🎙️ Local Real Estate Developers

What does it really take to turn a local opportunity into a successful development project without having millions in institutional money?

In this episode, Kristi Kandel and Raphael Collazo catch up on their latest projects and share the realities of building, financing, and growing developments in their own communities. From commercial property renovations in Louisville to community-driven sports facilities in Southwest Florida, they discuss how they're turning big ideas into real projects by taking things one phase at a time.

Raphael shares his experience raising private capital for a multi-tenant office building, including how AI tools like Claude and GenSpark are helping simplify investment presentations, pitch decks, and deal preparation. Kristi discusses the growing success of Elevate, the demand for community-focused third spaces, and a new boutique hospitality development built on years of local relationships.

They also explore the importance of knowing your market, building the right partnerships, navigating financing, and understanding how Opportunity Zones can create additional investment opportunities.

This episode is a reminder that successful development isn't just about having money. It's about recognizing opportunities, building trust, and finding creative ways to move projects forward.

You don't need institutional money or a massive team to make an impact. Start with what you have, build the right relationships, and create something your community needs.

🔗 Full Episode: https://youtu.be/wyvK7TEd-qY

📥 Developer Vault:

http://www.localrealestatedeveloper.com/developer-vault-optin

Connect with Raphael:

Website: http://www.raphaelcollazo.com/

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

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

Connect with Kristi:

Website: https://kristikandel.com/

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-kandel-4b650a12/

About the Show

The Local Real Estate Developer Podcast is for locals who want to build in their own communities. Real projects. Real lessons. No gatekeeping

#localrealestatedeveloper #realestatedevelopment #communitydevelopment #realestateinvesting #privatecapital #capitalraising #commercialrealestate #opportunityzones #communitybuilding #propertydevelopment #buildlocal

What if the real measure of development wasn’t just dollars per square foot, but how much better it made people’s lives?

In this episode of the Local Real Estate Developer Podcast, Krystine McInnes shares how multimillion-dollar projects, sustainable building, and a decade of setbacks shaped her vision for housing built around people, resilience, and community.

From facing devastating floods and wildfires to navigating difficult partnerships, investor challenges, and unexpected costs, Krystine learned hard lessons about risk, resilience, and what it takes to keep moving forward.

Now, through The Living Codex, she’s reimagining multifamily housing by integrating nature, urban agriculture, financial resilience, and community connection into places where people can truly thrive.

For local developers, this episode is a reminder that great development goes beyond profit. It’s about building places that improve lives and leave communities stronger.

Because the best development doesn’t just change a property. It can change how people live.

🔗 Full Episode: https://youtu.be/hQcldn9tolQ

📥 Developer Vault:

http://www.localrealestatedeveloper.com/developer-vault-optin

Guest

Krystine McInnes

Website: https://www.thelivingcodex.ca/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystine-mcinnes-64a84a11/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingcodex.dev/

About the Show

The Local Real Estate Developer Podcast is for locals who want to build in their own communities. Real projects. Real lessons. No gatekeeping

#localrealestatedeveloper #realestatedevelopment #communitydevelopment #urbanagriculture #sustainablehousing #multifamilydevelopment #humancenteredhousing #buildwithpurpose #sustainabledevelopment #realestateinvesting #housinginnovation #buildlocal #communitybuilding

What happens when you stop waiting for the community you want and decide to build it yourself?

Cassidy Nicholas and her husband are turning their vision into The Vault Naples, a family wellness and homeschool hybrid designed to bring education, fitness, entrepreneurship, and community together under one roof.

After building a fitness business that expanded to 15 locations worldwide, Cassidy took a new path with her family in Southwest Florida. Their goal wasn’t just to build another business. It was to create the kind of village they wanted for their own kids.

But big visions come with big risks. Cassidy shares the realities of development, from financing and unexpected construction costs to navigating the process and choosing the right partners. She explains why not all good money is good money and why building something meaningful starts with taking action, even when others think you’re crazy.

This episode is for local developers and entrepreneurs ready to take a risk, solve a real community need, and build something that matters.

Because sometimes, the biggest opportunity isn’t what already exists, it’s what your community is missing.

🔗 Full Episode: https://youtu.be/chzKod38Fd0

📥 Developer Vault:

http://www.localrealestatedeveloper.com/developer-vault-optin

Guest

Cassidy Nicholas

Website: https://thevaultnaples.com/

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheVaultAcademyHQ

#LocalRealEstateDeveloper #RealEstateDevelopment #CommunityDevelopment #BuildLocal #TheVaultNaples #NaplesFlorida #LocalEntrepreneurship #FamilyWellness #HomeschoolCommunity #CommunityFirst #PurposeDrivenDevelopment #RealEstateInvesting #BuildYourCommunity #EntrepreneurMindset

What if you could boost investor returns while bringing new development to your community?

