Upstate Carolina Real Estate Investors Association

Karla Kuhn
Association Director

Karla, our Association Director, has been a member since 2002, serving as volunteer Education Director for many years and general “Go-To” person for all things UCREIA. A full-time investor, Karla and her husband, Lloyd, have enjoyed a variety of RE niches for over 20 years, including rehabbing, property management, owner financing, creating notes, and growing their rental property portfolio. As the longest serving Board member, Karla has been a vital part of UCREIA since its humble beginnings and has seen it grow to become the largest real estate investors association in SC. She continues to provide the best local and national speakers for meetings and seminars and the best networking opportunities for members and guests. Prior to RE, Karla was an Occupational Therapist for 20 years, with a BS degree from the Medical University of SC in Charleston. She is a native South Carolinian, enjoys traveling with Lloyd, gardening and playing with their dogs.

Gregg Branham
President

Gregg has been a member since 2002, serving in numerous volunteer roles. Gregg is an active real estate investor, property manager, and licensed broker with nearly 25 years of experience buying, selling, renting, rehabbing, and financing residential real estate. Gregg is the founding principal of Red Canoe Properties, LLC which he started in 2003. He retired from the W-2 workforce in 2017 as CEO/Team Leader of Keller Williams Realty, Greenville Central Partners, where he doubled the size of the office in less than 3 years to become the largest real estate office in upstate South Carolina. Prior to going into real estate full-time, he was a professional environmental & civil consulting engineer for over 20 years. He obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Clemson University and the University of South Carolina, respectively. Gregg lives in Easley with his wife and their son and daughter, and enjoys performing music, attending Clemson sporting events, and being a SCBA-certified barbeque judge.

Brandon Smith
Treasurer

Brandon is a certified public accountant focusing on real estate and business tax transactions at Smith & Shin, CPAs, LLC, where he oversees 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. from Appalachian State University.

Samuel Bouter
Media Coordinator

Sam is a software architect who enjoys all things tech, travel, and real estate investment. His involvement with UCREIA began in the early 2000s, and he returned in 2017 to begin managing A/V needs for UCREIA meetings and events. In early 2020, Sam stepped up to become a board member with UCREIA. As the founder and chief architect of Minatek Solutions, Sam usually has one or more tech ventures spinning up at any given time, but he always has an eye out for real estate investments. He and his wife own and operate Elmbank Properties, a property management company for a select portfolio of commercial and residential properties, including their own. When they can, Sam and his family love to travel—and when they can't, they help others travel through their travel agency, Away on Voyage! Sam also volunteers as the A/V coordinator for his church, Overbrook Gospel Chapel. This variety of experiences and endeavors lends him a unique perspective on the nuances of investing in the Upstate!

Toyya Funchess
Rental Focus Group Leader

Toyya has been a member since 2007 and Rental Focus Group Leader since December 2013. Her portfolio consists of student rental housing and is actively building additional revenue streams using real estate. Toyya earned a bachelor’s degree in business from South Carolina State University and an M.B.A. from Webster University. Toyya enjoys traveling and meeting new people. She strongly believes in increasing her knowledge base and regularly attends real estate educational seminars.

John is Retired Navy (Submarines) where he supervised safe operation, maintenance and repair of the Strategic Nuclear Weapon System and held a Top Secret SIOP security clearance. He worked as an Electrical Design Engineer after retiring from the navy until 2000.  Real estate investing has set him free from a day job and John does whatever he likes now. This includes scuba diving, boating, water skiing, swimming, traveling, and learning more about all things related to real estate. John is an active real estate investor with experience in short-term vacation rentals on Lake Hartwell and in Pigeon Forge, property tax liens, rehabbing, flipping, property management for his portfolio of long-term rental properties, and private money lending.

Lila Brasher
AV Team and Mobile Home Focus Group Facilitator

Lila became a UCREIA member in 2007 but wandered away for a few years while managing other people’s money as a Financial Advisor.  She returned to UCREIA in 2011 and began volunteering as the audio/visual tech in 2012 and has enjoyed other volunteer opportunities.  Lila is originally from Atlanta and earned a BBA from Georgia State University. She has been an active wholesaler, rehabber, and notes fan for the last several years.  Lila’s favorite activities include winter skiing, cycling, kayaking and she has completed eight marathons during her career as a runner. A volunteer at heart, Lila also volunteers with the Anderson Travel Club and the Atlanta Track Club (former VP).