You are receiving this letter because you either wrote to us or you are a commercial real estate broker client of either Blackburne & Sons or C-Loans, Inc. Today we'll talk about crowdfunding commercial real estate. We also have lots of cute, clean jokes and several funny pics for you.

Joke Du Jour

After eight days of backpacking with my wife, Linda, we were looking pretty scruffy. One morning she came to breakfast in a baseball cap, her shoulder length hair sticking out at odd angles. "Terry," she said, "does my hair make me look like a water buffalo?" I thought for a moment, then said, "If I tell you the truth, do you promise not to charge?”

Jaw-Dropping Picture of the Duchess of Cambridge

I remember thinking to myself, "The lovely Kate Middleton is much too ladylike to be this risque." Turns out that this couple is NOT William and Kate, but rather two look-alikes hired for the photoshoot by a U.K. newspaper. Had me fooled.

Sell Commercial Real Estate Using Crowdfunding

Three years ago Congress passed the JOBS Act (Jumpstart Our Business Start-Ups) in order to spur the economy. Under this act, Federal securities laws were changed.

Commercial brokers are now allowed to publicly advertise their proposed real estate investments to accredited investors. In other words, if you would like to syndicate a bunch of investors to purchase a multi-tenant office building, you no longer have to do a private placement. You no longer need to have a pre-existing personal or business relationship with each investor. You can now legally and publicly advertise to complete strangers to join in your new syndicate to buy the property.

Folks, this is huge! I that predict commercial-investment real estate will be sold differently in the future. Instead of trying to sell the property to a single buyer, commercial brokers of the future will put up a sign that reads, "For Sale. Invest As Little As $25,000." When the commercial broker has identified enough small investors to complete the sale, he simply creates a limited liability company for the group of small buyers. The new LLC will use a professional property manager to manage the property and the investment.

If I were a broker for Marcus & Millichap, for example, and I was trying to win the listing on a gorgeous commercial-investment property, I would tell the seller, "You should list the property with me because I will get you a price that is 15% higher than any other broker. How? Because I am going to sell the property in $25,000 investment increments." Because of our experience in the syndication business and our large following of wealthy investors, Blackburne & Sons would be very interested in working with any broker who has a listing on a nice, smaller commercial-investment property.

Before attempting this on your own, be sure to speak with competent securities counsel. If you need a suggestion for a securities attorney, just email me, George Blackburne III - the founder and old man. (My oldest son is actually George IV.)

Stupid Crook Story

A true story out of San Francisco... A man, wanting to rob a downtown Bank of America, walked into the branch & wrote "this iz a stikkup. Put all your muny in this bag." While standing in line, waiting to give his note to the teller, he began to worry that someone had seen him write the note and might call the police before he reached the teller's window. So he left the Bank of America and crossed the street to Wells Fargo. After waiting a few minutes in line, he handed his note to the Wells Fargo teller. She read it and surmising from his spelling errors that he wasn't the brightest light in the harbor, told him that she could not accept his stickup note because it was written on a Bank of America deposit slip and that he would either have to fill out a Wells Fargo deposit slip or go back to Bank of America. Looking somewhat defeated, the man said, "OK" and left. He was arrested a few minutes later, as he was waiting in line back at Bank of America.

Buying or Selling a Commercial Property? We'll Help Your Buyer With His Downpayment!

No one else in the entire country does what we do. We add our equity dollars - not debt dollars - to your buyer's downpayment to create a downpayment large enough to satisfy the bank.

The reason you need us is because banks are now requiring a 40% downpayment on the purchase of most commercial-investment properties. To make matters worse, most banks today will not even allow the seller to carry back a second mortgage.

Does your buyer really want to put down 40% of the purchase price? Our small-balance preferred equity solves your problem. Please click here for more information about our preferred equity.

Blackburne & Sons (est. 1980) is a commercial private money lender. We will allow second mortgages behind our first mortgages!

Please click here to apply for preferred equity or a private money commercial mortgage. You can also call me, Tom Blackburne, at (574) 210-6686.

Well, At Least She Isn't Twerking...

Stupid Crook Story II

A guy walked into a little corner store with a shotgun and demanded all the cash from the cash drawer. After the cashier put the cash in a bag, the robber saw a bottle of scotch that he wanted behind the counter on the shelf. He told the cashier to put it in the bag as well, but the cashier refused, saying "Because I don't believe you are over 21." The robber insisted he was over 21, but the clerk still refused to give it to him because he didn't believe him. At this point the robber took his driver's license out of his wallet and gave it to the clerk. The clerk looked it over and agreed that the man was in fact over 21. The cashier put the scotch in the bag. The robber then ran from the store with his loot. The cashier promptly called the police and gave the name and address of the robber that he got off the license. They arrested the robber two hours later.

Private Money Commercial Loans Nationwide From $100,000 to $3.5MM

Is your client's commercial property partially-vacant? Do you need a lender who will allow the seller to carry back a second mortgage? Does your client have a balloon payment coming due on his commercial property? Has your bank offered him a discounted pay-off? Does your borrower have less-than-stellar credit? Is your client's company losing money? We make slightly scratched-and-dented commercial loans.

