Mark has been a consistent innovator and problem solver throughout his 25 year career in affordable housing development and finance. Mark’s breadth of knowledge bridges the islands of specialist know-how represented by the various members of a project team: bankers, investors, local officials, architects, contractors, lawyers and accountants.

Mark has cultivated numerous lenders and investors to finance affordable assisted living developments in Illinois. He has raised over $250 million resulting in 18 supportive living communities that are delivering assisted living services for 1600 seniors at a cost to residents of as little as $584 per month.

For mature apartment properties, he has established a method to evaluate the full spectrum of owner options with considerations for all the features that affect property value. These considerations include partnership agreements, loan covenants, exit taxes, comparable rents, rehab costs and financing options.

He has pioneered several “first-time” financing methods that have generated savings in the millions of dollars which have since been used repeatedly by other practitioners. These innovations include “bridge bonds” of PHA Capital Funds and a draw-down bond financing structure to fund construction of FHA/ GNMA insured apartment properties

Mark is an also an owner and investor in several apartment communities.

Prior to starting The Laubacher Company in 2001, Mark had a 15-year investment banking career at Bear Stearns and John Nuveen & Company specializing in tax-exempt financing for affordable housing and major Midwest governments. His $8 billion of transactions in that time included financing three professional sports stadiums, $1.6 billion of convention center financings for Chicago and Milwaukee along with $1.7 billion of financing for affordable housing programs.

Mark serves on the board of directors for the First Illinois Development Credit Corporation and the Illinois Housing Council, an affordable housing advocacy trade group. He also has served as a co-chair of the Chicago Department of Housing’s Public/Private Financing Initiative, on the housing committee of the Metropolitan Planning Council and on the campaign committee to raise $6 million for the reconstruction of the Evans Scholars chapter house at Northwestern University. He received a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern and attended the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Mark also enjoys a semi-regular routine of swimming, biking and running.

Friends & Fun
Illinois Housing Council
Gardant Management Solutions
Affordable Assisted Living Coalition
Evans Scholars Foundation
Folio, Inc.
Kinematics Corps
WLTL
Pomona College
Tower Racing