Innovative Real Estate with Three Squared, Inc.
As specialists in efficient residential and commercial prefabricated design, Leslie Horn, Breck Crandell, and Jill Ramirez of Three Squared, Inc. share their greatest insights, tips, and case studies from their years of experience in the industry. They'll be giving you their best advice through, trainings, guest features, and Q&A segments so you can turn your innovative vision to a reality.
Innovative Real Estate with Three Squared, Inc.
Winning Mindset for Real Estate Investing with Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama
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Breaking into the real estate development industry was not an easy feat for Hawaiian power couple Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama. However, through years of resilience and hard work they have established their impact and legacy in Hawaii's real estate market.
And now they are expanding their legacy with the debut of their HGTV Show Renovation Aloha.
In this exciting episode we sit down with Tristyn and Kamohai to hear their story and experience as developers flipping Hawaiian homes.
They share why it's important to find mentorship in your market, the impact of having your mindset in check, and what it was like to film with HGTV.
Tristyn and Kamohai also explain why showcasing the Hawaiian culture and people and being inspirations for other Hawaiian families is so important to them.
Here's glimpse of what you'll learn:
- Who are Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama
- What it is like navigating the permit process in Hawai'i
- Finding and maintaining balance in an industry that promotes hustle culture
- What it's like filming an HGTV show
- Tristyn and Kamohai Project Highlight of the week: The home with a tree growing in it.
Make sure to follow along Tristyn and Kamohai on Instagram
Listen to Deals and Aloha here.
Watch Renovation Aloha on HGTV, Tuesdays at 9/8 central time
Link to show notes
Ready to move forward with your project? Contact us here and we will put you in contact with the right member of our team.
Make sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new project releases, trainings, and more.
Welcome to the Innovative Real Estate Podcast with your hosts Leslie Horn, Brett Crandall, and Claire Olilla. We're here to make your life easier as a real estate developer and teach you everything we've learned about designing and building innovative homes, multifamily, and mixed-use structures. On this podcast, we'll be giving you our best advice, trainings, and QA segments so you can learn from our years of experience and make your innovative vision a reality. Welcome back to the podcast, everyone. We've got your host, me, Claire, as usual. We've also got Jill, our director of projects, here on the line today, and two incredible guests, Kamohai and Tristan Kalama from Oahu, who are a powerhouse duo of real estate flippers and renovators. And they just had their own HGTV premiere episode uh come out this week. So it's amazing timing as far as this episode goes. And I'm really excited to get into a conversation today with them. We're gonna cover a lot of ground today, including even some of the mindset and resilience aspects of being in this space and what it takes to really be successful. So we're excited to have you guys on and welcome to the show.
SPEAKER_00Thank you so much for having us. Yeah, we're excited to be here.
SPEAKER_05Happy to be here. Amazing. Well, uh anyone who's listening who has listened to uh our a bunch of our episodes, you know, we always start out with a project highlight of the week. Usually this is one of our own projects, but since y'all have graced us with your presence coming on this podcast today, we would love to highlight one of your projects. So would you be open to sharing what you're working on? Yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_04I think a good project to highlight is the one that we decided to share with the world on on HGTV for the season premiere. And it's not one we're working on recently, it's a past project we completed and we actually did worked on it majority of 2022 and uh sold it in 2023. But um it's a house that had a tree growing through the roof.
SPEAKER_00It's uh it's an interesting story because probably three years prior uh to 2021, we were door knocking. We were door knocking in the neighborhood. We're not door knocking this house, but we passed by this house and we're like, oh my gosh, it looks like this house has been vacant for like 20 years. We went up, we tried to get in touch with the owners, nothing came of it then. Um, but three years later, full circle moment, I get a uh call from a home inspector that I know that wants to show me a potential opportunity. Guess what? It was that house, and sure enough, it had been vacant for over 20 years, boarded up, uh squatters were in it, in and out. There was trash up to the middle of every single room.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So I'm throughout the whole house.
SPEAKER_04I'm 4'11. I'm very, very short. And so I had to climb on top of all this stuff to get into the home, and my head touched the ceiling. So that's how much stuff was in the home. It took us over 20 truckloads. Um, good thing we have amazing junk removal companies here in Hawaii, Aloha Junk Man, and they they tackled that. And it's technically that property had two structures on it, um, a front structure and a back structure. And it was connected by a little corridor in the middle, but every single inch was covered in stuff. Um, so, and then there was a tree growing out of the roof, which we had never seen before. You usually see like Hawaiian ferns or something like that growing out of a gutter system that you have to redo the gutters on a home, but never a tree. Luckily, the root system kind of like jumanjied the house and wrapped around it and didn't go into it. So structurally, um, you know, the foundation was still fine. And here in Hawaii, we have post and peer foundation. So it was easier, you know, not a slab foundation where that could have been way more expensive. We were able to fix the foundation and whatever we needed to do, but um, we had to redo the whole roof, so tear the whole roof off, order new trusses, um entire, we we really did everything to that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, all new things. Uh, it basically was like uh a brand new house when we were done. But so we bought it for 675, basically 50 grand under land value because there was no value in the house.
