About Us

J.P. Newman – President:

J.P. Newman's track record consists of successfully funding and sponsoring over $75 million in equity capital, covering a variety of asset classes, including:  1,100 apartment units in California, Texas, and Louisiana; 1,400+ acres of land along Texas State Highway 130 (SH-130); the development of the largest self-storage project in Texas; and the acquisition and management of an 82,000 foot Hobby Lobby anchored neighborhood shopping center.

After a successful corporate career as Vice President of Family Entertainment at Sony Home Entertainment, Mr. Newman joined Principals Capital Funding in 2000 and began arranging equity capital.

In 2005, Mr. Newman expanded Principals Capital Funding's presence to Austin, Texas from Los Angeles, California recognizing the strong fundamentals in the Central Texas economy.  His first joint venture project in Austin was to arrange the Mezzanine financing and Guarantee for the development of one of the largest climatized storage projects in the U.S., Secured Climate Storage (www.securedclimatestorage.com).  The project was named Austin Business Journal's "Best Industrial Project for 2007" and has achieved stabilized occupancy in Phase 1 in its first 18 months of operations.

In 2006, Mr. Newman assembled and led the largest land acquisition in Williamson County's history with his partners, Glenmont Capital and Atlantic Coast Development.  This 476 acre master planned, mixed-use tract is known as, The Crossings at Carmel Creek  (www.crossingsofcarmelcreek.com) in Hutto, Texas.  Mr. Newman and his partners successfully negotiated a $48 million PUD and economic incentive from the city of Hutto in 2008, and recently began its leasing and sales efforts in anticipation of a 2009 launch. 

In 2007, Mr. Newman led the financing and purchasing of another large mixed-use development along a commercial intersection of the new SH-130, a 378-acre tract located in Lockhart, Texas.   The overall plan calls for the entitlement and master planning of this mixed-use tract (Multi-Family, Retail, and Industrial) to be anchored by the development of key retail businesses along SH-130 (gas stations, restaurants, supermarkets and hotels are anticipated).  The project is planning to open at the same time as SH-130, where it will connect Austin to San Antonio in late 2011.

Identifying the changing economic cycle, in 2006 Mr. Newman disposed of his entire apartment portfolio in Louisiana and Southern California.  The eight projects yielded an average of 50%+ project return to the investors over a 24-36 month period.  To extend Principals Capital Funding's options for its investors within today's tight credit market, First Capital Funding was created to arrange debt financing in addition to equity financing.

Mr. Newman is a licensed broker in California and an agent in the State of Texas.  He is a graduate of University of California, Los Angeles (U.C.L.A.) and is a member of CCIM, RECA, ICSC, ABOR and NAR. Mr. Newman is an avid mountain biker and boater.  He and his wife, Janet, enjoy spending quality time with their two toddler boys.

Robert H. Newman – Senior Advisor:

Robert H. Newman, Vice President of Principals Capital Funding, Inc. He is a graduate of UCLA majored in Business and Accounting.

Since 1973 Mr. Newman has been involved in Commercial Real Estate both as a Agent and a Principal. He has been involved in commercial real estate specializing in Joint Ventures, Equity Capital Formation and the buying and selling of apartments, office buildings and shopping centers.

In 1997, Robert H. Newman founded Principals Capital Funding, Inc., a real estate investment company funded by a group of strong private investors. The company also engages in limited brokering of apartment buildings, retail centers and private lending under its affiliate, First Capital Realty Services.

For 18 years, Mr. Newman was a partner in Jones and Newman, a venture that bought and managed over 5,000 units of apartment buildings, shopping centers, as well as operated major office buildings in the western and southern regions of the United States (Georgia, Texas, and California). One of their crowning achievements was the combined purchase of over 1,000 acres of land in Palm Springs, California from 1983-1986, which they sold at large profits to several major development companies. They retained 300 acres of land and in a joint venture partnership with Vista Development Company, developed this land into 186 homes within a master planned community. The venture successfully sold and repaid over $18 million in construction loans over a 3 year period.

