Meet our Advisors

Ann Bellamy - Hard Money, Chairman of the Board of Advisors

Ann Bellamy is a multi-family and commercial investor, and hard money lender in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She specializes in deal analysis and works with local investors to ensure profitability in rehabs and cash flowing properties. She has been involved in investing since 1995, co-founded Boston Area Real Estate Investors in 2007 and has been on the Board of Directors of NH Real Estate Investors since 2006. www.buynowhardmoney.com ann@bostonareia.com

Bernadette Trafton - Board of Advisors

Bernadette Trafton is a multi-family investor, wholesaler and marketing specialist.  She is the queen of making connections - putting the right people together so that everyone makes money.  Bernadette began her involvement in real estate in 2005 as a struggling single mother, when she was introduced to the New Hampshire REIA.  She learned the principles of real estate, the importance of multiple streams of income and how to form and utilize partnerships to prosper in any economic climate.  In 2006, Bernadette began SMJ Enterprises (working with FDI to help people qualify for mortgages) and BT Real Estate (focusing on wholesaling).  And, in 2007, Bernadette co-founded the Boston Area Real Estate Investors Association.  In 2010, she is expanding Boston AREIA to include - the WIRE (Women in Real Estate), MSI Radio (Multiple Streams of Income) and Donuts and Deals (Breakfast mastermind group geared towards seasoned investors).  Bernadette is also focused on increasing her wholesaling business and wants to know what areas and what types of properties you are interested in.  E-mail her at Bernadette@BostonAREIA.com to give her your specifics.    

Than Merrill - Marketing & Wholesaling, Board of Advisors

Than Merrill, founder and CEO of CT Homes, LLC based in New Haven CT, has quickly established himself as one of the most successful young investors in the nation. His leadership and business acumen have brought CT Homes, LLC to extraordinary heights. Currently, he is buying 9-10 single family and multi-family properties a month with an average profit of over $30,000 each. In the last three years alone he has closed a total of over 200 deals in the states of Connecticut, New York, Florida and California. Merrill's strength lies in his unparalleled knowledge of real estate marketing, wholesaling and rehabbing combined with his unwavering dedication to perfecting his strategies. Through the formation of FortuneBuilders Inc., Than took the speaking circuit by storm. He brings a breath of fresh air and enthusiasm into the realm of speaking, giving other investors the opportunity to benefit from his innovative business systems. His course Marketing for Killer Real Esate Deals and Wholesaling for Quick Cash have become best sellers in the real estate education field. Read more.... www.fortunebuilders.com info@fortunebuilders.com

Paul Esajian - Rehabbing, Board of Advisors

Paul Esajian, CFO & Founder of CT Homes, LLC & FortuneBuilders Inc., is one of Connecticut’s premier young real estate investors and speakers. His ideas for building a business have been used to develop CT Homes into the premier real estate solutions company in Connecticut and the New England area. Through the implementation of his financial models & construction systems Paul’s company has opened offices from California to Rhode Island. Currently, Paul has managed over 200 projects with multiple teams of contractors & sub-contractors in four different states and over ten different cities. Paul’s expertise is in managing larger rehabs and multi-unit rehabs of over $50,000 dollars, in which his accounting systems have been designed specifically for the accounting and companies’ financial details since their inception. With a fanatical passion for his work & strict work ethic, Paul continues to grow his business, marketplace, & models for the benefit of his network, the community, & future Fortune Builders. Read more.... www.cthomesllc.com paul@cthomesllc.com

Joe H. Craft, CPA, PFS, CFP

Joe Craft is a Certified Public Accountant and handles the preparation of financial statements, corporate and personal tax returns, audit defense and representation. His expertise also extends into estate and gift tax planning, comprehensive and segmented personal financial planning.

He has prepared thousands of tax returns and held positions with Deloitte Haskins & Sells CPAs, Price Waterhouse CPAs handling tax planning and tax reporting of closely held corporations to SEC companies and currently has his own tax firm. He has also been a frequent speaker on tax related and financial planning topics to large groups across the country and currently holds the position of Chief Financial Officer for Financial Destination, Inc.

He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and has received certification as a Certified Financial Planner and Personal Financial Specialist.

Joe is also the author of “Annual Record Keeping Kit for Small & Home Based Businesses” and co-author of “It’s How Much You Keep That Counts!” in its 4th edition.

Bert Cox- Exit Strategies/Auctions, Board of Advisors and Instructor

Bert Cox is an active Investor, REALTOR®, and Auctioneer, he operates in the I-93 corridor from Concord to Nashua as well as Keene and MA. He has been involved in Real Estate since 1985 and currently manage about 15 units. He is an advocate of real estate education and practice creative real estate. His mentors and teachers include AD Kessler, Ron LeGrand, and Robyn Thompson. He earned his MBA, Summa Cum Laude, from Southern New Hampshire University. He also holds the degree of BSME (Mechanical Engineering) from Northwestern and SMU. His studies include marketing, W. Edwards Deming's principles of quality control, and strategic planning. He served in the United States Air Force and holds one US patent. As a serial entrepreneur, Bert states that his true passion (outside of family) is Real Estate. Because of his passion for real estate, he started the NH Real Estate Investor’s Association in 2003 to promote education, networking and professionalism for the real estate investing community. Bert is a master at formulating numerous Exit Strategies before making offers on properties. One of his favorite Exit Strategies is Round Robin Auctions. Bert holds his auction license in both MA and NH and holds a wealth of information for members to tap into. www.1house.com bert@bertcox.com

Attorney Alan Segal -Real Estate Law, Board of Advisors

Noted Attorney Alan Segal has 30 years of experience. He has handled over 30,000 real estate and mortgage closings and is well versed in business and entity structuring. www.segallawoffice.com alan@segallawoffice.com

Matthew Desrochers - Real Estate Law, Board of Advisors

Matthew T. Desrochers has been an attorney for 10 years, admitted to the Massachusetts bar and the Federal District Court.
He has concentrated his practice solely on debtor’s rights. Originally practicing in the area of Real Estate and Personal Injury he has transitioned his practice, focusing primarily on debt and financial issues, helping out many local families with their debt problems.

Kevin Lacasse - Rehab Rock Star, Instructor

Kevin is a very active investor who currently holds 113 rental units, a 90 site campground, and has rehabbed and sold numerous small single family houses throughout northern New England. He has been in the construction business for 12 years, and has been investing for 8 years.

He has a modular home dealership, where he sells and sets units in New England, as well as a property management company.

His favorite business model he calls "forced appreciation". He buys multi-family buildings in overlooked communities for as little as $10,000 per unit, rehabs and rents up, and then refinances the property. He typically is able to recoup more than his cash investment, and still maintain strong cash flow on the property.

When he uses a "Fix and Flip" model, he uses a full time contractor crew, and is able to keep them busy year round.

Click here to read about Kevin meeting the Governor!

Kim Harrington - Short Sales, Instructor

Kim Harrington, short sale expert, is a real estate mentor/coach with Profitable Partnerships of New England. Kim manages Ambrose Properties New England, LLC, an organization that specializes in assisting homeowners, investors, and realtors in short sale negotiations nationwide. Her organization has successfully negotiated hundreds of short sale transactions over the last five years, with a proven, systematic approach to the short sale business. Kim is a native of Ohio, and currently resides in Lexington, MA. She has a BS in Business Administration from Miami University and an MBA from Boston College.