SPEAKER_04Uh, and we put in how much did we put into uh a little over 400,000 into that, into that renovation. It's probably the cost of some new construction.
SPEAKER_00Uh uh yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. But the thing is, is all of the the structure was there on tax records. So we basically just redid it exactly how it was. It was a 2600 square foot house. It had the option for multi-generational living, so you could potentially house hack it if you whoever bought it, or you could move like family in the back, live in the front. Um, and then we sold it for 1.5 million.
SPEAKER_04Um, but we were in that project for 13 months. We were in it for a pretty long time. Um, we actually finished the renovation in like six, seven months. But because of our permitting system here, we had to wait for the permits to get closed out. And then the market kind of shifted right when right when we finished um still strong market, but uh it's a very unique property as well. The location, the size, the fact that it's essentially two homes in one, um, but successful project nonetheless. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_06Awesome. Well, I have a burning question for you guys. Yeah. Did the tree remain in the house?
SPEAKER_00The tree did not remain, but what we have to watch the episode to see, but we'll give you we'll give you the behind the scenes.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, we did honor the tree in some way, and you can see how we did that. But yeah, we we renovated it for the world to see, so you can go and watch it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it was it was a fun discovery to figure out how that tree had actually grown because the tree was literally if you you were on the outside of the house, it looked like there was a massive tree growing out of the middle of the roof, yeah. But when you walked inside the house, there's no tree roots, yeah, like there was no trunk coming down through the middle, and we were like, what is going on? This is like a crazy situation. Yeah, um, and so we found out through the episode where the tree actually had rooted, and it was a fun scene.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, we came up with how we were gonna renovate it, how we were gonna make the floor plan flow, like all the good stuff. Yeah.
SPEAKER_06Well, well, nature is metal. I say that all the time, but oh my gosh, it'll I love that we got to incorporate that today because that's just wild to me. So um, I'll definitely catch up on that and figure out how you guys paid homage to that tree. Um, but I definitely want to follow up with the question about permitting because we started talking about that before we jumped on this. So tell me a little bit more about your permitting process and how that affected getting approvals for the house and eventually being able to get into actually selling it.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So there's a couple things on that house because it had been vacant for 20 plus years, the city electric company, which is separate in Hawaii from the Department of Planning and Permitting, had removed the electrical systems off the house. So it was they were totally gone. Um, and so we had to connect with the electrical company and file for all the proper permits to get the electrical place back on the house. Now, the crazy part is in Hawaii is that the the electrical company and the the department of building and permitting have to work together in order to make that happen, but the communication between the two is not good.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, the right hand isn't talking to the left hand, so that caused an immense amount of delays. Um we have one of the worst, if not the worst, permitting turnaround time frames and departments in the whole nation. Um, so when I hear people say that it took them a month to get their permit and that's a long time, or three months to get their permit and that's a long time, I'm like, oh good heavens, I wish we could get a permit in a month or three months. So the average turnaround time in Hawaii for permitting is 12 to 18 months. And that is not for new construction, that is just for an addition alteration permit.
SPEAKER_00The the cool thing is is is what we normally look for in a house is something that on tax records is already all there. We're not adding any square footage, we're not taking anything away, we're using the existing footprint, and then we're just redoing that.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And so the I think for people like us that know what how that system works, it's easy to it's easier to work within the system. I feel very bad for just retail homeowners that don't understand how the system works and they get stuck sometimes waiting a year, two years for their permits before they can start doing anything. Yeah, you know what I mean? So there are things that you can do where if you're not adding any square footage, you can pull what are called repair permits that are that are done online that you can pull for uh repair, building general building repair, um window repair, plumbing repair, electrical repair. And a lot of times you can pull those permits while you start working on the house and when your other permits are in process.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. So and new laws just passed. I mean, there is some reform. There uh there is some um people within the city and county and the state that are advocating for change, which is amazing. And obviously, we're trying to get our community to speak up and so more change can happen quickly. But they changed it so some of the things don't require permits anymore. Like fencing doesn't require a permit anymore. Um, if you're gonna just update the kitchen um and not change the layout of the kitchen, that doesn't require. So, I mean, it it they've loosened it a little bit, which is great. Um, but hopefully we can continue moving in that direction. But it it's not easy, but it's very relationship-based. So if you're working with inspectors and you're forming relationships and you're doing things the right way and submitting your paperwork and people know what you're doing and you do good work, um, you know, that's always the best way to go about things.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_06Yeah. I feel like having those connections is huge. And having the experience you guys have to like be able to pass on that knowledge and walk someone through the process, it kind of always helps to know someone that's gone through the pain before someone else gets the gain of it. That's when we're talking about his own house that's under construction right now. But I've seen that all the time. Like we worked in Miami Dade getting a permit there. We waited three years almost to get a permit. And we got it on Wednesday. So that was like I know. Keep calm, we have an effing permit. I was so excited.
