Building Series: So You want to be a home builder? 

Enjoy the friendly banter as Natalie chats with her ex-husband about his transition into real estate investing! This week, Corey Mitchell of Sticks & Stones Custom Homes shares his journey from the stock market to owning his own home-building company. Building from scratch is not a well-known submarket of the real estate industry. 

Corey’s days in construction began when he participated in a flip with Natalie back in 2010. However, this project wasn’t your normal flip. They gutted it, moving staircases, dropping floors, and many more strenuous renovations. It was house surgery and not for the faint of heart! But that was how Corey fell in love with the possibility of designing a home from start to finish. And he was hooked! 

For Corey, the process is more rewarding than the result. It’s about the journey. In real estate, time is either your best friend or your worst enemy. A lot of builders don’t focus on improvement over time in their designs. If they’re not willing to spend the extra dollar on the little things that make a massive difference, we don’t know what else they’ve skimped on that you can’t see. Buyers tend to focus on the pretty things and they forget that a home is more than the interior finishings. It’s important to start asking questions like, “What’s behind the walls?”

“I want to make sure the decisions I make allow me to sleep at night. I’m responsible for someone else’s huge financial investment. They’re not just investing in the house, they’re investing in me.”