Stewart Chas H & Co

AS A VETERAN AUCTIONEER AND AVID SKIER, it might seem that Michael R. Harkins has a penchant for speed, but that doesn't mean the Lowell native is always operating at a breakneck pace. While he has sold countless real estate assets and other pricey items in a matter of seconds since entering the auction business more than two decades ago, Harkins has found other opportunities can be equally lucrative if one has a measure of patience. Besides extensive energy spent assembling land for development, for example, the president of Harkins Real Estate & Auctioneers has begun acquiring small non-performing loan pools discarded by banks and other lenders who have deemed the notes too difficult to pursue. Troubled loans often contain multiple ownership positions, title complications or environmental issues with the underlying asset, requiring a dogged attitude to see to completion. And while they may not promise the swift finality of an auctioneer's gavel, Harkins said he enjoys working on such deals. "It's a puzzle and a challenge, " Harkins said in a recent interview at his company's Andover headquarters. "You try to make it work, and if you understand the process, you usually can get through it. "