Ken Ackerson

Ken Ackerson began working for Horizon in 1989 at which time he opened Horizon's Clearwater branch office. He is the real estate broker and branch manager for that office and has personally sold over $150,000,000 in properties and has arranged loan commitments as high as $200,000,000. Ken worked for Horizon from 1989 to 1994 and then again from 2000 to present.

During 2002 to 2005, Ken was a partner, CFO, and co-developer of the luxury Villaggio Condominiums. He located and acquired the waterfront land, formed the partnership, and arranged the 16 million dollar construction revolver. He worked with the engineers, architect, and governmental officials to obtain approvals and permits. He also was involved with the daily problems and the contractor reports and bank draws.

During 2000 to 2002, Ken was a partner and CFO for Morgan Woods, LLC in which he contracted 325 acres for a Nicholas Signature Golf Course residential community. He worked with the engineers and officials to obtain site approvals, pre-sold all the lots to builders, and contracted to sell the land for the golf course to Private Quarters along with land for 24 villas.

From 1994 to 1999 Ken was the Vice President of First Gulf Coast Realty, Inc. in which he was the Broker of Record. He raised equity capital to buy three anchored shopping centers, and he set up the property management division. Ken completed over fifty transactions for Discount Auto Parts in which he handled the site selection and disposition.

From 1981 to 1989, Ken was the Vice President and Partner for Luten Properties in which he managed the sales department. He also expanded the sales department making Luten Properties the 2nd largest commercial brokerage in the area. He also formed a property ownership group in which he purchased six industrial buildings, which he managed and later sold. From 1979 to 1981, Ken was licensed with Sun American Realty where he sold multifamily properties, office and retail centers.

Ken attended the C.I.R.E Institute in Chicago, Illinois and also has received his CCIM designation, which is the highest and most prestigious real estate designation.

Ken has worked on numerous resort properties in his career. He is currently working on a major fishing resort in Costa Rica with an operating hotel and a 40 boat fleet. Also working on Cabo Caletas in C.R. in which he has been working with the developers for the last year to locate a hotel developer to build 150 to 200 room hotel on the Pacific Ocean, including a new 18 hole golf course development. He currently has tentative approvals for a major flag including an additional 200 fractional units. Ken also worked on the Playa Conchal in Costa Rica for which he marketed the site for the owner who is local to Florida. It was sold to the Melia Group in 1995, and they developed the site into a luxury golf course resort. He has been working with Joe Gilespie (Oceans Resorts in Daytona Beach) over the last six years on financing purchases and refinancing existing debt on his $400,000,000 portfolio of hotels. Ken has been involved in the sale of apartments, shopping centers, office buildings, warehouses, general commercial buildings, gas stations, golf courses, development land, 2500 acres of land for state conservation, and condominium developments.