SPEAKER_00That is wild. Is that for like a big development?
SPEAKER_06No, it was for an office, like six containers uh for an office, and we've got an permit. But yeah, some jurisdictions I've just seen like their the the zoning versus the building department department kind of butt heads. So it's not too interesting to be here about that. And I could totally I feel like I could take the whole podcast just to talk about this. I know, we could too, right? Different you'll have to have us on again. We could too to still touch on subjects.
SPEAKER_00I I a thousand percent agree with you on you need to reach out to somebody that has been through that so you don't struggle with the same things, right? Like on our very first house flip, we ran into issues with permitting.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, we got a violation, the whole thing, right?
SPEAKER_00We had no clue what we were walking into really or what we really had to do because dude, we're learning real estate from mentorships that aren't in Hawaii, yeah, right. Yeah, and so they don't know what our local jurisdictions are, and I think a lot of people get stuck in that trap. So I do advise to follow what she's saying, please, and reach out to somebody that's been through it in your local market, they can really help you out.
SPEAKER_04You just don't know what you don't know. I mean, here you're coming from we are entrepreneurs always in our life, but I was a licensed mental health counselor, I knew nothing about construction, renovations, permitting, you know what I mean? And he owned and operated clothing. Like we don't have that background, you know. So knowing someone, reaching out, having those conversations and asking questions is a game changer.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, yeah. Well, Claire, I definitely want to give you a chance to chime in here because I could just talk about permitting all day. But I think there's plenty more fun things we can talk about as well.
SPEAKER_05I know. I am really it's it's funny you guys mentioned that like you just don't know what you don't know because we do work with a lot of uh newer developers. We work with some good experienced ones as well. But we sometimes end up having a lot of conversations with people before they end up going through with architectural services for us because one of our core values is to be a good steward and make sure that people are set up for success. And that's part of the reason we started this podcast was because we were having the same conversations over and over and over again. We're like, here, just you've got a whole library now. Like, listen to this podcast of like 65 episodes. And I love that. Yeah. So I would love to ask you guys, you know, thinking back to when you first got into this, it sounds like you've had some mentorship. I'm curious what advice you would have for newer developers, or even for, you know, if people are a couple years along, you know, what are some of the main lessons you've taken away that you would love to share? You know, if you could tell yourself just getting started what you've learned now, what would that be?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, I think the biggest one is is kind of one that we we touched on uh right in the beginning. But when we got started, we we we did have an entrepreneurial background and we're very hard-headed and we're the kind of people that are like, and I think a lot of entrepreneurs suffer from this issue, right? Like we can do it, we can figure it out, we will figure it out no matter what. And so we went at it alone. It was we were together, but we didn't really ask for any other guidance from anyone specifically here in our market that was doing what we were doing. Um, and so my my first advice for people always is you need to get around people that are doing what you want to do. People's people that have a business that you admire, that you that you like their lifestyle, you know what I mean? And surround yourself with those people in those rooms, and that is gonna save you not only a ton of time, it's gonna get you to your goals way faster, but it could potentially save you from not even being able to start after your first deal, right? Like you get taken right out and seeing that happen to be your last deal.
SPEAKER_04You don't want your first deal to be your last deal. We're huge proponents of education, so never stop learning, even if you've hit milestones that you set out to achieve in the very beginning. Um, as entrepreneurs, we always move our goalpost, right? And it's like, okay, we check that off next, you know, but never stop learning. So even if whatever that is, what you put into your body, what you put into your mind, who you surround yourself with is exactly what you're gonna get out. So always be putting positivity into your day with listening to stuff, podcasts, education, learning, whatever spirituality, whatever that is, but never stop learning and growing.
