Meet the Board

Bruce Bachtel

President

Vendor Coordinator

cash4yourhouse@charter.net

Bruce became a full time real estate investor 6 years ago after a successful 16 year career in corporate sales with companies such as Armstrong and Milliken. After 2 years in the mortgage industry helping other investors achieve their goals, Bruce decided it was time to jump in himself. During the last 6 years, he has completed nearly 50 deals including rehabs, short sales and wholesales. He also specializes in helping buyers achieve home ownership through many different rent-to-own programs. He owns two companies; Edgewater Home Solutions which handles property management, rent-to-own sales and purchasing real estate, and Covenant Financial Group, which works with private lenders. Covenant Financial Group currently pays their private lenders 2-3 times current CD yields (or better) on their funds secured by real estate. Bruce credits much of his success to Upstate CREIA and the relationships he has built there. “I attended UCREIA for almost two years before I finally bought my first house. I am very thankful to all those seasoned investors who helped me through this process. It has been great to be able to pick up the phone and call another investor to ask a question.” Bruce is also a licensed SC Realtor.

Joe Gibson

Vice President

Information Technology

joegibson@goldstonesc.com

I have been investing in real estate for the last 7 years and have recently become a full time investor after spending 25 years in the corporate world. I have done single family rehabs and rentals and will continue that while expanding into multi-units, private money, and using IRA's for investments.

I have been involved with Upstate CREIA from its early stages and have seen it grow over the years. I have lead the Beginner's Focus group and taught the Beginning Investor's seminar for the last several years. In addition, I have done several sessions on writing business plans, something everyone needs to do because if you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there but you might not like it when you arrive.

I find quotes provide valuable insights and motivation, so I will include one of my favorites. "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Debbie Call

Secretary

debbiecall@charter.net

I plunged headlong into real estate investing when I joined UCREIA in March '06 and began doing business as www.cashforhomesupstate.com. Fellow UCREIA member and business partner, Robert Dayton, and I have put a number of wholesale deals together since late '06. At least enough that we now can claim cash flow! We also work with other investors, finding them lease/option customers for properties they own. Our in-depth program includes everything from marketing to finding financing for customers.

As a relative newcomer to this field, I can attest to the fact that real estate investing is not something one can do alone. It takes networking, education, and persistence. UCREIA has provided me with a wealth of contacts - investors who have graciously shared their expertise and experience, in addition to educational opportunities.

In my life before real estate, I did a life of right brained stuff: wrote and published a self-help book, ran a life/career coaching business for 10 years, and before that was a licensed clinical therapist. I still dabble in personal development over at my blog, www.spiritingear.com.

I have 2 fabulous daughters, one out of college in Chicago, and one finishing up college in '08 back in Ohio. In the meantime, my hubbie of many years keeps me company in our empty nest.

Kathy Malcolm

Membership Director

kmalcolm@gte.net

Currently no information.

Brandon Smith

Treasurer

brandon@smithandshin.com

Brandon is a certified public accountant focusing on real estate and business tax transactions at Carter & Company, CPAs, LLC, where he is in charge of over 400 real estate clients, including the nation’s largest investor in apartments. Brandon is certified in North and South Carolina, and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the South Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants. He earned a B.S. degree in financial accounting, cum laude and with distinction in accounting, from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and an M.B.A. degree from Appalachian State University.

Karla Kuhn

Director of Education

karlakuhn@charter.net

I've been interested in real estate since 1991.  My husband and I have enjoyed rehabbing properties and buying to hold as rentals.  We are learning about wholesaling, and other types of investing and plan to reduce the rehabbing projects.  I am full time in real estate investing now for the past 3 years.  I got involved in the early stages of Upstate CREIA's existence (3rd meeting, I think, 3 1/2 years ago) and almost immediately became a volunteer and board member.  I enjoy the networking as much as any part of this.  I've learned so much from other members and speakers.

Dave Smythe

Past President

dave@futurestar.us

Dave is a licensed mechanical engineer who is naturally inquisitive and has the ability to figure out sometimes complex business principals and transactions whether they involve engineering or real estate or international finance or… Real Estate investing is uniquely challenging because of all the variables (market, terms, property type, condition, etc.) you have to contend with and understand to be a successful investor. For many years, Dave specialized in preventing foreclosure for clients by working “short sales” on single family residential homes and worked into commercial and then into large project brokering from resort hotels to alternative energy biofuels plants. "I thank the Lord, Jesus daily for the good success we have had", Dave states as he recalls the many struggles where wisdom was gained and blessings provided in spite of an Engineer's "detail-itos".

Skip Miller

Board Member

skip.miller@charter.net

Skip became a full-time real estate investor after 13 years managing lumberyards for 84 Lumber and Boise Cascade and nearly 18 years developing software for builders and building material distributors.  He tries to balance his business with about 50% focus on hard money lending and 50% devoted to acquiring & reselling single family homes.  Says Skip, “UCREIA has had a huge impact on my ability to get involved in real estate investing, enabling me to make the big step in doing my first deals and providing a deep bench of experienced investors that have helped me avoid costly mistakes.”

Bill Clark

Board Member

bclark347@charter.net

Info not available.