🎙️ Local Real Estate Developers

Most people look at San Diego and say, “It’s too expensive.” Brian Koons looked at it and said, “There has to be a smarter way.” From serving in the military to house hacking, ADUs, and small-scale infill development, Brian didn’t break into real estate with big money or shortcuts. He built it one disciplined decision at a time in one of the toughest markets in the country. In this episode, Kristi...

After years glued to a screen building income through social media, Christopher Oester hit a breaking point. He was burned out. Tired. And looking for a way to turn short term hustle into something real. So he took a leap. A big one. In this episode of the Local Real Estate Developer Podcast, Kristi and Raphael sit down with Chris to unpack what it actually looks like to jump into ground up develo...

What if the people closest to you can’t see the vision you’re building… but you know deep down you’re right? In this episode, Kristi and Raphael sit down with Jacqueline DiMaggio, a designer-turned-developer who’s quietly building a hospitality ecosystem in rural Wisconsin. What started as two Airbnbs with a pond and a beach turned into land acquisitions, a multi-phase farmhouse project, and a gro...

If you’ve been rocking with us all year, listening, learning, sending messages, showing up every week, thank you. Truly. In this short but powerful episode, Kristi and Raphael pull back the curtain and share what this podcast is really about: not big-money developers, not corporate initiatives, but locals with grit who are stepping up to shape their cities one project at a time. It’s a thank-you,...

What happens when life knocks you flat, your business burns you out, and your next move isn’t obvious? Most people wait for clarity. Alan Underwood started building anyway. In this episode, Kristi and Raphael sit down with Alan, a high-performance coach and real estate developer who went from owning restaurants to reshaping his entire life around purpose, discipline, and community-focused developm...

What happens when your first big project goes sideways, the money runs tight, and every choice feels like the wrong one? Most people quit. Brett McManus didn’t. In this raw and unfiltered conversation, Kristi and Raphael sit down with Brett McManus, a local developer who learned the business the hard way by getting punched in the mouth on his very first project. Brett walks through how a simple in...

What if the biggest housing crisis of our lifetime isn’t a policy problem… but a leadership problem? And what if the next wave of community builders won’t come from corporate boardrooms, but from people who actually care about the places they live? In this episode, Kristi and Raphael sit down with Evan Holladay, founder of Holladay Ventures, a developer who went from a curious college student to b...

Most people wait for the perfect moment. Jeremiah Parker ran toward the fire instead. Before he ever closed a deal, Jeremiah spent years as a career firefighter, working long shifts, responding under pressure, and learning how to stay calm when everything around him was chaos. Those skills followed him into real estate, where he started as a broker, stacked reps, and eventually stepped into develo...

Most people look at development and see something out of reach. Katie Neason looked at it and asked a different question: What if becoming a developer is less about expertise and more about identity? In this episode, Kristi and Raphael sit down with Katie for a grounded, brutally honest look at what it really takes to build where you live. From navigating infill projects and fighting “analysis par...

What if the key to success wasn’t more but meaning? After building hundreds of millions in real estate, Meg Epstein could’ve stopped at wealth. But as she tells Kristi and Raphael, money without purpose leads to misery, a truth she learned firsthand in Los Angeles, surrounded by the rich and unhappy. Now based in Nashville, Meg has turned her focus toward freedom, purpose, and people, building pro...

What happens when you stop waiting for big developers to show up and start building for your own community? In this episode, Kristi and Raphael sit down with Anne Pollack, a seasoned land use and zoning attorney in St. Petersburg, Florida, who’s helped shape some of the city’s most complex redevelopment projects. Anne doesn’t just know the rules, she teaches local developers how to use them to the...

What if the future of your town depended on you? Jason Duff didn’t wait for investors or city hall to fix his fading downtown. He bought one empty building, turned it into a spark, and built a movement that brought life and $40 million of reinvestment back to his hometown of Bellefontaine, Ohio. In this episode, Kristi and Raphael sit down with Jason to unpack the real, boots-on-the-ground story b...

