🎙️ Local Real Estate Developers

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...

This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a movement for LOCALS ready to lead. In this gripping episode of Local Real Estate Developers, Ray Smith shares the raw, unfiltered journey of losing it all — and rebuilding it piece by piece with grit, creativity, and purpose. After Hurricane Ian destroyed his Florida-based general contracting business, Ray was left broke, living with his parents at 42, and searchi...

Sometimes what looks like a simple infill deal ends up challenging you to think way bigger. In this minisode, we’re back with Craig Parsons in small-town Idaho where the drainage lot doesn’t come with the rest of the land, infrastructure costs are stacking up, and the idea of acting as his own general contractor is starting to make real sense. But this episode isn’t just about utilities and tap fe...

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 Will Bockoven, founder of Block Ventures, to unpack the vision, challenges, and successes behind 175 LEX — a 52,000 SF, six-story mixed-use building that’s redefining urban living in Lexington, Kentucky’s Central Business District. Completed in 2023, 175 LEX featur...

What happens when two flippers walk a property and realize the real opportunity isn’t in the house, it’s in the backyard? In this minisode, Sylvia and Africa break down the moment they decided to go from fix-and-flip to ground-up development in Sacramento.🛠 What they got right: → Seizing a seller-financed, shovel-ready deal → Calling themselves developers before they felt ready → Taking ownership...

This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a movement for LOCALS ready to lead. In this inspiring episode of Local Real Estate Developers, Sieria “Sisi” Payne shares her incredible journey from launching a restaurant in a corporate business park to co-developing a multi-phase community project in her hometown of Milwaukee. Her story is a powerful testament to vision, grit, and purpose-driven development. Sis...

What do you do when everyone says “you can’t build there”? You figure it out. In this minisode, Chase Louderback shares how he turned a narrow, overlooked lot in rural Virginia into his very first ground-up development. With no prior construction experience and no green light from the town—at first—he stayed curious, did the research, and uncovered a forgotten zoning clause that let him build a 24...

This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a movement for LOCALS ready to lead. In this inspiring episode of Local Real Estate Developers, we sit down with Krista Nightengale, Executive Director of Better Block, an organization that helps communities reimagine and reclaim public space — quickly, creatively, and collaboratively. Krista shares how Better Block helps activate underutilized lots and corridors us...

🎙 BONUS EPISODE: How Kristi Kandel Became a Real Estate Developer — From CVS Rollouts to Community-Driven Projects This week, we’re flipping the mic. In this bonus episode, Kristi shares her real estate journey on Commercial Real Estate 101 with LRED cohost Raphael Collazo. They dive into Kristi’s accidental start in development, what she learned managing 30+ projects a year, and how she structure...

Sometimes development doesn’t come with a clean blueprint. Sometimes it comes with drainage issues, missing permits, and a one-woman building department. In this minisode, we’re back with Craig Parsons as he unpacks the messy middle of an inherited subdivision project in rural Idaho. From standing water to zoning strategy, Craig is figuring it out as he goes—talking to neighbors, walking the site...

This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a movement for LOCALS ready to lead. In this insightful episode of Local Real Estate Developers, Josh — a real estate developer, educator, and founder of the Impact Development Collaborative — shares his journey from leaving a corporate job to building meaningful infill housing projects that shape communities and create long-term value. Josh walks us through the mul...

 What if your first real estate deal wasn’t about deep pockets, but about trusting yourself to figure it out? Rajan Chida went from reselling sneakers in high school to closing his first development deal in Front Royal, Virginia all before turning 22. When most people think about real estate development, they imagine needing millions in the bank and years of experience. But Rajan Chida’s story pro...

This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a movement for LOCALS ready to lead. In this tactical and eye-opening episode of Local Real Estate Developers, we sit down with Brian Wied, a land flipper turned developer and environmental consultant, who built his real estate business from scratch — while working overseas in Saudi Arabia. Brian shares how he went from nervously tackling his first land deal to runn...

Sometimes the biggest wins start with trust. This is how locals reshape their communities from the inside out. Ben Sears and the Star House team didn’t just redevelop a closed church in Columbus, Ohio. They are creating a drop-in center that’s now transforming young lives. In this minisode, we pull back the curtain on how they navigated zoning, city bureaucracy, and a neighborhood that already bel...