More Than A Mortgage

What happens when you get your real estate license at just 18 years old—but don't have the experience, network, or sphere of influence to immediately build a business? In this episode of More Than A Mortgage, Gavin Sessions sits down with Idaho real estate agent Jonah Rae to unpack his unconventional journey from getting licensed straight out of high school to building a successful real estate...

What does it take to build a lasting career in real estate when the market crashes, business partners disappear, and the path you planned takes more than a decade? In this episode of More Than A Mortgage , Gavin Sessions sits down with John Cotner , a longtime Idaho homebuilder and developer with nearly 30 years of experience in residential construction and land development. John takes us through...

Why are new homes so expensive and how much of that price actually comes from the builder? In this episode of  More Than A Mortgage with Gavin Sessions , Gavin sits down with three experienced voices from the Southwestern Idaho housing industry: Adam Capell, EVP of Land & Development at Tresidio Homes and president of the Building Contractors Association of Southwestern Idaho; Jenna Englund, p...

What happens when a real estate agent chooses relationships over transactions? In this episode of  More Than a Mortgage , Gavin Sessions sits down with  Tina Upton , a local real estate agent who built her business almost entirely through referrals, relationships, and honest communication. Tina shares how she unexpectedly found her way into real estate, initially planning to use her license to pur...

What does it take to go from working in construction to building a real estate portfolio of 55 rental units and eventually becoming a boutique custom home builder? In this episode of  More Than A Mortgage , Gavin Sessions sits down with Jake Stone of Tetelestai Homes to talk about entrepreneurship, real estate investing, homebuilding, cash flow, and the unconventional path that helped Jake build h...

What happens when you leave college at 21, jump into real estate, and eventually decide to develop 24 acres of your own? In this episode of More Than a Mortgage, Gavin Sessions sits down with Treasure Valley realtor Brianna Jessup to talk about her unconventional path into real estate, the lessons she learned from her first clients, and how relationships can turn into lifelong partnerships. Briann...

What does it take to build financial freedom when you weren’t born into wealth? In this episode of More Than A Mortgage, Gavin Sessions sits down with Ismael Garcia, a financial advisor and business owner whose journey began working on his family’s farm and eventually led him to becoming a CFP, graduating college debt-free, and starting his own financial firm. Ismael shares how growing up working...

What does it take to successfully expand a homebuilding company into one of America's fastest-growing housing markets? In this episode of More Than a Mortgage, Gavin Sessions sits down with Ryan Styger, Division President of Pacific Lifestyle Homes, to discuss his journey from growing up around residential construction in rural Washington to leading Pacific Lifestyle Homes' expansion into...

What does stand-up comedy have to do with buying homes and building a successful real estate business? In this episode of More Than A Mortgage, Gavin Sessions welcomes back REALTOR Chris Flexhaug for an inspiring conversation about courage, entrepreneurship, and why taking risks can lead to incredible opportunities. Chris shares his unexpected journey into stand-up comedy, the lessons he learned f...

In this episode, Gavin sits down with real estate agent Carly Anderson to discuss how authenticity has become one of the most powerful tools in building a successful real estate business. Carly shares the story of her very first clients—her own in-laws—and explains how leaning on mentorship helped her confidently navigate an important listing early in her career. From there, the conversation explo...

In this episode of More Than A Mortgage, Gavin Sessions sits down with professional real estate appraiser Josh Darrow to pull back the curtain on one of the most misunderstood parts of the home-buying process—the appraisal. Josh shares his personal journey into the appraisal industry, the realities of evaluating homes in today's market, and practical insights that every homebuyer should unders...

In this episode of More Than A Mortgage with Gavin Sessions, we uncover how a real estate agent built a successful business from absolute zero without a sphere of influence, without a network, and without an existing client base. Our guest shares how relocating to a new state forced him to start over completely, and how he strategically used open houses, Zillow leads, and consistent daily action t...