Mr. Newman was awarded the Businessman of the Year by the National Chapter of the Republican Party for the state of California in 2006. He is very astute on the Economy; has a conservative business approach and is currently attending many seminars and lectures on the 2009 economy. Although this is a very tough Recessionary Cycle, he believes that in the next year or two, there will be opportunities to buy rental income properties at prices not seen for the past decade. Newman believes these purchases must be made with a cash flow approach not leveraged at this time.

Aaron Heth – Vice President  of Business Development:

Aaron Heth's interest in Private Capital and International Financing stems from his childhood experience of growing up overseas in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.  Educated in the finest International Schools in the Middle East, Aaron gained an understanding and knowledge for all cultures and ways of life.  Aaron's initial experience in the financing and banking world started with residential real estate home loans in Austin, TX where he resides today.  His business experience and vast knowledge of the industry has grown and blended with his life experience, which naturally led him into the Private Capital and International Finance realm.  Aaron continues to educate himself in the financing industry and expand his product offering while continuing to set up key relationships with partners and lenders all over the world.  This drive for gaining knowledge and understanding of the importance of personal relationships keeps Aaron ahead of the curve and competition in today's world market. 

Janice Hochman – Director of Investor Relations & Underwriter,  California Office:

Janice is a graduate of California State University, Los Angeles majoring in Psychology. She has worked with our company for the past 5 years. She is licensed Real Estate Agent and worked in the mortgage business in Los Angeles for the 10 years. She has a dynamic personality and is very well liked and appreciated by investors. She has also invested with Principals Capital Funding, Inc. 

Robert Abbasi – Advisor:  

Robert Abbasi is the founder and President of RTI Properties, Inc., which was established in 1986 in Los Angeles to purchase small apartment complexes. Since that time, Mr. Abbasi has grown the real estate business into a nationally recognized real estate company. Today, RTI is diversified into several divisions including commercial property management which owns and manages over 4,000 multi-family units; a commercial brokerage; private money lending division; a commercial development company; as well as owning and operating a number of retail, multi-residential, and commercial properties throughout the country.

Mr. Abbasi is also one of the founding members of Western Commercial Bank in Los Angeles where he sits on the Board of Directors, as well as on the Loan/ALCO Committees.

Mr. Abbasi graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Economics and was chosen into the National Honors Society, Phi Beta Kappa, as well as graduated Magna Cum Laude. He also obtained his MBA from USC with honors.

Mr. Newman and Mr. Abbasi have worked together for the past 5 years on several projects including: 347 acres of land in Mustang Ridge; Secured Climate Storage; The Crossings of Carmel Creek; and 378 acres of land off the SH-130 located in Lockhart, Texas.

John McClellan – Advisor

John is a trusted advisor who brings to First Capital Funding his well known demographic and economic expertise on the Central Texas marketplace and its submarkets to help shape loan comittee decisons.

You've heard of people who are passionate about their work – but did you ever imagine someone could get so excited about, well, private money loans and real estate?  If you are looking for someone who truly eats, sleeps and breathes loans, and is more than happy to tell you all about it, then look no further.  John has his own nationally sydicated radio show and online blog featured here locally on talk radio 1370.

John McClellan has more than fifteen years of experience in real estate and mortgages. He has been consistently ranked as one of the top 10 mortgage brokers in Central Texas by the Austin Business Journal. John is an experienced professional mortgage expert who is thrilled to give you access to the best rates, best programs and greatest service.

John has been involved on the broker and banking side of mortgages, and handles hundreds of various types of transactions each year.  This training has given him a unique insight to the inner workings of the mortgage industry. With this expertise, he can advise and place his clients into the best loans that are tailored to meet their individual needs.

John is employed with Supreme Lending, a full service Mortgage Bank that has its corporate offices in Dallas, with branches in Houston, San Antonio, Austin and 24 other states. Supreme Lending funds almost half a billion dollars a year in residential mortgage loans.

We are thrilled to have John McClellan on our team of advisors.