Orlando, Florida – March 6, 2009 –

Joseph Dear joined Thomas D. Wood and Company in March 2009, as Vice President of our Orlando Office.  As Vice President, Joe is responsible for providing clients with advice regarding the lending industry and securing both debt and equity for clients’ commercial real estate needs through a variety of lending sources including Life Insurance Companies, Banks, Credit Unions, private money and large institutional sources. 

Joe has over 18 years of experience in commercial real estate, encompassing various roles in appraisal, underwriting, sales, and finance.  He attended Florida State University and graduated with a B.S. Degree in Finance.  He then spent four years as a commercial real estate appraiser before joining General American Life Insurance Company as an underwriter/originator of commercial real estate loans and equity investments, covering the entire state of Florida.  After seven years with General American, he joined Broad Street Advisors as a Vice President in Investment Sales.  At Broad Street Advisors, he handled investment property disposition and advisory services for institutional clients and worked on assignments throughout the United States.  After three years with Broad Street Advisors, he joined GE Real Estate in 2004 as a Vice President in the Business Property group, a position he held for five years.  At GE Real Estate, Joe was responsible for covering the Central and North Florida markets and provided financing solutions for commercial real estate to include construction-to-perm loans, long-term permanent financing, and sale/leasebacks.  

Joe’s experience in appraising, underwriting, loan origination, and investment sales make him well suited for his role as Vice President/Mortgage Banker of Thomas D. Wood and Company—Orlando, possessing the depth and expertise to provide seamless transaction.

Thomas D. Wood and Company is an independently owned, leading commercial mortgage banking firm in the southeast.  Thomas D. Wood and Company has correspondent relationships with fourteen major life insurance  companies, and is also a member of the Strategic Alliance Mortgage (SAM), a unique company consisting of 20 members who are all individually owned, commercial real estate investment banking/mortgage banking firms located throughout the United States.  Thomas D. Wood and Company’s servicing portfolio is now approaching one billion dollars.  This servicing portfolio consists of long-term mortgages on a variety of  commercial properties located throughout the state of Florida.  These properties include: Retail, Industrial, Office, Senior Housing  Communities, Self-storage, Apartments, Warehouses, Hotels and Mobile Home Parks.  Thomas D. Wood and Company’s corporate office is located at 95 Merrick Way, Suite 360, Coral Gables, Florida 33134, with branch  offices located at 1215 Louisiana Avenue, Suite 100,  Winter Park, Florida 32789, 6802 Honeysuckle Trail,  Lakewood Ranch, Florida  34202, 1000 Corporate Dr., Suite 100, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33309 and 1700 South MacDill Avenue, Suite 240 A, Tampa, Florida 33629.   The website may be accessed through www.tdwood.com.    

Joe Dear                  (407) 937-0470       jdear@tdwood.com

Jessica Gurtowski    (407) 937-0470       jgurtowski@tdwood.com

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