The Real Build

In this episode of The Real Build, I wanted to go over some ways to save money when building a custom home.  These strategies are for people building a custom home and not a production or track home.  Let's face it; everyone has a budget in mind before building a house.  It is our job as builders to come up with creative ways to honor that budget.  I wanted to cover at least a...

In this episode of The Real Build, I had the opportunity to speak with Irvin Retiz, who is the owner of Retiz Electric.  Irvin has a very impressive story, starting an electrical business at 23 years old.  He now is 25, and his company has grown to 3 technicians.   Irvin started doing electrical at ten years old when his dad would take him to work during the summer and vacation days...

We live in a different world in 2020. Lockdowns are starting to happen again. So I wanted to talk about how we as builders can make it possible for our customers to still build from a distance without fear of something going wrong.  I deal with this frequently, and even before covid, we had to implement different things to make building from a distance possible. Things like Software.  We...

In this episode of the Real Build, I sat down with Dan Cummings, owner of Southwest Garage Doors.  Dan and I talked about how a garage door makes a significant impact on the home's look and someone's lifestyle.  It also is essential how a garage door functions.  A garage door is most people's access into their homes.  A garage door must operate correctly but also be built to la...

In this episode of The Real Build, I got to speak with Breegan Jane, owner of interior design firm Breegan Jane LLC.  Breegan is one of the most impactful women I have had the opportunity to interview.  She is an experienced and accomplished interior designer, lifestyle blogger, and single mom dominating the interior design space. Her resume boasts enterprises that span the gamut, from c...

In this episode of The Real Build, I had the opportunity to speak with Joshua Kenny, owner of Intelligent Lighting Design.  We talked about home lighting control and how it is becoming a huge part of a home. With lighting control systems, you can have lighting adapt to how you live throughout the day. Josh has been programming Lutron lighting control systems and motorized shades in the Clevel...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with Nate Santos, owner of Santos Custom Builders.  Nate is a third-generation carpenter and has been running a construction business for over ten years.  He specializes in pre-engineered, post-frame structures called Lester Buildings throughout the state of Maine.   Nate has done some amazing builds, which you can see on his Facebook pa...

In this episode of The Real Build, I wanted to talk about a question that I get asked all the time.  That question is, what is your square foot price?  I brushed on this topic in the past, but I wanted to dive deeper into it.  As custom home builders, we don't have a set square foot price.  The reason is that we offer a lot more selections than other builders like production ho...

In this episode of The Real Build, I interviewed Michael Burns, owner of The Burnz Team Homes and Loans.  Michael wears many hats as he does real estate, mortgages, and investments.  This gives Michael a leg up above his competition.  Michael and I talked about real estate investing and how someone can get started in it. Michael has taught himself how to invest in real estate. &nbsp...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with Mike Harn, owner of Anlon Construction.  I loved having Mike on my show.  Our main discussion was about how we can do a better job as home builders.  We cover our processes and how we can do a better job of helping our clients through every step of building a home.  Mike got out of the Army at 21 years old and started working o...

In this episode of The Real Build, I got the opportunity to sit down with top real estate developer Scott Choppin out of Long Beach, California.  Scott is the Founder of the Urban Pacific Group and oversees all operations of the Urban Pacific family of companies, including business development, capital acquisition, and strategic planning. Scott and I talked about how someone can get started i...

In this episode of The Real Build, I wanted to talk about a huge topic that has recently been on my mind.  Red flags that you should look for when selecting your builder.  There is a boom in building, and more and more new builders are flooding the markets.  I wanted to showcase exactly what you need to avoid.  Here are the topics I cover: Lower cost than all other builders by...

