Unique Qualities

James discovered the MH & RV Asset Class in 2005 as a newly licensed agent in his hometown while listing houses for a local investor. After learning about the industry, James fell in love with the asymmetric risk profile; that the income was stable in any market. He started his commercial career and chose to focus on MH and RV resorts at the age of 21. In 2012 he launched Yale Realty and Capital Advisors, to be the first fully integrated financing and brokerage firm specializing in the asset class. During the 2008 crisis, James learned the lesson that financing “was the tail that wagged the dog” and started digging into the financing aspect of his sales. This was the genesis of a fully vertical, cohesive financing and brokerage company. As the reputation and respect for the brand grew, there was a constant pull to go to new markets. As a specialist in the asset class in Florida, it was apparent that there was a need for on-the-ground, local experts to service their respective regions. This is where the vision of an indivisible national team that worked collaboratively was born. Today, Yale has 10 directors around the US, covering their respective markets, and sharing listings and resources such as 1031 buyers across the company. With career sales over $1B in production, James has closed hundreds of sales of communities and consulted on many more. He offers perspective, experience, and insight into this niche industry, that few parallel. In his personal life, James is an avid foodie and traveler. He has visited 80+ countries and is always ready for the next adventure with a good meal at the end.

Chris San Jose is President of Lending, where he oversees the start-to-finish process of arranging loans across MHC's, RVP's, Self-Storage, and Multifamily properties. This process includes the front-end strategy of tailoring the ideal debt solutions for a new investment or refinance, as well as managing a team that ensures a smooth and timely closing for investors. Since 2012, Chris has closed over $2 billion in debt-financing and was awarded the MHI Lender of the Year award in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 & 2023. During his oversight of the lending division, Yale advisors has achieved a 99% closing ratio on executed loan applications. Chris holds a degree in Finance and Real Estate from Florida State University. During his free time, Chris enjoys hiking, exploring new restaurants, and has traveled to over 50 countries.

As Director of Equity Capital Markets, Jake completes Yale’s Capital Markets division, which provides advisory and structuring services for all facets of the capital stack and ensures a vertically integrated national provider and ‘one-stop shop’ for any client’s needs. Jake will be responsible for assisting operators in optimizing their capital stack through strategic and financial structuring via introductions to qualified common and preferred equity investors, mezzanine debt lenders, or strategic partners in the industry. His function will include equity capital introductions for programmatic relationships, one-off acquisitions, portfolio acquisitions, capital for development projects, and equity for existing portfolio recapitalization plus future growth capital. Jake brings a vast network of relationships to the Yale Team with over 20 years and $2.5 billion of experience in real estate and leverages finance transactions. Prior to joining Yale, Jake worked for AFCGamma (a NASDAQ-listed mortgage REIT focused on lending to the cannabis industry), Stackhouse Capital, Inc. (a family office-backed boutique real estate investment and advisory firm focused on multifamily and self-storage), Cantor Commercial (a division of Cantor Fitzgerald), and Deutsche Bank, beginning his career in their famed Leverage Finance Group. Jake graduated with a BA in History from Princeton University and an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was on the Dean’s List.

Harrison Bell is the Regional Director of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Regions for Yale Realty. In 2016, Harrison joined the Yale Team as an analyst and was quickly promoted to his current role to facilitate the growth of our nationwide presence. As Yale has expanded, he has become an experienced sales manager providing support to the rest of the Sales Team. To date, Harrison has accounted for over $200 million in sales production from 20+ communities, including the second-largest MHC in Virginia. Harrison has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Florida, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami, and an MBA with a concentration in Finance and Real Estate from the University of Miami. During his free time, he enjoys supporting Florida Gators sports (especially football), traveling, and trying new restaurants.

Charles Castellano serves as the Regional Director of the Southeast U.S. at Yale, where his primary responsibilities encompass new business development and overseeing Manufactured Housing Community (MHC) and Recreational Vehicle (RV) activities within the region. With a strong focus on cultivating fresh business opportunities, Charles frequently participates in national and regional conferences while regularly visiting communities across the Southeast. This proactive approach involves engaging owners and operators to foster connections and drive growth. Charles contributed to the MHInsider magazine and wrote about how Manufactured Housing is helping solve the affordable housing crises in the Southeast. Marking his fifth year at Yale, Charles achieved an impressive total production milestone of $250,000,000 in 2023. His notable achievements span seven states throughout the Southeast, reflecting his adept deal-closing skills. Charles's contribution to the company extends beyond revenue figures; he has played a pivotal role in orchestrating candidate searches, overseeing interviews, and being instrumental in the firm's expansion. Before his current position, Charles gained valuable insights into transaction management, market research, and property underwriting, enhancing his expertise. His educational foundation includes a bachelor's degree in International Relations and Real Estate from the University of Denver and his licensure as a real estate sales associate in Florida. Beyond his professional pursuits, Charles finds solace on the golf course, honing his abilities for local, regional, and national amateur tournaments. Notably, he clinched the Florida Mid-Am Stroke Play Championship title in 2021 and secured a spot in the 2022 US Mid-Amateur Championship held at Erin Hills in Wisconsin. This multifaceted individual continues to exemplify dedication and excellence in his career and personal passions.

