About Billy Ruvelson
William E. Ruvelson
Age 36
President
Forward Progress Management Real Estate, Inc.
William "Billy" Ruvelson was born in August of 1972. He grew up in Los Angeles, California; where he still resides. Billy has served as the President of Forward Progress Management Real Estate, Inc. since its inception in December 1995.
Billy is no stranger to hard work. His first job, at the age of 14, was as an assistant cook at the famous Sports Club/L.A. He cooked throughout his junior high and high school years. Upon graduation from Palisades High School, where he served two terms as Student Body President, he moved to Europe. Billy spent two years in France as an apprentice chef and "stagier". During this time, cooking in one and two star Michelin restaurants, he often worked 18-hour days, 6 days a week for $140/month.
The real estate business comes as second nature to Billy, as he grew up in a household where his parents owned and managed income properties for as long as he can remember. Billy learned how to manage tenants and properties by watching his parents. Billy purchased his first property in 1995 and sold it in 2002 for a price that more than quadrupled his investment.
While having never attended college, Billy has acquired a knowledge of business that simply cannot be taught. Billy has mastered the art of arbitrage; simultaneously transacting the purchase and sale of a given object while profiting from the price discrepancy. Billy has done this dozens and dozens of times with Mercedes Benz and other exotic and luxury vehicles. Arbitrage works because of a disparity between the supply and the demand of any given product. Whether it is cars, watches, or real estate, Billy only invests when he feels that the demand will outpace the supply. It is for this reason that he continues to purchase apartment buildings and other investment properties in Los Angeles.
Billy is a Real Estate Broker, and is licensed through the California Department of Real Estate. He also owns and operates FPM Realty, a successful real estate brokerage and property management company. In 2003 Billy formed Forward Progress Management Real Estate Fund I, LLC and within a year orchestrated the acquisition of 3 multifamily units, which continue to produce positive cash flow today. The following year, Billy started Forward Progress Management Real Estate Fund II, LLC and acquired ten buildings. In the spring of 2006, Billy opened Forward Progress Management Real Estate Fund III, LLC which currently owns two properties and is in the process of adding more.
In just a few short years, Billy has earned a reputation as a no-nonsense buyer, which gives him access to numerous off-market deals. Billy’s key to success is finding good deals, and then through hands-on management, he actively manages the buildings; increasing cash flow, while keeping expenses to a minimum. Billy has a full time staff that is equipped to handle everything from a simple leaky faucet to a complete re-roof. As Billy acquires more properties, his costs per building actually decrease through economies of scale.
