From Engineer to $40M Developer: How Jeff Sturman Built 100+ Homes | Pick Up The Phone Podcast

The unfiltered journey of Jeff Sturman — from mechanical engineering at Schlumberger, living as an expat in Spain, and house-hacking a foreclosed pool home in Missouri City, to building an eight-figure real estate business with $13.6M in annual revenue, 100+ homes developed, and $40M currently in development across Houston.

💡 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

✅ How Jeff went from a W-2 oil & gas engineer to full-time real estate developer — and why 2018 was the turning point

✅ The hard truth about fix-and-flip vs. new construction — and why Jeff says new construction is actually easier to scale

✅ Why you MUST pull permits — and what happened when Jeff tried to skip it on his second deal

✅ The exact process of sourcing land, running comps, getting plans approved, and financing a new construction deal from start to finish

✅ Why the first-time homebuyer market is weakening — and where Jeff is repositioning Vecino Homes for 2026 and beyond

✅ How AI and compliant outreach tools are changing the way developers find motivated sellers and off-market land

✅ Jeff's mentorship program — what he teaches, who it's for, and how it could shave years off your real estate timeline

Visit here to book your free Vancom strategy session and unlock consistent real estate deals: http://vancom.io/schedule

📩 For business inquiries: [email protected]

🔗 Stay Connected With Me.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josuellanass

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@josuellanass

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josuellanas

Visit here to book your free Vancom strategy session and unlock consistent real estate deals: http://vancom.io/schedule

🔔𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬.

https://www.youtube.com/@JosueLlanas/?sub_confirmation=1

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📌 Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction & Welcome to Pick Up The Phone Podcast

00:19 - Meet Jeff Sturman: 8-Figure Developer, $13.6M Revenue & $40M in Development

02:04 - Studying Abroad in Spain & Starting His Engineering Career in 2011

02:16 - The First Deal: House-Hacking a Foreclosed Pool Home With a 203K Loan

08:33 - Why Every Deal Is an Education — Even When You Lose Money

12:34 - Second Deal, Oil & Gas Downturn & Slowly Snowballing to 10 Projects

17:31 - The Power of Networking in Real Estate Development

17:48 - New Construction vs. Fix-and-Flip: Why Jeff Made the Switch

21:41 - Identifying Underserved Niches: The Shared Driveway Community Strategy

23:00 - How to Run Comps & Find the Highest and Best Use for a Lot

30:09 - Shifting Away From the First-Time Homebuyer Market

32:08 - Why First-Time Homebuyers Are Struggling in Today's Economy

32:53 - Real Estate vs. The Stock Market: Where Smart Money Is Going

38:40 - AI, Compliance & Outreach: How to Find Motivated Sellers Legally

41:08 - Who Is in the Market Right Now & How to Reach Them

48:11 - Legal Disclaimer & Protecting Yourself in Development Deals

54:17 - Reserves, Market Conditions & How Much Capital You Actually Need

60:03 - Houston's Oil & Gas Economy & Its Impact on Real Estate

62:55 - Adapting Your Strategy Based on Your Market

66:54 - How to Connect With Jeff Sturman & Learn More

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🔗 CONNECT WITH JEFF STURMAN:

Website: vecinohomes.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeff_da_builder/

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OUR SPONSORS:

Caisen Sullivan - New Western

(409) 527-1115

Andrew Faught - Renovo

(210) 425-2190

Natalie Murillo - Black Label Title

(936) 442-8486

GetHardMoney.com

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For Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:

📩 Email: [email protected]

🔔 If you're passionate about entrepreneurship and personal growth, hit subscribe and get inspired by real stories from successful entrepreneurs and their journeys!

https://www.youtube.com/@JosueLlanas/?sub_confirmation=1

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From Engineer to $40M Developer: How Jeff Sturman Built 100+ Homes | Pick Up The Phone Podcast