Experienced Businessman and Entrepreneur
Terra Quest: Where People Are Moving Across the West, and What It Means for the Markets We Build In
There’s a running observation in my office: I can usually tell which direction a market is heating up by watching moving trucks. When I start seeing more U-Hauls pulling into a neighborhood than out of it, I pull over and call my site selection team. I'm only half...
Why Out-of-State Capital Is Discovering Nevada Commercial Real Estate — And What Local Brokers Should Do About It
The Capital Is Already Moving If you're involved in the Nevada commercial real estate market and haven't noticed a rise in out-of-state buyer inquiries over the past two years, you're not paying enough attention. California investors like high-net-worth individuals,...
The Mentor Advantage: Why Surrounding Yourself With Coaches Saved My Business
I'll be honest about something I wasn't always willing to admit: there was a period in my career when I thought I had figured it out. I had built something real. The business was growing. The deals were getting done. And somewhere in that momentum, I quietly started...
Building in Secondary Markets: Why Smaller Cities Offer Bigger Opportunities for Impact-Driven Developers
There’s a version of real estate development that is entirely about chasing density. The biggest deals, the tallest towers, the most competitive land markets. For a certain kind of developer, that world makes sense. For impact-driven developers, those who care as much...
The Franchise-to-Development Pipeline: How Restaurant Operations Made Me a Better Real Estate Developer
Most real estate developers come up through finance, architecture, or construction. My path ran straight through the kitchen, or more accurately, through the drive-through window, the POS system, and the quarterly franchise review. Before I ever broke ground on a...
From 20 to 20+ Years: The Leadership Evolution That No One Talks About
Nobody hands you a manual when you start your first business at 20. There's no roadmap for leading people twice your age, no blueprint for navigating a deal gone sideways at 2 AM, and certainly no class that teaches you how to hold a vision together when everything...
The New Neighborhood Anchors: How Drive-Thru Coffee Shops Are Reshaping Community Gatherings
When I started in commercial real estate development over two decades ago, the concept of a "neighborhood anchor" was straightforward: grocery stores, pharmacies, and big-box retailers. These tenants drew foot traffic, created jobs, and served as the economic engines...
Beyond the Basics: Practical Financial Steps Every Teenager Should Take
In my previous article, I shared why financial literacy matters for teenagers. But I know what many of you are thinking: "Okay, but what should my teenager actually do?" As both a parent and an entrepreneur, I've learned that understanding why something matters is...
Terra Quest: The Great Oregon Site Hunt; 2,000 Miles, One Speeding Ticket, and a Grocery Store Tip
They say the best deals in commercial real estate come from being in the right place at the right time. What they don't tell you is that finding the right place sometimes means driving more than 2,000 miles in a single week, getting pulled over for speeding, and...
Navigating CEQA: A Developer’s Guide to California Environmental Regulations
If you're developing commercial real estate in California, there's one acronym you need to understand before breaking ground: CEQA. The California Environmental Quality Act isn't just another regulatory hurdle; it's a fundamental framework that shapes how projects are...