Rabin Shining in US Real Estate: A Journey from the Tax Business to Building a ‘Mini Nepal’

NORTH CAROLINA:- Entrepreneur Rabin Karki is a well-established name in the real estate investment and tax services sectors in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The early journey of Rabindra (Rabin) Karki—who arrived in the United States from his native Nepal in 1997 in search of a future—was not an easy one.

Having initially arrived in the capital, Washington D.C., he moved to Raleigh—the capital of North Carolina—in 1999 to join IBM, a world-renowned technology company. The discipline and managerial skills he acquired while working at IBM—a global leader in computer technology, software, cloud services, AI, and consulting—laid a solid foundation for his future professional success.

Alongside his job, Rabin laid the foundation for a tax-related business in North Carolina 23 years ago. Drawing on his background in accounting studies in Nepal and his experience running a tax firm in Kathmandu, he acquired a ‘Liberty Tax’ franchise and began operations in the city of Raleigh.

At that time, raising capital, gaining the trust of banks, and surviving in the market were considered extremely challenging for an immigrant. However, possessing an unyielding spirit, Rabin worked tirelessly from 8 a.m. to midnight to provide his services. Gradually, his business expanded, growing to include 14 branches across cities surrounding Raleigh—such as Garner, Fuquay-Varina, Cary, Durham, Angier, and Clayton.

According to NRN leader and physician Dr. Keshav Paudel, Rabin built a proud and exemplary business empire two decades ago by providing reliable tax services to the Nepali and South Asian communities in their own languages.

Contrary to the common perception that Nepali investments in the US are largely confined to gas stations or restaurants, Rabin made impressive strides in the real estate sector fifteen years ago. When he obtained his real estate broker’s license in 2009, the presence of Nepalis or Indians in the field was negligible.

According to Kiran Marahatta, author of the book *Who’s Who in USA*, Rabin has become virtually synonymous with real estate investment for the Nepali community in North Carolina. Having initially won clients’ trust without any advertising and sold hundreds of homes in Morrisville’s Kitts Creek, Shiloh Grove, and Providence, Rabin had already begun making personal investments in land as early as 2005.

Currently, he and his team are constructing homes at Morrisville Gardens through ‘Everest LLC’—a development where the street itself has been named ‘Everest Drive.’ Similarly, industrial condominiums are being built on a six-acre site in Durham through ‘Miami LLC,’ and 68 townhomes are under construction at another location.

Rabin’s dream project is a massive 300-acre master-planned development currently under construction in Sailor City. Named ‘Everest Park,’ the project will initially feature 100 houses and townhouses; however, the future vision includes the creation of a modern ‘Mini Nepal’ complete with 1,000 homes, a shopping mall, senior living facilities, and a temple, with streets named to reflect Nepali culture.

Furthermore, his group is involved in a 104-acre development in Smithfield comprising 237 residential units, a large travel center on Highway 95 in Selma with parking for 100 trucks, and the operation of the famous American grocery chain ‘Piggly Wiggly’. He also serves as the Executive Director of ‘Spark Group Global LLC’, a company headquartered in Nepal with operations extending to the USA and the UAE.

Beyond his business activities, Rabin has played a pivotal role in bridging the Nepali community with the American mainstream. He was the key figure behind the launch of ‘Nepal Day’ in Morrisville in 2016, an initiative for which the then-Mayor Mark Stohlman personally presented him with a letter of appreciation.

From 2020 to 2024, he also served as an environmental advisor to Morrisville Mayor TJ Cawley. According to Atlanta-based businessman Raja Ghale, Rabin is always proactive in connecting visiting high-ranking officials from Nepal with senior officials in the U.S. He has also established the first Nepali real estate brokerage firm in North Carolina, which is affiliated with more than two dozen Nepali realtors.

During his tenure as the President of the Nepal Center of North Carolina (NCNC) from 2019 to 2021, he led exemplary initiatives—such as paying rent for financially struggling Nepalis and delivering food to their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, organizing free vaccination camps, and raising relief funds following the earthquake in Nepal.

Folk singer Prem Raja Mahat portrays Rabin’s journey not merely as a story of hard work, but as an inspiring tale of continuous learning and success. By simultaneously advancing his business, philanthropic, and social service endeavors, Rabin Karki is further enhancing the visibility and dignity of the Nepali identity on American soil.