S.E.C. Real Estate Observer

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Steve England was born in 1946, and raised on a 3,000 acre irrigated farm and ranch southwest of North Platte in Lincoln County, Nebraska. The farm was complete with 300 head of cattle, crops and hay and was operated by his father and two of his uncles.

Steve graduated from the University of Nebraska — Lincoln, in 1969, with a BS in Agriculture. As a non-commissioned officer of the Air Force from 1969 – 1972 Steve served in Vietnam from 1970 – 1971. After Vietnam he was stationed at Francis E. Warren AFB. While in Cheyenne, Steve studied and earned his Master of Arts in Business from the University of Northern Colorado in 1972. This program involved instructors coming to the base to teach courses to the men stationed there. Additionally, he served as a member of the Air National Guard, in Lincoln, from 1972 to 1975.

Steve began his real estate career with the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. Working as a Community Development Specialist and Field Service Representative for two years, he worked in community development, goalsetting, brainstorming, and in industrial recruitment of businesses for Nebraska.

Steve was employed nine years as Farm and Ranch Officer with National Bank of Commerce, Lincoln, Nebraska. During this period (from 1974-1984), Steve worked in the field of Farm Management, Appraisal, and Farm Real Estate Brokerage, having managed an average of 45 farm accounts annually. Specifically, Steve managed farms for absentee owners, leased and sold farms, and developed farms for irrigation.

On November 1, 1983, Steve founded Investment Property Exchange, Inc. Initially, Steve focused on the brokerage of farms and ranches in the Nebraska area. Steve states that the real estate economy in the region was terrible and times were lean. From 1985 through 1989, Steve focused on appraisal and served as expert witness in hundreds of court cases. During the period 1986 through 1989, Steve concentrated on brokering foreclosed farms, marketing commercial properties, creative bank financing, acquisitions and exchanges. From the period 1991 until present, Steve has focused on counseling and problem solving, helping clients in almost every type of real estate. During the same time Steve was involved in investing and developing for his own accounts.

Steve stresses that one of the things that influenced his life significantly was his involvement in FarmHouse Fraternity at the University of Nebraska with approximately 30 Chapters nationally. This organization has a close-knit membership consistently leading local and national fraternities in scholarship and leadership development on their respective campuses.His family has a long legacy with FarmHouse fraternity, as evidenced by the fact that his father, uncles and brother were all members of this fraternity. Steve’s sons, Jon and Daniel, also pledged FarmHouse at the University of Nebraska. Steve served as Rush Chairman for the FarmHouse while in college and surprisingly, both Jon and Daniel also served as Rush Chairmen during their years at Nebraska University. It is within this organization that Steve developed his people skills, which have been such an important component of his success.

Steve’s well-rounded nature is obvious when looking back on his childhood upbringing on a working ranch. He played football and ran track, having qualified for state in the 100 yard dash for class A schools. As a youth Steve was elected an officer of the Nebraska Junior Hereford Cattle Association and that is where Steve began to extensively travel, gaining a great deal of confidence.

Steve is married with two sons. His wife, Jeanine, is a counselor at a middle school and they celebrated 35 years of marriage in 2009. His son Jon, is married to Hilary and lives in Overland Park, KS where he is a CCIM and works with Colliers Turley Martin and Tucker brokerage firm. Daniel is engaged to Brittany and lives in Omaha where he is the Project Manager for Shamrock Development that does historical rehab and condo development.

Steve England’s qualifications and achievements are numerous and significant. Some of them are as follows:

• Awarded membership in the Society of Exchange Counselors in 1992.
• 2006 National President of Society of Exchange Counselors
• 2007 President of the Society of Exchange Counselor’s Educational Foundation
• Granted the GRI professional designation by the Nebraska Association of REALTORS and the National Association of Realtors – 1978
• Holds Professional Membership American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, Awarded the Accredited Farm Manager (AFM) designation in 1981 and Awarded the Accredited Rural Appraiser (ARA) Designation on November 11, 1986 (Steve is not currently active as an appraiser but continues to own an appraisal company produces the highest volume of appraisals in central Nebraska.)
• Holds Professional memberships in the National REALTORS Association, REALTORS Land Institute (RLI) and served as National President in 1994.
• Awarded the Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) designation on November 9, 1986 and was inducted into the National RLI “Court of Marketing Excellence”
• Holds Equity Marketing Specialist Designation (EMS) from National Council of Exchangors
• Conducted numerous national seminars on “Agriculture Investment” and “Marketing Through Market Sessions”
• National Instructor;
  • Land Education and Administrative Partnership (LEAP) – traveled across the United States in late 1991 completing Resolution Trust Corporation contract to provide education to RTC employees
  • Have served as Senior Instructor for RLI Land University
  • Currently teach a SEC course, “Marketing that Difficult Investment Listing in Any Economy.”
• Awards:
  • Winner of 1990 National Marketer of the Year award for transactions from attending RLI/CCIM National Marketing Sessions. Closed four transactions involving $3.35 million in property
  • Winner 1982 REALTOR’s Land Institute (formerly known as Farm and Land Institute) Marketing Transaction “Super FLI” Award for the most outstanding property exchange and sale of 1982
  • Winner 1986 Nebraska REALTORS Land Institute “REALTOR of the Year”
  • Awarded Buffalo County Board of REALTORS Professional Service Award for 1987 and 1989
  • Awarded Special Service Award – Nebraska REALTORS Land Institute – 1991
• Elected Board of Directors – Exchange Bank, Gibbon, NE – 1992
• Elected Board of Directors of the Nebraska National Bank – a new charter in 1995

Steve holds real estate licenses in Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas and Wyoming

Steve has had a strong interest in kids’ sports. During the time that Jon and Dan were growing up he was involved in Kearney Little League, and was coach for the All Star baseball team, midget football, basketball and soccer teams. He takes tremendous pride and enjoyment in coaching his sons and other kids, and watching them improve and succeed. Steve is a past President in 1979 for the Kearney Rotary Club.

An important goal in Steve’s life is to help people and to make a living at it. He cherishes the fact that he has been able to focus so much on his family and still make a good living while doing so.

Steve believes in keeping an even keel and staying away from the highs and lows which are part of the real estate business in order to avoid excess stress. He believes people view him as competent and as someone who gets the job done, but not someone who will always be at the center of attention. He feels that he is always trying to improve himself, and the situation and is
frustrated if he is not able to do so.

One of the most significant events in Steve’s life was watching his son, Jon, win MVP in an All star baseball game; and overhearing an umpire inquire “who is that kid playing second base” while unknowingly he was referring to Steve’s son, Daniel, after a stellar catch in another game. Other significant events were watching beautiful sunsets in the Bahamas, Mexico and the Grand Canyon with his wife, Jeanine.

Steve England is a real estate professional highly trained in commercial and rural land brokerage. Therefore he has been retained by various clients to complete due diligence and business plans on properties from Oregon to Georgia, Texas to North Dakota. As is extremely evident in this biography, Steve has given of himself generously throughout the years to his family, community, and the real estate industry. For this reason, all who have had the privilege of being acquainted with Steve are indeed very fortunate.