In this episode of More Than A Mortgage, Gavin Sessions sits down with a returning guest Tanner Helm to discuss the systems, routines, and mindset behind building long-term success. Tanner shares how creating structure in his daily life helped him stay focused on the activities that actually move the needle even on the days when everything doesn’t go according to plan. They discuss the importance...

In this episode of More Than A Mortgage, Gavin Sessions sits down with real estate professional Mack Miller to discuss the journey that shaped her career and the mission behind the way she serves clients. Mack shares how her own first home-building experience — where she entered the process without representation became the turning point that inspired her to help others navigate real estate with c...

In this episode of More Than A Mortgage, Gavin Sessions sits down with returning guests Matt and Lauren Clark to talk about one of the biggest transitions of their careers. After spending seven years on a successful real estate team, the Clarks made the bold decision to step away, launch Clark Real Estate, switch brokerages, and pursue a deeper vision in new construction and custom home building....

In this episode of More Than A Mortgage, Gavin sits down with former Boise State football player and real estate entrepreneur Elliot Hoyte to unpack his incredible journey from a small town in England to the blue turf in Boise, Idaho. From growing up playing rugby in England to navigating the pressures of college football, injuries, identity shifts, and eventually transitioning into business and r...

In this episode of More Than A Mortgage, host Gavin Sessions sits down with real estate agent Shaun De Yager to explore the powerful connection between coaching, faith, and serving people in today’s housing market. This conversation dives into the importance of relationships over transactions, trusting the process (even without all the answers), and how life experiences prepare you to guide others...

In this episode of More Than A Mortgage, Gavin Sessions sits down with Adam Pearce to uncover a refreshing and honest approach to real estate, one that prioritizes guidance over pressure. Drawing from his background in coaching and recruiting, Adam shares why the best real estate professionals don’t “sell” homes they educate, empathize, and help buyers make confident decisions. If you want clarity...

In this episode of More Than A Mortgage, Gavin Sessions sits down with real estate expert Jenn Hickey to break down the realities of building a successful career in real estate and why it’s far from easy. From working in retail and restaurants to becoming a leader in new construction and development, Jenn shares how foundational experiences in customer service shaped her approach to business, rela...

In this episode of More Than A Mortgage, Gavin Sessions sits down with Boise-based real estate agent Laura Vaillancourt to uncover the real truth about getting started in real estate and what it actually takes to succeed. Laura shares her journey from working at Disneyland to becoming a full-time real estate professional, all while raising a family. What started as a flexible side hustle quickly t...

In this episode of More Than A Mortgage, host Gavin Sessions sits down with Jordan Mayer, founder of the nonprofit MADE4MORE, to explore one of the most important questions young people face: “Why am I here?”Jordan shares how his experience as a teacher and school leader led him to notice a troubling trend many successful students were graduating with strong grades but little clarity about their p...

In this episode of More Than A Mortgage, Gavin Sessions sits down with insurance agent Keefan Caron of Idaho Farm Bureau Insurance to unpack one of the most misunderstood—but critical—parts of the homebuying journey: Insurance. Keefan shares how his background in the service industry shaped his people-first approach, why insurance should never be “one-size-fits-all,” and how slowing down to educat...

In this episode of More Than A Mortgage, Gavin Sessions sits down with returning guest Tim Smith to break down how social media can become a consistent, relationship-driven lead source without chasing viral trends or spending hours on content creation. Tim shares how he treats social media like modern-day prospecting, why consistency beats creativity, and how building simple systems can turn reels...

In this episode of More Than A Mortgage, host Gavin Sessions sits down with Kyle Frederickson, a property management business owner who shares his unconventional journey from Northern California to Idaho and into property management. Kyle explains why separating property management from real estate sales creates better outcomes for investors, homeowners, and tenants alike. From answering phones an...

In this episode of More Than A Mortgage, Gavin Sessions sits down with Andrew Johnson, an estate planning attorney and former U.S. Marine, to explore why estate planning isn’t about money—it’s about responsibility, service, and protecting the people you love. Andrew shares his deeply personal journey from military service to law school later in life, explaining how witnessing family estate failure...