ERNST CREATED A FUND TO GIVE CAPITAL AND SUPPORT TO ASPIRING DEVELOPERS LIKE HIM

Ernst is not only an entrepreneur and real estate developer; he is also a humanitarian. Ernst wants to level the playing field for women, minorities and immigrants in real estate. And he has, quite literally, put his money where his mouth is by founding the Aequo Fund which provides capital and support to aspiring developers.

Born in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, Ernst moved to New York as an eight-year-old. Real estate has been his passion since his boyhood. He studied urban planning and public policy at Cornell, and was renovating his first Philadelphia row house by age 22. He went on to get his masters in real estate from Columbia University and moved rapidly into multifamily and commercial development.

Today, Ernst’s day job focuses on large workforce and affordable housing and commercial real estate projects. Currently he owns over 3000 units nationwide, but as he says, “row houses are my passion!” Through Aequo, he is able to continue to nurture that passion by finding and supporting others renovating single family homes or small groups of units. When approaching these kinds of projects, Ernst counsels people to analyze the unique needs of a community and develop with focus on maximizing the impact the work will have on the surrounding neighborhood.

Our first Spring Garden Lending project with Ernst began in early 2022 and already there are several more underway, thanks particularly to his emerging bond with Spring Garden Lending’s SVP and market director in Baltimore, Pete Pecoraro. “Working with Pete is amazing; he knows so much and he respects my knowledge and expertise. Together we have built a trusting relationship.”

Ernst’s first venture with Spring Garden Lending was for a loan for new construction of a five-unit project in the Green Mount West neighborhood. Currently he is looking at doing a 10-unit project all on one block in the Sandtown Winchester neighborhood. “The thing about working with Pete is that he is encouraging; he doesn’t put you through the wringer. He gets things done the right way! Plus, Spring Garden Lending and I share a common vision to include those people who have historically been unrepresented in the development community.”

When asked who mentored him as a young man starting out in real estate and in life, Ernst answered, “My mom. She was loving, supportive and most importantly she believed in me.” Ernst has learned from his mother to support those who want to follow in his big footsteps.