CEASONS - Key Persons
David Davenport joined Ceasons Holdings, a Texas private money lender, to assist his son John in growing the business John founded. Since joining his son in 2016, the number of investors participating in loans with Ceasons Holdings has increased more than 400% and the amount of pooled investment funds has increased more than 300%.
As a former student of Texas A&M University (class of '78) with a degree in Building Construction, David's career has centered on people relationships and property. After an initial career start in building construction and real estate development, David moved to IRM Insurance, a property reinsurance joint underwriting association owned by 20-member insurance companies, where he moved from field engineering to marketing underwriting to division manager responsible for company operations west of the Mississippi River
David then moved to the City of Irving Risk Management Office which was responsible for the City's self-insurance programs. Working with 2,000 employees and 225,000 plus citizens, David implemented programs reducing property and liability losses, and targeting risk factors improving employee safety and improving personnel and vehicle safety. These efforts reduced claims and leveled expenses, resulting in two annual awards from the Public Risk Management Association of Texas.
Retiring to assist John was an honor and not a question. With Ceasons Holdings, David's main focus is fostering investor relationships. David is also active in the field growing the radius for Ceasons Holdings loan opportunities to the Red River, east Texas, Abilene, and Austin.
To that end, David remains excited to see the Ceasons Holdings family and friends network grow, and to meet new borrowers and projects where many small business contractors are seeking innovations in affordable housing.
John Davenport is the founder and principal of Ceasons Holdings. A third-generation real estate lender, John combines decades of family expertise with front-line experience. He leads deal origination and servicing for bridge and hard money loans from $75,000 to more than $2.5 million, enabling investors to move quickly to accomplish their real estate goals.
Shortly after graduating from college, John went fishing with his grandfather, Billie Ellis, a self-made executive with a long and successful career in private money lending. Following wise counsel that encouraged his career interests in this area, John's grandfather promptly told him it was "sink or swim" - that the best way to succeed was through determination and experience rather than assistance.
From 2006 to 2011, John gained ground-up expertise as a Lead Loan Associate with Delta 8 Capital and Ellis Management, LLC. At Delta 8, he increased the volume of closed deals by more than 200% within the first year while expanding the investor network.
In 2011, John founded Ceasons, leveraging an open pool format and a strong focus on the investor experience. John and Ceasons Holdings actively invest in loans. Since its inception, Ceasons has originated more than $218 million in loans, with 150% growth in assets under management over the past two years. Offering a handshake approach in a modern world, John is committed to leading through hard work, integrity, and follow-through.
John relates well with both borrowers and investors through his experiences as a Texas-licensed realtor, investor, landlord, and property manager. He graduated summa cum laude from Austin College with a bachelor's degree in business administration.