On November 14th, ULI Philadelphia Young Leaders will host the second annual Shark Tank.  We asked mark Callazzo to share some insights and why he is excited to join the panel.

ULI: What do you look forward most about this year’s Shark Tank event?

I’ve been in real estate my whole life and love real estate deals. I love looking at them, doing them, funding them, and hearing about them. Shark Tank is an opportunity to hear about new deals and see how other industry professionals look at and analyze them.

ULI: What factors matter most when you evaluate a prospective Project/ Loan/ Equity Investment?

The three most important factors when evaluating a prospective project is the experience in the specific area, the asset type, and the scope of the investment.

Mark Callazzo Biography 

Mark’s success in the Real Estate Industry began in 1990, with his involvement in Real Property Consulting, Valuation and Analysis. As one of New Jersey’s foremost experts on Property Evaluation, Mark Callazzo has over 20 years of experience and heads up RMS Statewide Title and Appraisal Services, one of the largest residential title and appraisal businesses in the state. Mark provides expert testimony as well as consulting services on real estate evaluation.

Mark parlayed his expertise in appraisal business to real estate investment. His experience spans from development and approvals to construction and management.  Mark’s ability to understand even the most complex deals and break it down into a simple manner has not only helped his own investment portfolio but the borrowers that Alpha Funding Solutions serves.

Mark founded Alpha Funding Solutions in 2007 to meet the financing needs of Real Estate Investors throughout the tri-state Area. As CEO of Alpha Funding Mark leads the underwriting team and has developed a quick and easy process to get borrowers from application to closing.   Mark received his BA in Economics from Kean University and his MBA with a concentration in Finance from Monmouth University. Mark is very active in the service organization Rotary International and was a Chairman of the Board of Shore Community Bank, Jackson Branch.

Alpha Funding Solutions is a private asset-based lender in the Northeast (New Jersey, New York- 5 boroughs, Philadelphia, PA). The company was initially founded in 2007 to meet the needs of real estate investors doing fix and flip projects and has since become an industry leader in this space. We have provided funding to over 350 borrowers in loan sizes varying from $100,000 to $10,000,000. These loans enabled our borrowers to capitalize on opportunities in the real estate market that is not fundable through traditional sources. Over the past few years Alpha has expanded its loan products which include various commercial projects such as ground-up construction, bridge loans, joint ventures, note acquisition, tenant improvements, and debt restructuring across all asset classes. We do funding in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Alpha currently focuses on fix & flip projects, commercial bridge loans, debt restructuring, fix & hold projects, and joint ventures.

In addition to Alpha Funding Solutions, Mark also co-founded Lucern Capital Partners in 2017, where he serves as a Managing Partner. Lucern Capital Partners is a real estate private equity firm focused on making core-plus and value-add multifamily real estate investments in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast markets of the U.S. The firm employs an entrepreneurial, collaborative team effort where all partners are actively involved in the entire deal life cycle from sourcing to disposition, as well as capital markets and investor relations