In this episode of The Real Build, I interviewed one of the most well-known and respected inspectors in Knoxville, Tennessee, Dusty Jameson. Dusty is part owner of Cluseau's Inspection Service, where he has quickly become the go-to resource for home inspections in his area.   Growing up, Dusty never thought he would be a home inspector.  He had worked on various construction projects wit...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat Down with Julie Shopa.  Julie is a certified Quickbooks expert and specializes in bookkeeping for many businesses.  Julie and I talked about how essential bookkeeping is within a construction business.  Not having the proper books can turn any business into a disaster and likely cause the company to fail. Julie loves helping business owners h...

In this episode of The Real Build, I go over the importance of having the right team members.  As a custom home builder, having a team that is on the same page is essential.  I wanted to dive deeper into this, and here are my steps that we take as a custom builder with our team. 1. Initial sale  2. Meeting with me 3. Architect  4. Interior Designer 5. Bidding  6. Estimatin...

In this episode of The Real Build, I got the opportunity to interview Dan Ferreira.  Dan Is the Owner of five businesses: Ferreira Inc Design-Build, Monarch Window, Studio Prime, Architectural Iron Works, and US-Offsite.  He is the definition of an entrepreneur.  Dan is on a mission to grow his companies and improve the building industry by making it more affordable.  He has fi...

In this episode of the Real build, I sat down with a new up and coming builder, Johnny Le.  I wanted to have Johnny on my podcast because I wanted to get the perspective from a new up and coming builder and the challenges that he has faced starting a construction company.   Johnny Comes from a family of 8 children.  Growing up, they were all taught to work hard.  They were all...

In this episode of The Real Build, I got the opportunity to sit down with Darius Barrett.  I was looking forward to having Darius on because we both have the same mindset: we want to be the best at everything we do.  We are both on a mission to level up, but also help people along the way.   Darius started as a mechanical engineer for a major corporation, and as he got deeper into c...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with Kevin Amaral.  Kevin is an electrical contractor in Roseville, California.  Kevin and I talked about everything to do with electrical.  We discussed topics like how to properly install electrical, energy efficiency, how to hire the right electrical contractor, and so much more.   Kevin has personally had many ups and downs in b...

Happy fathers day to all of the dads that are out there.  In This Episode of The Real Build, I wanted to talk about how much of an impact my dad has had on my life.  My dad is my biggest role model.  He is my biggest mentor.  He has always been there for me throughout my life during both good and bad times.  My dad has shown me how to be a dad to my future children.  ...

In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with Derrick Gregory.  Derrick got his Real Estate License at the young age of 18 and has had over 500+ transactions since 2007.  He has done it all from working with seasoned investors, first-time home-buyers to REO Companies. He offers one-of-a-kind marketing to sellers with customized and personal virtual tours, extensive internet marketin...

In this episode of The Real Build, I had a great conversation with an award-winning Houston, Texas custom-home builder and remodeler- Brandon Lynch. I wanted to do this episode differently with Brandon. Instead of going through general questions as I have with other builders in the past, I wanted to have a conversation about how we can do better for our customers as builders. I wanted to dive deep...

In this episode of The Real Build, I had on feng shui specialist and top Interior designer Rania Yacoub with Owner of Design By Rania.   Rania has been practicing design for celebrities like Jay-Z, P Diddy, Melania Trump, Woopy Goldberg, other high-profile clients, and people worldwide for over 17 years.  Rania and I discussed topics like design trends, delivering the wow factor, what is...

In this episode of The Real Build, I enjoyed speaking with Andrew Gordan of Reliable Claims Adjusting.  Andrew is a public adjuster and assists many people throughout Florida with insurance claims.  His goal is to make sure clients receive all the money they deserve from their insurance carrier. Let's face it- when making a claim with the insurance company, it is always hard to get the m...

In this episode of The Real Build, I wanted to talk about a subject I am passionate about, which is- why do we defend success? People have said to me "it must be nice, you're lucky, you're rich, your dad gave you everything.."  But am I lucky? Or am I lucky to be born with parents that taught me how to get ahead? I have worked my whole life.  If I wanted something, I worked. I spent my u...