Forty Under 40: Aaron Burkes

When Aaron Burkes was 16, he purchased his first house, fixed it up, leased it for a year and eventually sold it for twice the purchase price.

He said he’s always loved anything to do with real estate, so instead of opening a practice when he graduated from the Baylor School of Law in 1993, he went to work for the Lindsey Co. in Fayetteville selling real estate for two years.

Then he worked as a mortgage originator for more than eight years with Moore Mortgage but ever an entrepreneur, he spent his spare time managing construction of commercial buildings. He built about one building per year for eight or nine years he said, and has sold all but one.

Now the Burkes Co. manages that property and does some other leasing, but Burkes is also a partner in Village Building Co., which constructs 20 to 40 1,200-1,850-SF “moderate” homes per year in Bella Vista.

In 2006, Burkes was elected as a Republican state representative for District 95. He has a philosophy of limited government, he said, and he hopes his time in office will make a difference for his constituents.

Burkes said he knows he will have to change his business plan somewhat as the market changes and he “plans to capitalize on it in the process.”