SPEAKER_00I I think too, in this day and age, in the social media world that we live in, right? It is very easy to look to people and see all of the successes and how how it's it's super desirable to maybe get into real estate. And I think people do just jump in and get started. I'm not saying that they shouldn't do that, but if I could tell myself when we started, I would need to do a lot of personal work before or while I was actually taking action um in the actual process, right? And so one of the things that we did after our first year was we jumped into some mindset stuff, right? And we were we signed up for a mindset mentorship, and I think that is uh probably the one thing I would have done first. I would have done that earlier because it looks easy on social media sometimes, and you see all the wins, right? And and of course, that's what they're gonna show you, but this industry is anything but easy, right? It is it is very, very hard, it is super stressful. You are carrying a ton of weight all the time, right? And if you're not prepared for that in your mind, you are not gonna be successful or you're just you're not gonna be happy, right? And especially with um Triss and I, who are business owners together, right? We're partners, we're also life partners in our personal, in our personal home, and we have a family. And so it was even more important for us to work on all of that mindset stuff from the very beginning.
SPEAKER_04Start with the end in mind, you know what I mean? I'm and make sure as you're building whatever it is you're trying to that it's not success at all costs, because it can't be. Um, because ultimately you can look on social media, like you were saying, and you see all these people standing in front of Lambos and whatever it is, talking about how much money they make. But are they happy? Are they happy? Are they still married? Do they have great relationships with their family? And so start with the end in mind and be very crystal clear in what you you want your life to be and build that life and the business around that life, not your life around your business.
SPEAKER_05You guys are speaking my language right now. So when I'm when I'm not directing sales marketing for three squared, I guide breath work and mindset mentorship for people.
SPEAKER_02Love that.
SPEAKER_05And what you touched on around like you can have the Lambo and you can have the this and then that, but are you still married? Are you happy? And I love when I see like power duos like you guys who you can just tell like the foundation of your relationship is strong, not to be like that's kind of a funny correlation with like foundations of housing, but yeah, I love that. The foundation of the relationship comes first.
SPEAKER_00I love that. That's exactly where it starts in real estate as well, right? With our with our foundations, if it's not solid, then you're building on a a broken system, you know what I mean? And I think it is important, especially if you're working with your wife, because it is the most rewarding thing in the world, um, but it also is a struggle at times, it's hard, right? Um, to have that solid foundation and and also understand that you need to also be marching in the same direction at all times, right? That the goals and the visions have to be the same. And the only way you can tell that, because we're human beings and things change, is if you're constantly checking in. Um, and so yeah, a lot of a lot of things that we have learned over the last six years.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, from trial and error. We're speaking from burnout, we're speaking from tears, we're speaking from pain, you know. Like, so we're we're speaking from a place of we've been there, we've done that, that's not worth it. And this is, you know.
SPEAKER_06That's wonderful. Cause so I have a follow-up question that might be a little bit controversial. You guys sound so resilient. Like you again, you have that great foundation, and on social media you just see all these highlight reels. I was wondering if there was any moment in particular that was like a make or break for you guys that either like nearly broke you, or like what was something that was the most difficult part of this process because we know that people breaking into development in real estate, it's not for the faint apart.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_04We have a few, but I mean, the one that comes to mind was um probably end of 2022, um I I hadn't healed from everything I've gone through in my life. And I feel like entrepreneurs, we carry around the most. Baggage and we like to succeed our problems away. We like to accomplish the the issue away because if I just hit this dollar amount or this goal or this level of success, I'm gonna be good. Everything is gonna be good. And then you get there. I think um in uh end of 2022 was the year we hit our first million-dollar year as a millionaire. We made the kind of money that and I felt nothing. I felt absolutely nothing. If anything, I didn't get any joy from it. I was actually on the verge of depression and I hit total burnout. And I think that was a really big um point for me to be like, whoa, Tristan, what the heck is going on? Because this isn't what you're working so hard for. And it made me do that journey of going inward and healing and processing and and learning about um, you know, not and guys, I'm a I'm a mental health counselor by trade. We're the worst clients. You know what I mean? Like, no, you can't counsel me. I already know all that stuff. You know what I mean? So um, yeah, that was a pivotal point for me that it's not about any external success, and your happiness and your joy cannot be tied to anything external, and it's very uncomfortable and vulnerable to take steps backwards in your emotional, mental health, and um spiritual journey, but it's so critical because it's gonna hold you back if you're not aligned and connected holistically, mind, body, spirit, emotion.