What if your first real estate deal wasn’t a rental or a flip… but a hotel? Most people would call that insane. Hannah Corbacio called it a challenge worth taking. In this episode of Local Real Estate Developers, Kristi and Raphael sit down with Hannah Corbacio, a first-time developer who alongside her husband took on a 200-year-old historic bank building and is transforming it into The Rosalia Ho...

After breaking her leg, most people would slow down. Michele Correa used it as her wake-up call. From 37 years in the family business to jumping headfirst into real estate in her 50s, Michele completely reinvented herself. One duplex, one rezoning battle, and one lesson at a time. In this episode, Kristi and Raphael sit down with Michele to talk about what it really looks like to build from scratc...

This isn’t just another story about real estate. It’s about grit, reinvention, and what it really takes for locals to carve out their place in development. In this raw and inspiring episode of Local Real Estate Developers, Craig shares how he went from a career in car sales to staking his claim as a real estate developer. His story is one of transition, resilience, and the power of finding the rig...

This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a playbook for LOCALS willing to take the hits and keep building. In this raw and real episode of Local Real Estate Developers, Lance Cox pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to build in small-town Montana. From cutting his teeth in construction, to managing high-profile Disney projects, to coming home and battling politics, banks, and community pushback...

This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a movement for LOCALS ready to lead. In this raw and inspiring episode of Local Real Estate Developers, Clayton Silva opens up about his journey from a curious entrepreneur testing small ideas to a developer stepping into bigger, riskier projects that could change his neighborhood’s future. Clayton didn’t come in with corporate backing or deep-pocket investors — he...

This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a wake-up call for LOCALS who dream of building but don’t know where to start. In this raw and inspiring episode of Local Real Estate Developers, Josh shares how he went from construction roots to taking his first real swings at development. With honesty and grit, he opens up about the realities of navigating financing, city approvals, and the constant tug-of-war be...

No big firm. No roadmap. Just one woman building what she couldn’t find. What do you do when you love your neighborhood — but can’t find a home that fits your values, your lifestyle, or your people? In this raw and insightful episode of Local Real Estate Developers, Laura Kunkle shares how she stepped up to become the kind of developer her city didn’t even know it needed. With no real estate backg...

What do you do when your entire restaurant is washed away — and all that’s left are the pilings? In this powerful episode of Local Real Estate Developers, Kristi and Raphael sit down with Mike and Dawn Miller, the local couple behind The Beached Whale — a beloved Fort Myers Beach restaurant that became both a symbol of loss and a beacon of local grit after Hurricane Ian hit. Just six months after...

What do you do when your project budget gets blown up overnight? Walk away or fight to find another path? In this minisode, Craig takes us inside his 19-lot subdivision project in rural Idaho, where a contractor’s estimate came back nearly triple what the realtor promised. Suddenly, a deal that looked straightforward on paper is underwater before breaking ground. Together, we dig into the real que...

This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a movement for LOCALS ready to lead. In this episode of Local Real Estate Developers, we sit down with Marc Weisi, a former Wall Street analyst turned full-time real estate investor, to unpack how he went from house hacking in New Jersey to redeveloping a boutique hotel in the heart of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Marc doesn’t sugarcoat anything. He shares the unfiltered...

What happens when a broker stops selling deals and starts building them? In this minisode, meet Alan Cicito , a Charlotte-based land broker who went from helping others scale build-to-rent portfolios… to raising his hand and saying, “I want to be the buyer this time.” This is a real-life story of real estate development for beginners —how one relationship, one lot, and one zoning code changed ever...

This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a call to every LOCAL woman ready to take the lead in real estate — no permission required. In this raw and inspiring episode of Local Real Estate Developers, Christine opens up about how a personal breakdown became the breakthrough she needed to step into development. With no formal training, no partner, and two young kids, she rolled up her sleeves and figured it...

When your “easy” second project turns into a crash course in zoning, overlays, and HOA structuring what do you do? In this minisode, we’re back with Sylvia and Africa , two first-time developers in Sacramento who thought they could replicate their last infill townhome design just one block away. Instead, they ran into: ✅ Zoning restrictions ✅ Historic district overlays ✅ Parking minimums ✅ And...