Kraig Kast's Blog

This is the first of what I hope will be many blog postings on the topic of how to be an effective multi-family trustee, but first a little about me.

 My first encounter with apartments was when I was ten years old. My parents owned several properties and I was tasked with cleaning and painting the apartments when tenants moved out. I later learned to manage the properties and invested in residential rentals myself. Over time I came to learn that no one in traditional financial planning, the banks or brokerage houses understood apartments/real estate  from the owner and manager's perspective and even fewer understood them from a trustee's responsibility. When I bought Atherton Trust Co., a small family office provider, I reshaped it into the industry leader in providing trustee services to people who's assets are primarily in real estate. We were chosen as one of six industry leaders by MFE Magazine in 2007 and I have provided expert commentary to the Wall Street Journal, Inc. and dozens other publications around the world.

Lets make this a very informative blog. I would like you to send me your questions about being a trustee or discuss the issues you have had with trustees with me and the other readers of this blog.