TREO Capital to Help Spec Buyers Buy Homes Via Trustee Sales Auctions

Marc Paul and Robert Robotti, co-founders of the Los Angeles-based SCI Real Estate Investments, are launching TREO Capital Group, Inc., a real estate firm that aims to help buyers capitalize on opportunities in today's residential foreclosure market. Along with principals Janice Jay, Berto Gonzalez, Jay Belson, Matt Epstein, Joel Adelman, Michael Sihilling and Dieter Hochheimer, the TREO real estate team has developed a process to monitor and purchase distressed-priced residential real estate at auctions in Los Angeles County. TREO principals have already purchased over 30 homes for prospective buyers. "Currently there are thousands of distressed-priced homes scheduled for auction each week in LA County alone," said Mr. Paul, president, who is also the former head of the foreclosure divisions of Merrill Lynch Realty and Prudential California Realty. "The challenge for buyers is that most are unable to track all the homes scheduled for auction, analyze all the market and sales data, perform a title search and make a decision to buy ... oftentimes in a matter of hours." The company said most of its clients acquire multiple properties each month seeking to earn yields that can regularly exceed 30% IRR. Messrs. Paul and Robotti's SCI Real Estate Investments has a nationwide portfolio with over $2 billion worth of residential and commercial properties.