About Ernie Hurwitz

ERNIE HURWITZ was born on Mother’s Day in Rochester, New York. His family moved to New York City in 1949 where he completed high school and began his career as a homebuilder.

New York University night school was financed by Ernie’s first mentor, who owned a large mortgage banking firm representing the largest Long Island and Manhattan real estate developers (Levitt and Sons of Levittown fame was his prime client).

Ernie lived on St. Mark’s Place during this time and spent as much time as possible with the two loves of his life: the always-dancing, Modiglianiesque Ruth, who became his wife, and the jazz music of the 1950s.

Not wanting mortgage banking as a career, Ernie became employed by a large Long Island housing developer and mentor who put him into the trenches of the housing business. This company got him to Russia and his 15 minutes of fame.

He project-managed the construction of over 6,000 housing units for major developers in Kentucky, Washington, D.C., the Detroit area and New Jersey, including Levitt and Sons.

Anna, Martha, Dan, and Lila were born along the way.

Returning to New Jersey, he managed real estate in New York City and built custom homes near the Delaware Water Gap with an old friend and partner.

Retreating from the corporate and partnership world, Ernie formed his own construction management firm and acted as an owner’s representative for developers and attorneys, and worked as an Arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association.

His projects were as diverse as mansion renovation, high rise consultation, urban redevelopment, and scores of kitchen, bath and apartment renovations.

Ernie and Ruth (now Kaveri) moved from Brooklyn to Seattle in 2012 to be close to 75% of their children and their two grandchildren.

They return every summer to their beloved “Farm” in the Catskill Mountains to be off the grid in the small 1860s farmhouse they have owned since 1979. 

Ernie continues to offer his pro bono construction management experience to a nonprofit foundation with historic buildings in New York City and Boston and campuses in Oakland and New York State.

“I am a storyteller…not a writer,” is one of Ernie’s mantras.

He also claims to be a leading expert on the art of parallel parking and the music of Thelonious Monk.