SPEAKER_00Um, so yeah, feeling feeling all the parts of you and listening to all the parts of you, you know what I mean? And I think I saw her. I mean, we were together obviously during that time, and I I watched and tried to support as much as I could through that process, but I also realized that she needed to go through this on her journey in her way, you know what I mean? But what I did was understand it and I listened and I was comforting and I was there, right? Um, but I also learned from it, like I was open to it. And I think what it caused me to do is be more interested in it. And um, so she found her person that was that helped her walk through that. Uh, and shortly after that, I also found that exact same person um who we who we now work with together, right? Every week we're we're doing it together. Yeah, um, and so I think you know it it kind of even stems back from the industry that we are in promotes this hustle culture culture, yeah, right? It's yeah, it's success at all costs.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, it's do whatever it takes, grind it out, and it's it's like measured by how many doors you have or how many, how much money you make, uh how many followers you have, how much revenue you bring in. And I think if you're just looking at those goalposts, what you'll realize is when you get there, just like we did, if you aren't totally in tune with yourself and healed, you're not gonna be happy. And and it's not sustainable long term, right? And so what we have have realized is there has to be a purpose as well. You know what I mean? Like you have to be purpose and mission driven. And I think a lot of times when we're we're starting, we're like just trying to climb out of a hole and make some money, and that makes sense. Like a lot of people do, but at some point in your career, you're gonna realize that there has to be something else there if you want to one be happy on the journey and two sustain it long term.
SPEAKER_03Absolutely.
SPEAKER_05And so, what do you what would you tell people when they're in that gritty place? Because I agree with everything that you just said. And there are sometimes these seasons I find where people who have that drive, you know, it can be tricky to tell. It's like, is this one of these moments where it's like it's just uncomfortable and I'm in the elevator, kind of like between chapters in my life and like leveling up? Or is this a time where I like need to step back and prioritize my mental health, my emotional health, my spiritual well-being? How and I know it's so subjective and depends, but what would you say have been some indicators for you to tell where you're at on that spectrum and and maintain balance in that way?
SPEAKER_04That's a super good question.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I love that question.
SPEAKER_04If you're um, I think a huge indicator is if you achieve something and you don't have the emotion that you thought you would, that's probably a telltale sign you need to check in with yourself. Yeah. Um, but I always encourage people, it doesn't matter where you are, it's never too late. And to start there. Like you said, don't start um don't start with the practical application and skill building. Start with that holistic approach of mind, emotion, spirituality, and personal development because that really is gonna be the main key that's gonna allow you to retain the skill set that you actually want and achieve that goal of what you want, and then continue moving that goalpost forward and creating more of an impact within your personal life and your community because you're a healthy, well-rounded individual. Um so yeah, and I think if you're a parent, uh there's another whole layer of that as well. So if you're not showing up in that relationship the way that you want to, that's a sign. Um, if you're only focused on the destination and not enjoying the journey, that's a telltale sign. Um, I don't know.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think as you as you go through the self-development process and you're talking to people about how you're feeling or you're getting in tune with yourself, you start to recognize when when it's going over the line a little bit easier. And I think that happens through experience only. That's the only way that it happens. And for me personally, and I I agree it is very subjective because, dude, we're in a crazy business, right? And there are gonna be times where it feels a little easier, and then times seasons that you go through where everything is super hard, but right beyond that hard point, you you like unlock a new level, like you you get to a new level, and then it comes becomes easier. And so that's a such such a good question. When do you know when it's that or when you should push through? You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_04I also think a good for me, I'm like now, I'm like thinking back like what were all my red flags, right? It's like if if something that you could have handled and wouldn't trigger you, wouldn't you stress you out, is now doing that, that means your capacity to handle stuff is shrinking and you really need to take a step back and figure out what's going on internally. Because as you address, as you are emotionally regulated and connected to yourself and not just bulldozing your emotions with, I have to have a strong mindset and really processing all that is you um and getting your strength internally and not externally, your capacity to handle stress and hard situations and navigate new um circumstances will grow. So if your capacity is shrinking, you should probably do some healing. If your capacity is growing and you're like, I feel good, I can do this, I think you're on the right track.
SPEAKER_05It's like I find too that sometimes the more capacity, the more you grow your capacity to be with stress, it's like on the other end of that spectrum, the more capacity you actually grow to enjoy the fruits of your labor as well. It's like the the more capacity you go on the one end, it's like you can actually receive the wins in a whole new way as well.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and I don't think you ever like I don't think you ever stop. I don't think you ever it's like you don't ever get there.
SPEAKER_00No, it's not a get there moment.
SPEAKER_04It's not like, oh no, I went to therapy, like I'm good. No, no, no, no, no. It's it's constant. So I think understanding that is gonna be a game changer for somebody as well.
SPEAKER_06I like how self-aware you guys are of this process too, because I think a danger in this is that sometimes it's such a like it's the grind, it's the hustle that I could see people easily being like, I'm gonna ignore this tension that I feel and just push through it and push through it. And like Tristan said, you can start to feel this significant burnout. And then it finally forces you to kind of like reevaluate. And in some ways, I think people might perceive it as like being selfish that you're taking some time to like do this powerful self-healing. But really, when you do that for yourself, you can show up so much better for other people, and then it all connects back to what you were saying. Like people tend to either gravitate towards you or you find other people with those same values, and you start to create this larger powerhouse and this network to make your projects become a reality, and you start to surround yourself with those like-minded people.
