🎙️ Local Real Estate Developers

Drainage, Phasing & Density in Small-Town Idaho | Think Like a Developer MS#05


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Sometimes development doesn’t come with a clean blueprint. Sometimes it comes with drainage issues, missing permits, and a one-woman building department. In this minisode, we’re back with Craig Parsons as he unpacks the messy middle of an inherited subdivision project in rural Idaho.


From standing water to zoning strategy, Craig is figuring it out as he goes—talking to neighbors, walking the site with contractors, and meeting with county staff to untangle what’s possible. He’s navigating infrastructure costs, site phasing, and whether adjusting lot lines could allow for duplexes, triplexes—or even fourplexes. All while trying to keep the project affordable and livable.


This is what local development really looks like: less polish, more persistence.

👉 Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/@LocalRealEstateDeveloper/playlists


What You’ll Learn:

  • Why drainage and earthwork insight from locals matters more than formal reports

  • What Craig learned from contractors about phasing underground work to reduce risk

  • How he’s thinking through ownership structure, product mix, and community fit

  • Why talking to the county (and your neighbors) early can unlock creative density solutions

  • What to know about zoning, lot size adjustments, and small-town commissioner dynamics

This is how small towns get new housing: not with sweeping policy changes, but with locals asking smarter questions and pushing one project forward.


If you loved this minisode and want more boots-on-the-ground stories from real people building in their own backyard—subscribe to the Local Real Estate Developers Podcast on YouTube, Apple, and Spotify.


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🎙️ Local Real Estate DevelopersBy Kristi Kandel