Our hot, new product is a blanket loan against a portfolio of rental homes. Rental homes? Yup, as long as there are at least five homes or units, we consider this to be a commercial loan. We even offer a partial release clause. This loan is ideal for speculators.

Here is our latest rate sheet.

Blackburne & Sons is looking for commercial real estate loans that are not quite clean enough for a bank. Please click here to submit a private money commercial loan or call me, Tom Blackburne, at (574) 210-6686.

Speed Trap Story

A motorist was unknowingly caught in an automated speed trap that measured his speed using radar and photographed his car. He later received in the mail a ticket for $40 and a photo of his car. Instead of payment, he sent the police department a photograph of $40. Several days later, he received a letter from the police that contained another picture, this time of handcuffs. He immediately mailed in his $40.

One Point Commercial Bridge Loans

Suppose you have listed a commercial property for sale, and the seller is getting antsy. You can often hold him off long enough to find a buyer by getting him a bridge loan. Blackburne & Sons offers a six-month bridge loan for just one point. Please click here to submit a commercial bridge loan mini-app or call me, Tom Blackburne, at (574) 210-6686.

Postcard to the Ex....

New Apartment Program for "A" Deals

Blackburne & Sons has an incredible new apartment loan program for "A" quality deals. These loans close in our name and are sold to an institutional investor which purchased almost $400 million in apartment loans last year.

The rate is adjusted according to the desirability of the property and the area, but it starts at 3.87% and 1 point for a 30-year fully-amortized loan. For more details, please call Tom Blackburne at (574) 210-6686.

Eating Ants Story

I am a medical student currently doing a rotation in toxicology at the poison control center. Today, this woman called in very upset because she caught her little daughter eating ants. I quickly reassured her that the ants are not harmful and there would be no need to bring her daughter into the hospital. She calmed down, and at the end of the conversation happened to mention that she gave her daughter some ant poison to eat in order to kill the ants. I told her that she better bring her daughter into the Emergency Room right away.

Too Busy to Broker Commercial Loans to Us? Why Not Just Refer Them Instead? We Make It Easy!

We once paid a $21,250 referral fee. Here is our referral fee program.

Stupid Crook Story III

Arkansas: Seems this guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided that he'd just throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his head at the window. The cinder block bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. Seems the liquor store window was made of Plexi-Glass. The whole event was caught on videotape.

Little Scared To Think How Red Wine Is Made...

On a Personal Note

My cousin (a drummer) got married to an amateur country western singer this past weekend in Prospect, Oregon - a town of 650 people. The setting was beautiful, with greenery and mountains everywhere the eye can see. The temperature was perfect and the ceremony flawless. And the best part was hearing the story of how they met. Four years ago, my cousin’s band opened up for The Taryn Cross Band at a small country western concert in Prospect, OR. Before the performance, my cousin took notice of the beautiful Taryn Cross and quickly decided that he had to do something to get her to notice him.

So, at first he went up to her to purchase a ‘Taryn it Up’ T-shirt she was selling. Not knowing he was the drummer of her opening act, of course she charged him full price! My cousin proceeded to converse with her and extended an invitation to a “barn dance” taking place after the performance. To make himself stand out even more, after his band preformed he dragged an old couch and made sure to a get a front row seat. After the performance, she decided that if this guy was crazy enough to drag a couch into her show, then why not meet up with him. It was only then that she found out she was tricked...

There was never really a barn dance, but rather it was a ruse my cousin used to get her number. Taking it all in stride, Taryn was amused at the lengths my cousin was going to meet her and gave him a shot. As they say "the rest is history".

Sometimes love is fostered through mutual friends, blind dates, and Match.com But love can also present itself through opportunity. Props to my cousin, Austin, for recognizing the opportunity life threw his way.

Don't Forget About C-Loans.com

We have a whole new crop of hungry commercial lenders on C-Loans, so if you have a commercial loan you're trying to place, it takes just four minutes to submit your deal to 750 commercial lenders. And remember, C-Loans.com is free!

Final Funny

After pulling a farmer over for speeding, a state trooper started to lecture him about his speed, pompously implying that the farmer didn't know any better and trying to make him feel as uncomfortable as possible. He finally started writing out the ticket, but had to keep swatting at some flies buzzing around his head. The farmer said, "Having some problems with circle flies there are ya?" The trooper paused to take another swat and said, "Well, yes, if that's what they are. I've never heard of circle flies." The farmer was pleased to enlighten the cop. "Circle flies are common on farms. They're called circle flies because you almost always find them circling the back end of a horse." The trooper continues writing for a moment, then says, "Hey, are you trying to call me a horse's behind?" "Oh no, officer." The farmer replies. "I have too much respect for law enforcement and police officers for that." "That's a good thing," the officer says rudely, then goes back to writing the ticket. After a long pause, the farmer added, "Hard to fool them flies, though."

Contact Information

4811 Chippendale Drive, Suite 101, Sacramento, CA 95841 telephone: (574) 210-6686 * Fax: (916) 338-2328
Real Estate Broker -- California Bureau of Real Estate -- License Number 01330173