SPEAKER_03Yes, 100%, exactly. Exactly.
SPEAKER_05So, new question for you it's an interesting industry to be very self-aware in because you deal with a lot of people who are not self-aware. And maybe, you know, people listening, you're probably dealing with city officials and contractors and tradespeople and you know, people who are they're in the grind and they're direct, and maybe they're not the kindest or most pleasant people to work with, or maybe you've had completely different experiences. But how do you deal with that when you are managing your own self and your own mindset and simultaneously dealing with people who are in more of that like cutthroat get it done mindset?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I feel like that's always a work in progress, number one. Um, but number two, I think it's just that. I think it's being aware and always having empathy and understanding that, hey, this might not be even about you. Um, take a step back and realize that just because you're on this journey of understanding you and healing and being holistic and mindset, emotion, all that, just because you have done the work, it doesn't mean other people have. So you can't expect people to show up the same way that you want them to show up or the same way that you're showing up. So just having compassion, I think. Um at the end of the day, nothing you do in this industry is alone. I mean, we work together, we can't renovate our houses without our crews. Um, there's a wide net that's cast in this industry, and you're you're you're spreading the workout, you know, there's an impact, and so you can't do it alone. And relationships are everything. And I think leading by example, communicating how you want to be communicated with, treating people how you want to be treated. And then if that real thank people when they show you who they are and um be okay with walking away from relationships that aren't in alignment with what you're trying to do and how you want to do business. Um, and know that yeah, it might be a hard decision. I mean, we've had to walk away from contractors that we've worked with for years.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Um, and that's just because that business relationship and that personal relationship was no longer in alignment. And it's a very hard decision, but you have to be willing to do that because if you're holding on to something like this and and you're not like this, and just be like, Okay, God, whatever you need me to do, I need to do. Um, he can't give you the next thing that he's like, yo, come on, I'm waiting for you. I'm waiting for you to let go of that. You know what I mean? So um hire slow, fire quick. Yeah.
SPEAKER_06Wow, I think Leslie's gonna be so bummed she wasn't on this podcast.
SPEAKER_05I mean, she's gonna be listening to this, like really.
SPEAKER_00I know this is this is the real stuff. But this is the stuff that needs to be talked about.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, all the time. It's not about you, and and you can't take it personal, even though at times, like in this industry, it does feel so personal because you're putting your heart and soul into this.
SPEAKER_00Oh my god, totally, yeah, I know. Yeah, in in so many different ways. So yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05Well, I'm sitting here grateful that Breck, who's our director of design, is not on the call. Because I got to ask you guys all the questions I wanted to ask you today. Um, but I am curious to go back to that HGTV episode just to ask because we um really early on, we Jill and I weren't even on the team yet, but Leslie, our CEO and founder of the company, she had an HGTV feature when they were building the model center, which is a three-story shipping container, mixed use space that Jill's currently sitting in recording this right now. So cool. Um it's like our model unit and also our office. Um, but what was that like for you guys doing the HGTV filming?
SPEAKER_00Oh wow. I mean, uh it was all the things. Yeah, it was definitely all the things. It was nerve-wracking, it was scary, it was exciting, it was so much fun, you know. Um, but Tris and I never had TV in the cards, like uh our goal board, you would never ever see anything about TV, right? And we were just trudging away, building our little business here. And so when they reached out to us, we literally thought it was a scam. We looked at that email and were like, This has got TV show.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I thought if I touched it, it was gonna put a virus on my you know what I mean. I was like, let's leave that there. Uh no.
SPEAKER_00So um, yeah, and so it what happened is we started getting reached out to by other investors in Hawaii and other realtors in Hawaii, and they're like, Hey, there's this production company talking to me, and they're looking for a husband and wife team that does a certain amount of projects a year, and they're asking, they think they would be good on TV. That's what they were.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, that is what they said. Yeah, think that they would look showcase well on TV, right?
SPEAKER_00And so they kept referring them to us um here on the island. So we after three months went back to that email, we clicked it and we started.
