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WHO AM I?

My name is Erika Benson and I'm the co-founder of Gokce Capital.

I was born to two public service-minded parents (a doctor and an academic) and I have always strived to follow in their footsteps.

In 2010, I graduated from architecture school at University of Southern California and moved to Nicaragua, where I spent two years volunteering with a nonprofit on a series of housing, infrastructure, and eco-tourism projects.

That experience quickly taught me that I was more interested in running the programs that deliver housing, infrastructure, and eco-restoration projects than in designing physical structures.

Thus, I enrolled in graduate school at Columbia University to study urban policy and management.

Just one month after I moved to New York, Hurricane Sandy hit and pummeled the city so badly that many homes were still unrepaired when I graduated two years later.

So, I took the first job that would allow me to help and happily passed the next two years working on Sandy recovery projects.

After that I spent three wonderful years with the New York City’s affordable housing department, eventually becoming director of the agency’s two infill lot programs and overseeing the construction of over 400 affordable homeownership and rental units.

Still, by the time I hit my 30s, I became restless.

Though I believed in my agency’s mission, I felt that my ability to make a direct impact was limited by the constraints of a large institution, and I longed for some of the freedom I had as a volunteer and designer with small organizations.

“Perhaps," I thought, "I should start my own affordable housing nonprofit.”

Sadly, that dream was soon dashed by the astronomical capital requirements for building in New York City (or probably any city for that matter!).

Then it dawned on me: whether it’s a rental building, mobile home, tiny home, or homestead, all affordable housing starts with land.

And if I could bring affordable land to the market, I could directly help individuals find or build their own homes.

This is why, I co-founded a real estate company, Gokce Capital.

Our mission is to serve land buyers by bringing affordable, owner-financed land to the market.

Today we have completed over 1100 vacant land transactions and have helped over 400 land buyers find their dream property.

Note: I'm not a real estate agent, I only sell properties that my company owns.

I currently live in the New York Metropolitan area with my spouse, daughter and cat.

I'm originally from Chicago and still consider myself a midwesterner at heart.

I also love to read, write and travel. Fun fact, I have visited all 50 states and more than 30 countries!

P.S. My recent book, Land Investing Mistakes, is now available on Amazon.

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