James M. Clifton, Principal
Mr. Clifton has served as president and chief investment officer of real estate investment funds and development companies. As an investment officer of UK American Properties and Launderer Associates, he acquired $450 million in investment properties for various funds. As an officer of Citizen and Southern Realty Investors and Citizen Southern National Bank, Mr. Clifton arranged the disposition, finance and restructuring of large portfolios during the mid-1970s.
In his role as president of Piedmont Development’s General Contracting Division and, later, Mr. Clifton has personally been responsible for developed over 6,000 multifamily units throughout the United States as a merchant Builder.
Jim has experience in all phases of commercial real estate, with a focus on multi-family development. Given his expertise in acquisition, development, marketing, management and finance, Jim brings a seasoned and well-rounded multi-disciplinary approach to every project.
In 1987, Jim founded Sterling, which has successfully developed over 6,000 multi-family units in Texas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana and Virginia. While many projects were developed using conventional financing in a joint venture with investor partners, a large number were developed using FHA financing. Accordingly, Jim has special in depth expertise with Federal loan program for multifamily housing and Multi-State development experience. Sterling Development mission continued to be the building of quality apartment communities that meet the profitability objectives of its investors. On time development, efficient of design and quality are the principals that drive Jim.
In 1985 in Dallas, Jim joined Criswell Development, as SVP of the parent company and President of the apartment contracting and development subsidiaries. At Criswell he was responsible for finance, accounting, leasing, construction, property management, marketing and negotiating the sale of Mufti Family properties. In addition to the senior management role in the hotel properties.
In 1982 he moved to Atlanta as VP of Piedmont Development Companies, a Georgia-based apartment and shopping center development and contracting company. During 1981 he joined Landauer Associates, New York, a national, full service real estate consulting firm, as a vice president, responsible for the origination, evaluation and acquisition of investment properties for the firm’s domestic and foreign pension fund clients. Prior to this, in 1978, he launched his own real estate consulting, management and brokerage company, James M. Clifton and Associates, acquiring and managing commercial properties for foreign institutions and individual investors. Beginning his Real Estate career in the early 1970’s in Atlanta, Jim managed the loan portfolios of Citizens & Southern Mortgage.