SPEAKER_04They had sent a few, so I was like, okay, well, you know, uh, but one thing led to another, you know, uh when production companies are scouting for talent and they're in the production phase of development phase of trying to pitch a show to a network and get picked up, there's so much that goes into it. And so we we were we had no idea what this industry was and how things worked. And um, we were so new and uh we were just along for the ride, but we looked at each other and we're like, do we really want to do this? Because believe it or not, I am not an extroverted person all the time. I I can turn it on. I love talking to people, I love building relationships and sharing our message. But at the same time, I also love being alone and in my own space and doing my own thing. So I was like, you know, it's very vulnerable to put your whole business out there and your whole family out there. And so it took a lot of prayer, it took a lot of conversations back and forth. But ultimately we said, what's the end goal? If the end goal is impact and the end goal is growing the business, then this is probably the best decision we could make. Um uh, but it it made it easy because we already did this for a living, we had already been doing this for years, you know.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, we didn't create our business around a TV show, which oftentimes happen, right? It happens a lot, you know what I mean? And so when we did set the expectations with the production company, though, right? You're probably their hardest clients, you got we we were open to doing it, but we wanted them to showcase what we do, we don't want to create TV, yeah. Um, and so obviously we had to find a balance there, but I think they did a really good job of showing an authentic view of our business. I think logistically, it was a lot more than we thought it was gonna be.
SPEAKER_06Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00Um, I mean, we're filming from seven in the morning till six at night, and you're having to repeat yourself oftentimes, and so it's it would there was a steep learning curve. I think now after filming one season and getting to the eight house and episode, we have worked a lot of the kinks out.
SPEAKER_04Um, but it was a lot, it was a lot, it was exciting, it was stressful, it was nerve-wracking, it was rewarding, it was all the things, and we're so blessed that we had the opportunity to showcase our culture, our family, our homes, um, our business. It's it's we don't take the opportunity and the responsibility lightly, and so we're just happy to be here.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think oftentimes people hear about Hawaii and they're like, uh paradise, it's beautiful, it's vacation, yeah. You know what I mean? But don't necessarily know a ton about the culture and about the places that you don't see on the tourist postcards and the people here and how special they are and how much they mean. Um, and so we wanted to be able to showcase that uh along with you know our story, right? We we were struggling. Yeah, we were $80,000 in debt when we got started, literally living paycheck to paycheck. Um, and so it is also inspiration for other local families here that maybe are also struggling or and don't want to move away.
SPEAKER_04Wondering how they can achieve home ownership, wondering how they can thrive here in the only place that we call home, you know. So it's like if we can showcase and give any type of hope that it is possible, then then mission accomplished, you know.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah. Well, stories like your guys's that people literally get the motivation and the energy to to know that they can do it too. So I love that you guys are sharing your story and that you're open about where you started and are honest about the work that it takes, both inner work and outer work, to achieve what you've been able to achieve. And it doesn't sound like you're slowing down or stopping anytime soon.
SPEAKER_00Just getting started, you know what I mean? I I I think we're blessed because we found a vehicle that is real estate that allows us to be purpose and mission driven while at the same time creating something that will last a lifetime with our family, right? Generations, generations, and so I think those are really our our two passions that that exploded together when we found real estate, and we just wanna amplify those things, you know. And I think the TV show is a way to be able to do that, um, and to get us there quicker and just to to impact, to have more impact. I think that's the goal.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah. And so my last question for you, and then I'll pass it to Jill if she has any final questions is what is your next goalpost?
SPEAKER_00Um, I think we're both we have so many. Yeah, we're both kind of visionaries. Um, I mean, for sure, uh very like big goal-oriented, kind of kind of crazy. Um, so we're always like thinking about new things and um new ideas, new business opportunities are popping up, but we have like a couple that are in the works.
SPEAKER_04I mean, I think our podcast is something that we'll just keep doing and double down on, obviously, being able to get higher level thinkers and have those conversations and and broadcast them. Um, but we want to go into teaching people what we actually do because I we get it all the time and and our capacity has grown. So we have been able, I think now we're in a position where we can teach, we can show people how we actually do this, the nitty-gritty, the logistics, all the stuff that you will not see on the TV show. You know what I mean? Because that's not sexy. So, um, and people want to know. We get the question all the time how do you guys do this? How do you guys invest in a high price point market? How are you guys buying million dollar homes with none of your own money? Um, what is all of this back and forth? What documents are you using? Wait, creative finance, what? Like, I mean, let's teach. People, how that they they can achieve wealth in an expensive market. They can have abundance and thrive in Hawaii. Um, although majority of society will tell you that people are leaving and um it's too hard to live here. What if it's not? What if it's capable? What if we can do this? What if we can buy back land and keep locals home? So I think that's what's next for us. Um, it was something that it is next. We are working on it. Um, and it'll be through our brand, Dils and Aloha. Um, we're also starting a construction company for retail homeowners with my my brother, uh, general contractor, because we also get that question a lot.