James is Yale’s Regional Director for the Midwest, where he advises James is Yale’s Midwest Director, where he advises owners and operators of manufactured housing communities and RV resorts on the sale and purchase of properties. His favorite parts of the job are helping clients track down the hard-to-find buyers for niche deals and securing offers well above off-market pricing, such as a recent example where he closed at 60% above a direct offer the seller received only three months prior to listing. James received his B.A. in Economics and History from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law, where he graduated with honors. After law school, James worked for a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit for two years, then practiced law for four years at a boutique commercial litigation firm, advocating on behalf of clients in real estate, financial services, insurance, and bankruptcy disputes in state and federal court. James applies the skills, knowledge, and experience gained from his years of aggressively pursuing and protecting clients’ interests as an attorney to advocate on behalf of sellers of manufactured housing communities and RV resorts. James, his wife, and two children live just minutes away from his childhood home. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, sailing, and watching Notre Dame and Miami Dolphins football.

Ken Schefler specializes in the sale of MHCs and RV parks across the Midwest and Great Plains, including Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Montana. Ken is a member of the collaborative team at Yale Realty and Capital Advisors, the most awarded advisory firm in the MH and RV industry. Yale's integrated platform — brokerage, debt, and equity — gives clients a depth of resources that few can match. Ken's practice is focused on institutional owners, working with them from the first call to closing, unlike other groups whose senior brokers hand deals off to juniors and then show up for the first time at the closing dinner. His deep regional expertise in the Midwest and Great Plains — where buyer pools are specialized and assets require a tailored approach to valuation and marketing — sets him apart from other national platforms based outside these markets with no boots on the ground. Ken is known for his straightforward counsel and his ability to view the disposition process from an institutional owner's point of view. He understands the portfolio dynamics, valuation considerations, and timing decisions his clients navigate. He is committed to delivering honest market intelligence and building long term relationships, rather than simply pursuing a transaction. Ken lives in Houston, Texas. In his free time he enjoys competing in triathlons, mostly for the post-race recovery cake.

Greg Ramsey is VP of Lending, where he processes financing requests by collecting property due diligence, underwriting, and preparing loan request packages for submission to lenders. He also manages the loan process from signed application to closing to ensure a smooth transaction for clients. Since joining Yale Capital Advisors in 2018, Greg has worked under Chris San Jose and assisted in closing loans for Manufactured Housing Communities, RV Resorts, Self-Storage Facilities, and Multifamily properties nationwide. During his free time, Greg enjoys spending time with his wife and traveling to visit family and close friends.

Mike Normandeau is the New England Regional Director at Yale where he focuses on market research, relationship development and deal sourcing throughout the New England states. A native of New England, Mike is well regarded as a relentless business developer, problem solver and relationship builder. His experience in commercial real estate as well as real estate finance gives him a holistic view of transactions which has led to over $250,000,000 in deal volume in several asset classes along the eastern seaboard. Mike’s style combines his disarming nature, analytical thinking and unrelenting drive, which has garnered multiple production and leadership awards from private as well as Fortune 500 companies. He earned a BA in Economics from the University of Southern Maine where he played on an NCAA national championship baseball team. Outside of work, Mike enjoys fitness, spending time with his kids, cooking and is an avid Boston sports fan.

As Director of the Southwest, focused on the Texas market Alexis combines her sales and partnership expertise to continue to build relationships with owners and connect them with the right buyers and financing solutions. She brings a strong foundation of real estate experience, having spent five years with a high-growth real estate tech startup where she managed markets across Texas and the Southeast, supported hundreds of transactions, and developed key channel partnerships. She is a proud University of Texas Longhorn with Midwest roots who will always call Austin a second home. Outside of work, she enjoys tennis and padel, live music, and spending time near the water.

Dan Cook is a veteran at acquiring and managing multi-million dollar real estate transactions by building relationships with organizations and individuals. Dan is the Director of Western US region at Yale Realty and Capital Advisors. After graduating with a finance and accounting degree from Florida State University, Dan began his career with SunTrust Bank managing high net-wealth clients and families for the bank’s private client group. While gaining unparalleled experience in the finance world, Dan also established himself as a respected business and real estate advisor. Dan is widely known for co-founding a company with a successful exit to Coca-Cola in 4 years, helping develop an estate in Tuscany, Italy rated by Conde’ Nast magazine as one of the Top 10 Resorts in the World, and as a National Spokesperson for Lincoln Motor Company. For him, analyzing businesses and real estate is a passion he’s been chasing for 30 years. While his company engagements have taken him around the world, Dan is proud to call Los Angeles, California home.

Mitch Gonzalez is Yale's Director of Land Sales and Development, as he previously ran a construction company providing general contracting services for brands such as Emcure Urgent Care, Jonna Properties, and Safeway Oil Company. Mitch has been the transaction manager for Yale on almost $70MM in closings. Mitch now helps clients with land sales and development consulting. Finding the highest and best use of a property leveraging a diverse background in real estate investment and value add. Mitch holds a Business degree in Finance from Michigan State University. He is an avid double-bogey golfer.

