Prior to becoming a real estate broker, I devoted a substantial portion of my career to the computerized income tax field as a key executive in a number of companies within that industry. My other professional experiences include public accounting (tax, audit and SEC compliance), software development and specialty work in the hotel and restaurant industry ...
Van de Kamps' Bakery & Coffee Shop
Buena Park, California
My first part-time job during high school evolved into a management position that enabled me to go to college.
My "start-at-the-bottom" story includes everything from cashier to short-order cook in both the fast-food field and the more upscale coffee shop environment. At the right place at the right time, I became the manager of the newly-opened Huntington Beach store which enjoyed a very high volume of business from its inception and was one of the top ten in the national chain of Burger Chef restaurants.
It is my experience in the restaurant field that taught me two important lessons. (1) that dollars are made up of pennies and (2) there is no sense crying over spilled milk. In other words, be mindful about the details that save pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves ... and keep looking forward.
Beginning as a part-time employee during my senior year of college, I joined this local firm upon graduation. This public-accounting experience provided me exposure to a wide variety of business, performing the write-up function for a number of real estate companies, general contractors, retailers, manufacturers. I also was involved in the fieldwork of the audit of a large non-profit association.
Upon choosing to move to Los Angeles, my business exposure was greatly enhanced by accepting employment with this prestigious and significantly larger CPA firm, serving significantly larger clients.
It was in this position that I developed my well-rounded business skills by performing controllership functions for various entities. The firm had a rich base of clientele, particularly in the retail automotive field for whom a monthly "mini-audit" service was performed, consisting of vehicle inventory, proof of cash, flooring-debt reconciliation, ratio analyses, etc.
In addition, my job involved heavy concentration in the annual audit of a several manufacturers. Pursuant to those matters, I performed draft financial statement presentations for the clients (including their subsidiaries' consolidations for Securities & Exchange Commission requirements) and the related tax compliance work. Yes, I can handle the difficult stuff.
Shortly after becoming a Certified Public Accountant, I accepted a very stimulating private-sector position with an entrepreneur who, at that time, was aggressively buying hotels, eventually selling the corporatation. In conncetion therewith, I was involved in the acquisitions of the Stockton Inn, the Cleveland Statler-Hilton and the Huntington Sheraton hotels, including oversight of the close of escrows and conversions of accounting systems.
Tax Corportion of America
Burbank, California
CCH Computax
Anaheim, California
Cleveland, Ohio
Reynolds & Reynolds AccuTax
Walnut Creek, California
IRIS Systems
San Francisco, California
Irvine, California
Even though few college courses were offered in the newly-emerging software industry, I recognized a hand-in-glove fit for computers and the processing of income tax returns. As such, I became a self-taught programmer in the COBOL language used in the mainframe computers that were then being used in the income tax processing industry.
One of the few CPAs who could also write programs, I became a highly sought individual by a number of companies within that industry. As a result of a few corporate mergers and offers that I could not refuse, I served several firms in positions that included Software Designer, Programming Manager, Tax Processing Manager, Director of Tax, Director of Production, and Marketing Manager.
During that time I held offices of Treasurer and Vice-President of the National Association of Computerized Tax Processors in Washington, D.C. where I was also involved in the early development of specifications for electronic filing of tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service.
As a result of Presidential appointment, I was asked to oversee the computerized thank-you letter writing campaign of the Republican National Committee, the Republican Congressional Committee, a number of U. S. Congressman and the Ford Presidential Committee.
Accordingly, I left the compertized income tax industry for this one-year, high profile project, and enjoyed being officed in the penthouse of the Capitol Hill Club at te corner of First and C Streets, with view out my office window of the both the Supreme Court and the Longworth Congressional office building. It was one of those "pinch me to see of this is real" moments during our nation's Bi-Centennial that came to an end when President Carter won the 1976 election.
The main task involved the early use of the minicomputer coupled with the a device known as the signa-signer (a true-ink signature application device that had been developed in the private sector as a bi-product of the NASA moon-landing project).
The job also involved other specialty projects including the formation of NATPAC, the national model Political Action Committee for the then newly-enacted campaign reform laws. Challenges included software development for proper handling of payroll deductions to both corporate and union-sponsored PACs as well as those earmarked for specific candidates. Special design consideration was made to insure privacy from employment superiors (and others) as to any individual's participation in PAC deduction programs.
Another special project was my participation in the creation of a nationwide trucking MESBIC (Minority Enterprise Small Business Investment Corporation) and its filings with the Small Business Administration and the Department of Transportation. In this project, I developed all of the forward-looking financial models and projections (before there was spreadsheet software) and oversaw the creation of the collateral material for the presentations.
During the time I was developing software for IRIS Systems, I sought and secured a part-time outside contractor's job appraising commercial and industrial properties. Although my primary focus was the programming of a new computer system for use by appraisers, I expanded my business skills immensly by this experience.
I appraised more than a dozen properties during my involvement, including a large outlet mall located along Interstate 10 and a high-end retail complex in Palm Springs. By contrast, at that same time I was also involved in the Rebuild L.A. project (after the rioting that followed the Rodney King incident), performing loan-related appraising of industrial property located in a burnt-out area of the south-central section of the city.
For approximately five years, I served as the Architectural Control Chairman of Kohala Ranch. During that period of time, I performed the customer service function to property owners who were building homes including interface with the association's architect.
The job included oversight of enforcement of the Covenants, Constraints and Restrictions (CC&Rs) and theDesign Guidelines of the subdivision. In addition, I was the primary author of the 2001 rewrite of those guidelines.
I am proud to say that, during my term of appointment, the architectural control function operated on a break-even basis, neither resulting a financial burden to the general association, nor providing revenue-generating source that would impose undue fees to property owners / developers. Since that time, the developers fees in Kohala Ranch have been increased by over 150% and the construction deposit requirements have soared by over 700%.
This illustrates the difference between general, run-of-the-mill management verses the type of management that is provided by an executive who treats everbody else's money with the same care as his own.
Presently, I am active as a real estate broker. After years of walking all over Kohala Ranch reviewing proposed building applications, I came to realize that I was instrumental in the success of a number of real estate professionals who were treating me to lunch while they were cashing big pay checks.
Upon meeting the State of Hawaii's experiience requirements, I upgraded my real estate sales license to that of a broker in 2007 and opened an independent office in Kawaihae Harbor (directly across from the entrance to the proposed Superferry).
The eventual scrapping of the interisland ferry service, coupled with the fact that I had specialized
in ranch acreage (at a time when vacant land became almost impossible to finance), the success of the
real estate venture was more modest than anticipated. Accordingly, a decision to close the brick-and-morter physical location was made.