In this episode of the Local Real Estate Developer Podcast, Kristi Kandel sits down with Coni Rathbone, a real estate and securities attorney with 38 years of experience, to break down Opportunity Zones and how developers can use them to unlock tax advantages, attract capital, and make projects more profitable.

Coni explains the shift to Opportunity Zones 2.0, new incentives for rural development, and how projects of all sizes can benefit. She also shares why choosing the right property, structuring deals correctly, and working with experienced legal and tax professionals can make or break an investment.

From small multifamily deals to large-scale rural developments, this conversation reveals how smart planning and the right incentives can help bring projects to life.

Bold Truth: Tax benefits won't save a bad deal. Find the right opportunity, build the right team, and create something your community actually needs.

🔗 Full Episode: https://youtu.be/I8L9LqG4IL4

📥 Developer Vault:

http://www.localrealestatedeveloper.com/developer-vault-optin

Guest

Coni Rathbone

Website: https://rathbone-law.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coni-rathbone/?isSelfProfile=false

#localrealestatedeveloper #opportunityzones #realestatedevelopment #communitydevelopment #ruraldevelopment #realestateinvesting #localinvesting #buildlocal #economicdevelopment

What started as a search for a mountain vacation rental turned into an ambitious 26-acre hospitality development in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.

Ian Joseph shares how he went from real estate investing and commercial banking to building an A-frame, renovating a 26-acre property, and creating Branch Berkeley Springs, an 11-unit micro resort centered around nature, connection, and local hospitality.

Along the way, Ian faced zoning restrictions, construction challenges, financing delays, and plenty of roadblocks—but each challenge forced him to rethink the project and make it better.

His biggest lesson? You don't have to build alone. Find the right people, build relationships, listen to the community, and let the obstacles shape a better project.

🔗 Full Episode: https://youtu.be/-kv-1LASY-M

📥 Developer Vault:

http://www.localrealestatedeveloper.com/developer-vault-optin

Guest

Ian Joseph

Website: https://staywithbranch.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianjoseph.co/

About the Show

The Local Real Estate Developer Podcast is for locals who want to build in their own communities. Real projects. Real lessons. No gatekeeping.

#localrealestatedeveloper #realestatedevelopment #communitydevelopment #hospitalitydevelopment #microresort #smalltowndevelopment #buildlocal #berkeleysprings #westvirginia

What happens when a small-town investor sees opportunity in a property everyone else overlooked?

Eddie Gonnella started investing in 2019 with small BRRRR deals, a foreclosed house, and a $75K tax foreclosure that taught him one thing quickly: cheap properties often come with expensive problems.

Those lessons eventually led Eddie to an abandoned 1940s iron workers camp in Maine. He transformed it into a 10-unit lakeside hospitality property, navigating creative financing, local banking, septic and water challenges, shoreline regulations, zoning, and permitting along the way.

Now, Eddie is taking those lessons into his next 8-acre resort project, proving that development is often about asking the right questions, doing the homework, and solving problems as they come.

From due diligence and financing to working with local officials and building a team, this episode is a real look at what it takes to go from investor to developer.

Eddie’s advice? “Vacuum the truck.” Start with the next step, learn by doing, and keep moving.

🔗 Full Episode: https://youtu.be/W_5xlw87oXk

📥 Developer Vault:

http://www.localrealestatedeveloper.com/developer-vault-optin

Guest

Eddie Gonnella

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getogether.stays/

About the Show

The Local Real Estate Developer Podcast is for locals who want to build in their own communities. Real projects. Real lessons. No gatekeeping.

#localrealestatedeveloper #communitydevelopment #realestatedevelopment #realestateinvesting #localdeveloper #commercialrealestate #hospitalitydevelopment #maine #mainerealestate #smalltownrealestate #realestateinvestor #propertydevelopment #buildlocal #communityfirst #localownership #realestatepodcast

What if the biggest opportunity in real estate is right in your own backyard?

Andy Warnock spent nearly two decades in commercial real estate finance and built a portfolio of nearly 2,600 apartment units. Along the way, he learned through failed deals, the 2008 crash, partnerships, insurance mistakes, and plenty of hard-earned lessons.

Today, Andy is focused on transforming small-town communities through mixed-use development, restaurants, golf lounges, basketball facilities, retail, and gathering spaces.

In this episode, he shares why relationships matter, how to structure partnerships, why patience is essential, and how his E + R = O mindset—Event + Response = Outcome—helps him navigate challenges.

The truth: You don’t need millions to start. Learn the business, build relationships, solve problems, and play the long game.

