Ray Watt celebrates 90th birthday

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One of Southern California’s best-known real estate developers, Ray Watt, just celebrated his 90th birthday -- and then went back to work. Watt started his career in real estate right after World War II and has carried on every since. The Santa Monica business he founded, Watt Cos., is now one of the most prominent owners, developers and managers of residential, commercial and industrial real estate in the country. He has built more than 100,000 single-family homes, office buildings, mobile home parks, industrial and retail centers. Ray’s son, Scott, is now chairman of the company, but Ray Watt still comes to the office daily. ‘I’ve managed through 13 down markets,’ he said. ‘This one isn’t going to scare me into retirement either.’ Watt was among the first to develop condominiums and time-share units in California.