The Founder
Kurt S. LaFave
Manager, Founder, & Chief Sentinel,
The Sentinels
The Sentinels was founded on a single principle:
A Private Residence of Consequence requires oversight, not reactive maintenance.
Behind that standard is its Founder, a professional shaped by discipline, discretion, and an uncompromising expectation of how a home should be cared for.
“A property of significance should not be left to chance. It should be understood, documented, and maintained with intention, by someone who treats its preservation with the same level of care as its owner. That is the role of The Sentinels.”
~ Kurt S. LaFave
Kurt is the Founder and Chief Sentinel of The Sentinels, a private property coordination service based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. With over four decades of experience across commercial and residential property management, he has developed a deep understanding of what distinguished homeowners require to preserve and protect their most valuable assets.
A graduate of Central Michigan University, Kurt began his career in commercial real estate brokerage, representing both property owners and investors. His ability to navigate complex negotiations, resolve competing interests, and bring transactions to completion became defining characteristics early on.
In 2001, he transitioned into building and managing his own portfolio of commercial and residential properties. These holdings were entirely self-managed, encompassing everything from large-scale renovations and structural reconstruction to ongoing maintenance and daily operations. This hands-on ownership experience gave him a level of operational understanding that few possess.
For more than forty years, Kurt has remained deeply rooted in the most established communities, including Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Franklin, and Grosse Pointe. His knowledge of these areas, and the relationships built within them, continues to inform the standard by which The Sentinels operates.
Kurt’s high standards were formed early. Raised in a large, close-knit family, he grew up in an environment where work was expected and accountability was understood. His mother, a teacher, instilled discipline. His father, a real estate entrepreneur, instilled vision. The family focused on restoring properties others had overlooked. This work required persistence, coordination, and a deep understanding of how buildings truly function. That foundation remains unchanged.
Kurt developed The Sentinels to operate differently. It is not a property management company or handyman service, it is a coordination-only model with a single point of control across every aspect of a property. Through a vetted network spanning more than 50 service categories, The Sentinels coordinates, communicates, and enforces standards to ensure nothing is left to chance.
Out of respect for the privacy of those we serve, client relationships and properties are never publicly disclosed.