"As a fourth generation California native I feel a deep connection to the vibe that sets us apart from other parts of the country. Where most major cities set a standard artists and entrepreneurs try to follow, Southern Californian’s pride themselves on breaking out of the mold to find a unique and different approach. This is how I feel about California real estate; especially now that the city has “grown up.”

I grew up in the suburban confines of Orange County, surrounded by well manicured lawns, jewel box homes, pristinely washed cars, and Disneyland. Eager to find something a bit more “lived in”, I left the OC for Los Angeles to attend USC and study medicine. I discovered two things by the end of my freshman year; first, I wasn’t going to end up a pediatrician, and second I love urban environments.

I’ve always been drawn to what makes people tick and I’m the kind of guy who’d rather fix something old than buy something new. These two traits and a curiosity for the built environment led me down the path to study real estate for remainder of my four years at USC culminating in a BS in Finance in 1991. This all sounded great until the wheels fell off of the real estate markets during my senior year temporarily delaying my grandiose plans to become a real estate mogul.

The market crash, however, turned out to be an illuminating opportunity. It allowed me to spend time learning what drives markets and why they move while managing the industrial market research division of Cushman & Wakefield in downtown LA. It also presented me with an opportunity to launch my entrepreneurial career. My first venture led me to Arizona; albeit with a slight hitch in plans. Waking up in a fishing trailer, without the partners I expected, I modified my business plan, utilized the funding powers of Visa and the cost-cutting measures of sweat equity to open Arizona’s first Internet Café. I would not allow my loss of partners, or the lack of financial support, to thwart my plans.

I was able to leverage that success into my first real estate venture and partnership back in Southern California. As a founding partner of a boutique brokerage firm that specialized in foreclosed REO assets, I cut my teeth in the business selling hundreds of REO assets ranging from boarded shut, seized “drug dens” in South LA to 4,000 acres of raw land in the Mojave desert and everything in between. Through that invaluable experience I became familiar with the nooks and crannies of the Southland, learned to view a real estate asset for what it “could be” and collected a tremendous group of investors and mentors who became my repeat clients. This experience also helped launch my investment and development career.

In 2001 I chose to further my education and moved to New York to earn my master’s degree in real estate development from Columbia University, studying in the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. The following years in the city left a lasting impression on me and my studies provided a tremendous resource for rounding out my understanding of the design and development process. Studying and working in one of the country’s most robust and urban cities also gave me a valuable perspective to take with me back to the West Coast.

Since moving back to Los Angeles in 2003, I have been fortunate enough to work through some of the most expansive growth and devastating recessionary real estate environments seen by my generation. I’ve worked with some of the city’s most prolific developers converting functionally obsolete office buildings into loft apartments, invested, renovated, and redeveloped numerous real estate assets as a principal, helped hundreds of homeowners avoid foreclosure, and worked with numerous banks disposing of REO assets.

It’s been my honor to be a featured writer on Realtor.com, to serve on the Urban Marketplace Committee for the Urban Land Institute (ULI), an affordable housing task force for the California Association of Realtors, and as a past Board of Trustees member of the Pasadena Arts Council. Whether you’re a first time buyer, a new investor or seasoned veteran, I look forward to helping you with your next real estate venture."

"Allan made our first home buying experience a painless one. He was knowledgable about the area we bought in, was honest about the property and answered all of our first timer questions. Overall he was a great guide through the whole process. We purchased a home with a pool, I like Allan so much I'm going to let him do the first cannonball! Thanks for everything Allan!"

- 76pmang, via Trulia

"Allan is a true professional. He is thorough, accurate and extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of the short sell process. I relied upon him ever step of the way and he never let me down. One of his strengths is being empathetic to the situation and staying calm when I was ready to fall apart.

I have and will continue to recommend Allan to anyone that is looking for a real estate guru. He is the man!!"

- WFeldman, via Zillow