Dave Smythe

President

dave@futurestar.us

Dave is a full-time Real Estate Investor and recovering Engineer.  Through the FUTURESTAR Group of companies, he is a Prevent Foreclosure "Short Sale"  Specialist helping clients stop a foreclosure action through extensive negotiations with mortgage lenders.  As an Engineer in Los Angeles, Dave began investing part time in the wild California Real Estate market in the late eighties and early nineties.  Dave and his family "escaped" from LA to start a children's computer training franchise in Greenville, SC in 1993.  After 10 years of franchise operations and poor franchisor decisions, the business closed.  Dave reminisces of the franchise, "What a learning experience! Did I own the business or did the business own me?" Not wanting to be employed after 10 years of business ownership, Dave started the very successful FUTURESTAR Prevent Foreclosure Specialists organization in 2003 and hasn't looked back since.  "I thank the Lord, Jesus daily for the good success we have had", Dave states as he recalls the struggles where wisdom was gained and blessings provided in spite of an Engineer's "detail-itos".

Bruce Bachtel

Vice President and Membership Director

cash4yourhouse@charter.net

Bruce became a full time real estate investor 3 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 3 years, he has completed over 40 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 10% 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.”

When not working on real estate, Bruce and his family enjoy time on the lake, hiking and traveling to new vacation destinations. Bruce is married (to his business partner J), with one daughter who is off to college soon. “The Lord has blessed us tremendously over these past few years. We are looking forward to continuing to learn and develop our real estate business plan for years to come”.

Skip Miller

Vendor Coordinator

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.”

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.

Joe Gibson

Information Technology

joe.gibson@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

Brandon Smith

Treasurer

Brandon@cartercpa.net

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.

Bill Clark

Board Member

bclark347@charter.net

Info not available.