The Real Build

One of the very first steps to building a custom home is Architecture.  Hiring the right architect to design your homes is as crucial as hiring the right builder.  The architect is creating not just your home's footprint but also how the home will operate.  The more detail on a set of architectural plans, the beet.  This will help the build process run a lot smoother.   In...

In this episode of The Real Build, I got the opportunity to have on Top Contractor coach Tom Reber.  Tom and I had an in-depth conversation about the things contractors should be doing to deliver a better experience to clients.  If you are someone looking to build a home, this is a must listen to episode! Over the past several years, Tom and his team have helped 1000’s of home improvemen...

In this episode of The Real Build, I wanted to discuss what a customer should do when building a custom home.  This will be a three-part series highlighting before, during, and after a build and what customers need to do.  In this episode, I cover before the build.  Some topics I cover are the following. Financing - Must get this lined up - takes time - Plans - contract - Get initia...

Welcome to another amazing episode of The Real Build.  In this episode, I got the opportunity to sit down with a roofing power couple Joel and Laura Patzke, owners of Trueworks Roofing.  We talked about everything you need to know about roofing.  We also discussed how Joel and Laura have been having great success in the roofing industry after starting their company not too long ago....

In this episode of The Real Build, I got the privilege to feature Robert Kennedy III.  Robert is a leadership communication expert, international keynote speaker, corporate trainer, and best-selling author. Robert was a real estate professional at one point in his life, and he always knew the best approach to helping clients with homes was through excellent communication. Robert says that mos...

In this episode of The Real Build, I got to have a long-time friend Cason Parker on the show.  Cason and I went to college together at The University of South Florida and have been friends ever since.  I was excited when Cason asked me to come on my show because Cason is a financial advisor.  With many shifts in the financial world and government happening, I had to have Cason on.&n...

In this episode of The Real Build, I spoke with Ben Beard, owner of Red Cliff Homes.  Ben is a production home builder in Las Cruces, New Mexico.  He specializes in homes that exceed client's expectations without exceeding their budget.  Ben is also committed to bringing technical education to Las Cruces high schools. Red Cliff Homes seeks to bring technical education to young peopl...

In this episode of The Real Build, I wanted to cover a huge topic in the construction industry: Material Increases. Demand is high, but supply is low. Construction material prices have risen so sharply in 2021 that the Associated General Contractors of America issued a rare Construction Inflation Alert. A move the group hasn't taken since 2008, citing a 12.8% jump of input costs for projects since...

In this episode of The Real Build, I got the opportunity to speak with Sean Cahan, owner of Cornerstone First Mortgage.  Sean and I discussed a lot of essential topics within the Mortgage industry.  We mainly focused on critical points like best mortgages to get, interest rates, mortgage insurance, and refinancing.  Sean is the President of Cornerstone First Mortgage and brings over...

In this episode of The Real Build, I got the opportunity to sit down with Joe Meares, part-owner of KayJay Consulting.  Joe and I talked about real estate and all about the proper ways to invest and get started buying your first property.   Joe Meares is a Real Estate entrepreneur with hands-on experience as an investor, capital raiser, and coach. Beginning with baseball cards at age 6,...

In this episode of The Real Build, I had the opportunity to speak with real estate professional Liza Florida.  I was excited to have Liza on the show because Liza specializes in residential real estate, specialized assets, distressed properties (Short Sale, Pre-Foreclosure and Foreclosure), and mortgage lending.  The real estate market is on fire right now.  We are seeing low invent...

Fire Protection Should Be Top Priority In Every Construction Project - With Gus Gagliardi Fire Protection Engineer In this episode of The Real Build, we discuss one of the most important topics yet when it comes to construction: fire safety.  Most often, people don't think about fire safety too much when building a home.  There are many factors for proper fire safety in commercial and mu...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with Phil Ma, the owner of Vamos Group in Canberra, Australia.  Phil in I talked about many topics our customers and we face in the building industry. There are a lot of similarities between construction in the US and Australia. Phil started his construction career in 2008 while working on the start of what is now known as the New Acton precinct i...