🔗 Full Episode: https://youtu.be/mgC8sO-CN3U

📥 Developer Vault:

http://www.localrealestatedeveloper.com/developer-vault-optin

Guest

Andy Warnock

Website: https://westwoodcollective.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-warnock-4398883/

About the Show

The Local Real Estate Developer Podcast is for locals who want to build in their own communities. Real projects. Real lessons. No gatekeeping.

#localrealestatedeveloper #communitydevelopment #realestatedevelopment #localdeveloper #realestateinvesting #smalltowndevelopment #mixedusedevelopment #redevelopment #buildlocal #developlocal #commercialrealestate #ohiorealestate #communityfirst

What happens when you don't have deep pockets or a massive team but refuse to walk away from the opportunity?

Will Hanrahan found a one-acre industrial property on Facebook Marketplace and bought it for $435,000. He didn't have the full vision figured out. He just knew the location had potential.

Through zoning research, adaptive reuse, Brownfield programs, local funding, and strong relationships, that overlooked property became The Rail Yard, a $7.5M mixed-use development with 32 residential units and commercial space.

Will shares the real lessons behind raising capital, working with local government, finding the right investors, navigating environmental challenges, and staying scrappy when the deal gets complicated.

You don't need the biggest team to build something meaningful. You need the courage to start, the relationships to keep moving, and the persistence to finish.

This episode is for anyone who wants to become a local developer and build projects that improve their community.

🔗 Full Episode: How a First-Time Developer Built a $7.5M Project Without a Big Team | EP#72

📥 Developer Vault:

http://www.localrealestatedeveloper.com/developer-vault-optin

Guest

Will Hanrahan

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

About the Show

The Local Real Estate Developer Podcast is for locals who want to build in their own communities. Real projects. Real lessons. No gatekeeping.

#localrealestatedeveloper #realestatedevelopment #communitydevelopment #localdeveloper #realestateinvesting #housingdevelopment #propertydevelopment #adaptivereuse #kentuckyrealestate #buildlocal #localdevelopment #realestateinvestor #realestateentrepreneur

What happens when developers from across the country come together to share what they’re actually building?

In Episode #70, Raphael Collazo and Kristi Kandel recap the first LRED developer meetup in Louisville, bringing together local developers, investors, city leaders, and industry professionals.

They talk about the real lessons from touring active projects, learning from experienced developers, navigating city challenges, and building relationships that can lead to new ideas and opportunities.

Because development isn’t just about knowing the numbers. It’s about knowing the people, the market, and your community.

🔗 Full Episode: What Happens When Local Developers Get in the Same Room? | EP#70

📥 Developer Vault:

http://www.localrealestatedeveloper.com/developer-vault-optin

🏢 LRED Meetup 2026: https://www.localrealestatedeveloper.com/lred-meetup-2026

Connect with Raphael:

🌐 Website: http://www.raphaelcollazo.com/

📲 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/commercial_louisville/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelcollazo/

Connect with Kristi:

🌐 Website: https://kristikandel.com/

📲 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristikandel/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-kandel-4b650a12/

About the Show

The Local Real Estate Developer Podcast is for locals who want to build in their own communities. Real projects. Real lessons. No gatekeeping.

#localrealestatedeveloper #communitydevelopment #realestatedevelopment #localdevelopment #buildlocal #developlocal #realestatecommunity #louisville #tampa

What if you didn’t need years of experience, a massive network, or millions in the bank to become a developer?

YJ Tung shares how he went from working in tech and marketing to taking on his first 37-acre development project near California’s Western States Trail.

With his partner, YJ is developing Forestill Basecamp, a hospitality project featuring 10 modular cabins, saunas, cold plunges, and recovery amenities designed for trail runners and endurance athletes.

Along the way, they’ve had to navigate permitting, due diligence, financing, marketing, and community partnerships. They even tested the concept with just $20 a day in Instagram ads and collected deposits from future guests before the project was built.

This episode is a real look at what it takes to go from “I don’t know how” to “I’m doing it.”

🔗 Full Episode: Inside a First-Time Developer's 37-Acre Vision | EP#70

📥 Developer Vault:

http://www.localrealestatedeveloper.com/developer-vault-optin

Guest

YJ Tung

Website: https://foresthillbasecamp.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61582172090154

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/youngjohntung/

About the Show

The Local Real Estate Developer Podcast is for locals who want to build in their own communities. Real projects. Real lessons. No gatekeeping.

#localrealestatedeveloper #communitydevelopment #realestatedevelopment #localdevelopment #realestateinvesting #realestateentrepreneur #propertydevelopment #buildlocal #communityfirst #localdeveloper #realestatepodcast #firsttimedeveloper