Edward McEnery, Partner
With more than 30 years’ experience in commercial real estate, Edward describes himself as a “force multiplier.” He is able to achieve results for his clients and his lending partners many times greater than if they acted on their own.
“Helping business clients solve their financial puzzles is the best part of my job,” says Edward. “Once I help a client or even a lender, I often find myself acting as an extension of their company, becoming a sounding board on other aspects of their business long after the initial deal is done.”
Appraisal, development and commercial mortgages
Edward’s background is a blend of appraisal work, real estate development and commercial mortgages, giving him the skills, experience and knowledge to analyze the potential of any scenario.
At the outset of his career he spent 12 years as a certified general appraiser. During that span he travelled the country appraising potential hotel sites, future sites for Walmart, and various shopping centers and income-producing properties. That early exposure made him an expert in the understanding and analysis of income-producing properties.
After appraising properties nationwide for a BankAmerica subsidiary, he opened his own commercial real estate appraisal firm in Yonkers, NY, serving the tri-state area. He became well-versed in tax certiorari proceedings and testified as an expert witness in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Yonkers waterfront development
In the mid-90s, the Mayor of Yonkers, NY appointed Edward to the Office of Waterfront Development, where he took charge of revitalizing the city’s downtown waterfront district. With the assistance and coordination of City of Yonkers, State of New York and Federal Section 108 funds, Edward worked with architects to preserve and repurpose historic elements and develop the area into a vibrant business and residential district along the Hudson River.
South Florida and beyond
Edward McEnery shifted his focus to fast-growing areas in South Florida in the 2000s, quickly becoming one of the area’s top mortgage producers. There he built a loyal clientele and established alliances with large and small local banks as lenders, eventually cofounding a commercial real estate finance group. His clients ranged from small business owners to larger commercial groups financing shopping plazas and high-rise luxury apartment buildings worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Visualizing each deal like a puzzle, Edward McEnery analyzes all the deal variables against the current economic environment to build a solution that works for both borrower and lender. Conversely, when Edward does not see the pieces fitting together, he has often saved investors from financial downfalls, always maintaining his commitment of integrity and honesty to his clients.
Edward describes himself as being on a never-ending quest to help people who need assistance in their lives, and he actively engages in several charitable ventures.
How Edward McEnery approaches a file
Edward McEnery starts every scenario with the property rather than the paperwork. Years spent as a certified general appraiser taught him to read income-producing real estate for what it actually earns, not for what a pro forma promises, and that discipline is what allows him to tell a borrower early whether a deal will survive an underwriter or an appraisal review.
From there the questions turn to structure. Which lender is realistically going to fund this asset in this market, at what leverage, and what will they need to see before they commit? Because Edward has sat on both the appraisal and the development side of the table, he can often anticipate the objection before it is raised and address it in the submission package instead of after a decline.
He testified as an expert witness in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and handled tax certiorari work for years, so valuation disputes and unusual property types are familiar ground rather than a reason to walk away.
Credentials
- Licensed Florida real estate agent
- Formerly licensed commercial appraiser in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania
- 30+ years in commercial real estate
Work with our team
Call 888-656-9812 or send us your scenario. You can also read about Michael McGovern, or explore commercial mortgages, multifamily and apartment building loans and portfolio lending.