Ricardo Ferrer has an extensive financial and real estate background. Graduating from UCF in 2002, with undergraduate degrees in Finance and Economics, post the 9/11 tragedy, he entered the real estate market as a residential appraiser trainee. During his apprenticeship, he performed over 300 appraisals and rent schedules for Conventional, FHA, and VA transactions. In 2004, Ricardo obtained his General Securities License (S7), Registered Investment Advisor License (S66), and Florida Life, Health, and Variable Annuities License (2-15). He moved to West Palm Beach to work for AIG/Valic as a retirement planning specialist for the Palm Beach County Schools (403b), Police Department (457), and Health Care Institutions (401k), before he was recruited by Merrill Lynch in 2005. Soon after joining Merrill Lynch, Ricardo became a Chartered Retirement Planning Councelor (CRPC®) and specialized in business financial advisory. While at Merrill Lynch, Ricardo managed a book of business in excess of $45 million and helped clients with Corporate Cash Management, Lines of Credit, Corporate Retirement Plans, Mortgages, Investments Management, and ESOP business sales, until the financial collapse of 2008, when Merrill Lynch was sold to Bank of America. In 2009, Ricardo founded Escudo Capital, LLC and raised $3.5 million of seed capital for the acquisition, wholesale, rehab, and rental/sale of residential real estate in central Florida. Ricardo was able to return investors a cash on cash return of 65% over the 5 years he managed the seed capital. Ricardo obtained his FL real estate license in 2012 and in 2014, joined Stonebridge Real Estate Group, one of the larger RE investment firms in Central Florida. As an acquisitions manager, Ricardo acquired and sold over $50 million of distressed real estate assets to investors. Prior to the COVID pandemic, in 2019, he was offered a partnership within Stonebridge Real Estate Group. Ricardo obtained his MLO license and became the Principal of Stonebridge Capital Group, where he originated over $15 million in hard money and DSCR loans, for in-house transactions, company clients, and outside investors’ acquisitions/refinances. Stonebridge Real Estate Group closed its doors in 2020, due to COVID, but Ricardo has continued to acquire RE assets for his own investment portfolio, as well as continued to originate Non-QM and DSCR loans. His financial background, in conjunction with his RE background and entrepreneurial spirit, make Ricardo an asset to any investor's residential real estate transactions.