In this episode of The Real Build, I wanted to touch on a topic that came to my mind this past week dealing with potential clients.  Demand is very high right now for new construction.  With so much demand, many builders are taking on way too much work than they can handle.  I see this in my local market, and I am sure it is happening in other places.  It's about how builders a...

In this episode, I got to have a conversation with Mari Madrigal.  Mari is the owner of Foremost Improvements.  Mari's story is impressive.  Coming to America from Panama.  She got into construction after getting married and fell in love with it.  She loved every aspect of the industry and wanted to learn as much as she could.  She would spend many of her days talking...

In this episode of The Real Build, I wanted to hit on a topic that I face daily—fixed cost projects versus cost-plus projects.  We, as custom builders, prefer cost plus.  But there are many people that question it.  I wanted to explain a few pros and cons to both cost-plus and fixed cost pricing. What are they? Cost Plus Contracts the contractor estimates the base cost of the projec...

In this episode of the Real Build, I had the opportunity to sit down with Corey Lockhart, WML Enterprises LLC owner.  WML Enterprises is a full-service demolition and site preparation contractor. I was excited to have Corey on the show and talk about what to look for prior to hiring a demolition service. Corey is an air force veteran and also a former firefighter.  Corey started WML Ente...

In this episode of The Real Build, I got the opportunity to sit down with one of the best custom closet designers/organizers in the country, Taiece Lanier!  Taiece is known for her keen sense of fashion, phenomenal talent for organization, and an amazing eye for detail. Taiece Lanier is a Premier Closet Designer, author, and International Style Consultant. She helps people create the closet o...

In this episode of The Real Build, I speak with Colton Paulhus, who owns Anchored Tiny Homes in Granite Bay, California.  With a lot of housing becoming hard to afford as prices continue to rise, Colton and his family have created a solution to that problem with their custom tiny homes. Anchored Tiny Homes Inc. is a family-owned and operated business that has been serving our local community...

In this episode of the Real Build, I got to speak with Adam McCanna, who is part owner of Colorado Home Buyers.  Adam and I discussed many real estate topics, but our main focus was on how Adam and his partner are rebuilding communities in Denver, Colorado. Adam started purchasing investment properties in 2013 when he decided that a high paying, award-winning sales management career in corpor...

In this episode of The Real Build, I got the opportunity to talk with Lisa Wood, owner of Lisa J. Wood Interiors.  Lisa helps busy professionals plan, design, and construct homes so personalized that they are the perfect recipe for now and their futures. Every design challenge has a beautiful solution, and style never has to be sacrificed. Her Services include in-home consultations, turn-key...

2020 was a crazy year filled with many negatives - Aliens, murder hornets, covid, riots, a crazy presidential race, Natural Disasters, lockdowns, businesses closing, and much more. Many people would say it was their worst year ever and are relieved to be in the new year 2021.  But For me, I didn’t curl up in a ball in fear. I didn’t let other's fear dictate my actions.  I didn't do less...

In this episode of The Real Build, I had the opportunity to talk about commercial construction with Coleman Jones.  Coleman Jones is Part Owner of Jones and Lamberti in Roseville, California.  Along with his partner, Coleman has built one of the top commercial construction companies in his area. Colemon is from a small Northern California town and was raised through hard work; cleaning c...

In this episode of The Real Build, I wanted to talk about a topic that recently came to my mind that is crucial for builders.  Builders need to make their presence known.  This topic came to mind because I wrote my yearly Christmas cards, which I send to past customers every year.  I don’t have to do this because it takes a lot of time to handwrite them. So why do I do this? Because...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with Mike Claudio, the owner of Winrate Consulting.  Winrate Consulting is a fast-growing coaching company for people in the construction industry.  I was excited to have Mike on the podcast to talk about builders' best strategies to get good clients and maintain quality service throughout the building process.  Mike spoke about critical...