Dana Smith is the Southwest Regional Director, where Dana focuses on new business development including deal sourcing, relationship building, negotiations, and project analysis. Since 2019, Dana has sold over $100,000,000 in the manufactured housing industry in Texas and established a well-known and quality reputation throughout the Texas market, among other distinctions in the field. Dana is known for diving into new projects and overcoming obstacles to yield the best outcome for her clients. Her friendly, calm, and hard-working nature bridge the gap between any issues that arise by creating effective communication channels, leadership, and sourcing the necessary solutions. The mentorship and unique, an entrepreneurial platform that Yale Realty and Capital Advisors offers was just the reputation and approach Dana was looking to be associated with. Dana holds a degree in Physiology from The University of Northern Colorado. : In her spare time, you could find Dana riding four-wheelers on the beach or in the mountains, cooking, shooting guns, or on a boat. Dana is also very active outside of work volunteering with foundations such as the Zane Beadles Parade Foundation, and Rachel’s Challenge.

Sean Thomas is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in commercial investment sales and development, including involvement in over 400 successful transactions. Before joining Yale, Sean served as a Senior Vice President at SRS Retail Advisors, where he excelled in selling multi-tenant and single-tenant properties. His background also includes a tenure as an acquisitions director for an Arizona-based development and construction company. Throughout his career, Sean has consistently demonstrated expertise in property valuation, marketing, negotiation, and escrow management. Clients rely on his results-driven approach and commitment to delivering exceptional service, whether they are buying, selling, or evaluating their properties. In his free time, Sean enjoys hitting the gym and playing pickleball.

Chris Armour has over a decade of transactional real estate experience in the multifamily industry, where he has completed over $800 million in transactions across several different markets and asset classes. Outside of work, Chris is an avid poker player, snowboarder, martial arts practitioner and, above all, a proud father and grandfather.

Silo Alcantara is the Senior Analyst at Yale, where he directs both the valuation process and the creation of marketing materials for on-market and off-market MH & RV sales and development offerings. The valuation process includes a thorough analysis of the property financials & local market conditions, collaboration with the capital team to underwrite the optimal financing structure, and the identification of all value-add opportunities to consider in the analysis. Silo oversees a team of analysts who present all relevant information and financial analysis in a cohesive offering memorandum for the brokerage team to market to investors. When Silo started with the company in 2016, he was the sole underwriter supporting both the brokerage and lending teams of Yale. Since joining the team, he has underwritten over $1.5 billion in assets, which has led to over $500 million in closed transactions. Silo has a Bachelor’s Degree in Building Construction from the University of Florida and an MBA with a focus in Finance and Real Estate from the University of Miami. During his free time, he enjoys recreational biking, playing FIFA, and supporting all Florida Gators sports.

Blaise DeAngelo began his career in the music industry in 2009 at the leading edge of the streaming era, helping some of today’s biggest artists use data insights to intelligently market their music. He was named to Billboard’s Power Players for his work as the head of 9x Grammy Award-winning artist Skrillex’s record label, featured in publications like GQ and Mixmag, and invited to speak at conferences from Miami to Mumbai. Since pivoting from music in 2017, Blaise has helped major brands like Bandsintown and Native Instruments as a freelance creative consultant and content strategist. Outside of work, Blaise is a 3,000-hour trained teacher of Vedic Meditation and enjoys travel, cooking, music, and biking.

As an analyst, Grant supports the valuation and marketing processes He works in financial models, conducts market research, and creates marketing materials. Grant holds B.S. degrees in Finance and Real Estate from Indiana University – Bloomington, acquired in 2021, which he uses to bring fresh insight to the office. He is an avid snow skier and Chicago sports fan.

As our Market Research Analyst, Joe is responsible for the collection and analysis of market data nationwide. He collects information pertaining to rent and sales comparables, income and expense data, and is tasked with identifying important market trends. Joe graduated Cum Laude from Pennsylvania State University after three years, where he obtained a B.S. degree in Finance and a Real Estate Analysis & Development Certificate. In his free time, Joe enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing pick-up basketball, and cheering on the Miami Dolphins.

As a Junior Analyst, Timothy supports the underwriting of manufactured housing communities and RV park transactions nationwide. His responsibilities include analyzing property financials, mapping seller profit and loss statements, and assisting in the preparation of offering materials. He works closely with senior team members to evaluate investment opportunities and support active transactions. Timothy earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with a focus on Finance from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. During his time at Michigan, he was actively involved in Michigan Private Equity Venture Capital, Victors Value Investments, Banking at Michigan, and the Sports Business Association, where he developed a strong foundation in financial analysis and investment strategy. Outside of work, Timothy is an avid fan of Michigan basketball and football, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Seattle Seahawks, and Manchester City F.C.. He also enjoys staying active through fitness and playing basketball.

Angie Martinez has a strong passion for marketing and brand strategy, with a creative eye for building ideas into something meaningful and visually compelling. Through her experience working on digital campaigns and brand-focused projects, she has developed a strategic approach that led her to her role as a Marketing Coordinator. Outside of work, Angie loves creating her own marketing projects, spending time at the beach, working out, and enjoying slow days with her dogs.