Every worthwhile investment entails an element of risk. But savvy investors know that working with reliable partners is the best way to protect yourself.

And while they're pulling down monthly returns of 14 per cent, most of those who keep returning to re-invest with The Mezz Fund are more than satisfied with the results.

That ROI is no misprint.

When you join The Mezz Fund's rock-solid management team and buy into a Western Canadian real estate development, you're looking at outstanding rates of return that equities markets can't hope to match.

Based in Calgary, The Mezz Fund is a private company set up to supply mezzanine financing to real estate developers across the country.

A well-respected management group and an ironclad business plan have made The Mezz Fund an immediate hit with both its clients in property development and its growing list of investors.

As a "second-position" lender, The Mezz Fund enables developers to firm up their own equity requirements by bridging the gap between the senior lender's loan and the amount of equity the developer is able to add to launch his construction project.

Once a developer has agreed to terms on a secured loan from The Mezz Fund, the deal is spun off to a syndicate of investors. Invariably, they're pleased with the results, rapidly discovering that they've purchased a low-maintenance, trouble-free investment product that generates significant cash flow from the get-go.

"Many of our investors do business in other sectors, including oil and gas. They may not be specialists in real estate, but they have confidence in our expertise," explains Kyle Edwards, MBA, The Mezz Fund's manager of business development.

"We take care of everything to do with the projects we invest in. People really enjoy taking part in these deals because their cash flow starts immediately, via monthly, direct-deposit payments to their bank accounts."

Investors in The Mezz Fund are active, busy people who expect Edwards and his colleagues to manage their investment from entry to exit.

And they're seldom disappointed.

Naturally, the security of investor funds is The Mezz Fund's No.-1 priority, which is why your investment is always fully secured against the real estate title.

To ensure additional protection, every investment in The Mezz Fund syndicates is managed under the terms of a mortgage servicing and trust agreement with each individual investor.

As we said, the sophisticated investors who put up a minimum of $25,000 to participate in these syndicate arrangements understand that there is some risk involved. But it's greatly mitigated by the depth of due diligence The Mezz Fund applies to every prospective deal, as well as by the sheer quality of The Mezz Fund's seasoned and highly respected management group.

It's part of The Mezz Fund's promise to you: Every loan application is closely examined and carefully vetted by this shrewd panel of senior pros.

Along with Edwards, the group includes:

* Paul Poscente, MA (Economics), company president and co-founder of M Private Residences Inc., a company focused on the shared ownership of luxury vacation homes around the world;

* Frank Boyd, P.Eng., best known for his work with Apex Limited Partnership, which he founded and leads as president/CEO. During 15 years with Apex, Boyd led the charge while the company developed 16 high-quality residential communities, a rate of more than one a year;

* Mortgage banker Darrell Cook, MBA. Cook doubles as president/CEO of 33-year-old Gibraltar Mortgage Ltd., which acts as trustee for The Mezz Fund;

* David Gibson, P.Eng., who has more than 30 years experience in property and project management.

"You know when we approve a loan that it's been placed under a microscope," explains Edwards.

"It generally works like this: Darrell looks at it from the mortgage perspective, Frank examines the deal from the developer's angle and David brings his construction expertise to bear on the proposal. Then Paul looks at it from every conceivable side," Edwards grins.

Once a deal has been sealed, The Mezz Fund insists on keeping a close eye on the progress of construction, routinely visiting the site and liaising with developers.

"We've also resisted the temptation to over-extend ourselves," adds Edwards. "We don't like to be involved with too many projects at one time. We prefer to limit the number of our deals. That way we know we're always on top of things."

So if you don't mind a little risk while placing yourself in position to realize a double-digit profit, The Mezz Fund may be the place for your investment dollar.

In any case, Kyle Edwards would be delighted to fill in more details. Call him at 403.298.3513 or email kedwards@themezzfund.com.