and investment banks Steve has been facilitating asset transactions and building capital structures for real estate acquisition, development, bridge, joint venture and permanent financing for over a decade. Steve is a member of the CCIM Institute. A Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) is a recognized expert in the disciplines of commercial and investment real estate. For 2 years, Steve was the host of “Talking Dollars and Making Sense” Steve is currently the real estate finance “guru” for filife.com a financial advice website that was born from a partnership between two established companies, Dow Jones (publisher of The Wall Street Journal) and IAC (the internet company behind Lending Tree, Match, College Humor and others).

Ted Karsch
Commercial Real Estate Investor / Mortgage Consultant
Ted Karsch is a commercial real estate investor, business writer and commercial mortgage consultant. He is a managing director of Combase Financial, Inc., a commercial mortgage brokerage and direct lender located in Miami, Florida. He also is the teacher of an online apartment building investment E-course. He specializes in helping first time and experienced apartment building investors make financially wise choices. His online apartment building investment course can be found at www.tedkarsch.com/buy-your-first-apartment-building

Tom Koizol
Foreclosure Consultant
Tom Koziol is a foreclosure consultant in Nevada who also co-owns an insurance agency with his son. His background includes real estate broker, stock broker, investment banker, professional speaker and retired military officer. To say he doesn’t like sitting still is an understatement. He has hosted and presented seminars in the political arena as well as in the sales and investment fields. Tom was a part time teacher at a community college in California and had an investment column in two California daily newspapers. His core philosophy always puts the client first whether it is at a paid speaking engagement, seminar or in the office. If the client’s interest isn’t paramount, why do it? After all, more sales are made through trust than through back door tactics. Tom is ready and willing to help people with their investment careers. The field is wide open and there is more than enough room for those who are willing to work, learn and be persistent.

Website: www.homeforeclosureprofits.com

Brendan O’Brien
Real Estate Investor / Software Developer
I never thought much about investing or entreneurship during the first thirty years of my adult life. I had a simple plan I didn’t have to think about – worked at my job, spent less than I made, and when I had extra money, dumped it into mutual funds. In 2003 I read “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” and realized I needed to take control of my investments, my career and my life. I made my first deal a few months later and still own that building today. I now own a total of three properties with 13 residential and commercial units.

In 2004, I began developing Property Master software, now marketed through www.pcpropertymaster.com. Property Master is on-line rental management software developed with the help of 13 other landlords and real estate experts.

Landlording is fun, although it doesn’t always feel that way. Besides the financial aspects, it is a great learning adventure. In the past five years, I’ve learned more about accounting, the law, marketing, negotiating, maintenance and above all human nature than I did in the previous twenty. I can’t imagine what the next five years will bring. Some of the lessons will be expensive, some will be very expensive, but they will all be memorable.

I live on the seacoast of New Hampshire with my wife Julie and children Sam and Gianna. In addition to my work, I am active in the Cub Scouts as Cubmaster for my local Scout Pack.

Richard Warren
Real Estate Investor / Landlord / Rehabbing Specialist
Richard Warren is the founding member of Rich Kat Properties, LLC, a Nevada based real estate investment firm with the goal of renovating distressed housing. Richard is a veteran rehabber who also owns numerous rental properties in Nevada.

Richard has an extensive and varied background having worked in construction as a teenager then going on to work in the field of financial services. He became a Certified Financial Planner, eventually owning his own financial planning firm and insurance agency. The events of 9/11 caused him to reevaluate his life and led him and his wife, Kathi, to relocate from New York to Las Vegas, leaving the financial world behind and moving into real estate investing.

Richard brings a unique and realistic perspective to the world of real estate investing. As a rehab specialist he understands that the reality of the business is very different from the fantasy of the numerous “flip and grow rich” TV shows. Recently Richard has been the featured speaker at numerous real estate investment clubs and has had articles published in newspapers and on investment websites.
Website: www.rehabberseye.com