SPEAKER_00Um can you renovate our kitchen? Yeah, can you do this addition? Can you, you know, the the homeowner side of things? And I think with the TV show and that even more eyeballs on like our design and what we do, it's just going to be amplified even more. And so yeah, it's a way for us to capitalize on those eyes. Yep.
SPEAKER_04So that'll be Hawaii custom creations, and we'll be able to take on retail clients um and do that, you know, because again, our capacity has changed and I think it's a good direction. Whereas our investing business, our our residential redevelopment and fixed and flip will always be there, but let's add something else um that people are asking for that we could we were saying no to prior, but now we can say yes. So yeah.
SPEAKER_05That's amazing. We'll link your podcast down below in the podcast description. Deals in the Loha so people can check it out. Thank you. Appreciate it. And as you get into it, sounds like is it like a coaching direction in some or a mentorship?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, you know, or still working out the kinks, but it'll be very fix and flip focused. Um, just the basics of how we got here because ultimately investing in real estate through fix and flip um is what got us here. And I think when you're able to generate a large amount of income, you can now have choice. You can have choice to pay down debt, you can have choice to um buy assets, buy assets, give you money every month, you know what I mean? We can have choice, and so um, yeah, we'll do a mentorship of some sort.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, amazing. Well, if you ever need any guest speakers or anything like that, we'd love to come in on alternative materials and construction type things. That would be amazing.
SPEAKER_00Would totally love that, yes, yeah. We're we're very interested in actually in what you do, so I know um the alternative material space, and you guys have like crushed it. So I I'm maybe we talk offline too about this stuff. Um but yeah, would love to to connect even further.
SPEAKER_05We'd love that, absolutely. And Jill, just as we close out here, do you have any final questions or thoughts?
SPEAKER_06Yeah, I kind of want to end on a high note here. So if you guys can pick like one single moment, like what's the biggest win or like your favorite moment throughout this whole process?
SPEAKER_04If you guys could narrow it down to one of um the TV show or our investing career, just every everything or just lunch.
SPEAKER_06Either one, yeah, any any of the above.
SPEAKER_04Oh man. You know, a big one for me um was achieving home ownership because we chose to invest in real estate. The house that we live in right now, the home that we are sitting in live coming to you, um, was a uh a fix and foot property that we decided to keep. And it's two streets over from where I was personally raised, where my parents still live, and down the street from the high school that I went to. And that's why we got into real estate was because we wanted to make more money, we wanted to achieve home ownership. So that is a huge testament to what investing in real estate can do. And we did it through very unconventional ways. I mean, this house had like what 20 cars in the driveway and uh holes in the roof, and um but we we renovated it, we refinanced it, and we were able to cash out and get paid $30,000 to live here. And if more people knew that, I think more people would do that. Yeah.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_04What about you? What's yeah, I mean, I think you have another highlight.
SPEAKER_00There, there's like uh I think the first thing that always pops is like we had some deals where we made a lot of money, right? And and as I as I go back and look at that, I I really don't think that those are like the specific moments for me, but recently um, recently I was able to walk my acquisitions manager through his very first flip. Um, helped him get it under contract. And I'm telling you, this guy has been working at real estate for almost three years, three years just like trying all the things and like nothing hitting for him, you know. And and so he reached out to me and we brought him on the team and I trained him up um on how to talk on the phone and some sales stuff. And he's been a big asset, but his ultimate goal is to do what we do, you know what I mean? And so we found the prop the perfect opportunity for him, locked it up under contract. Um, I just I took the training wheels off and I I let him handle the deal, his name on everything, his his name on the hard money lending paperwork. So it's like his, you know, yeah. Um, and walked him through that process and he just sold that house. And that felt like unreal. It it's unreal to see that. And I think it it reinforces the bigger um goal for us to elevate the people that we care about and the people in our community and the people around us. And I think that's the power of real estate. You can make money, but you can make money, uh, you can help other people elevate their lives, you know. So it's the best of both worlds.
SPEAKER_04I have like so many that are popping in my head now.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_06I'm glad you guys have so many good reflections throughout this process because I did I wanted to touch on the challenges, but also kind of end on the highlight.
SPEAKER_00Totally, totally. It's it's definitely not all doom and gloom. We are in the it is worth it, the best. The I I mean, I'm biased because you know, this is what we what we do, but I wouldn't change anything that we are doing for the world.
SPEAKER_03So same.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, same. Love to hear that. We love to end on a high note, guys. Thank you so much for your time for coming on here, for sharing your wisdom. And I love that we were able to kind of like go a layer deeper in this episode because it's so crucial. And I think people are definitely gonna want to hear more from you after this. So we'd love to have you on again in the future, but in the meantime, can you please share where people can find you?
SPEAKER_02Yes, yeah, we're easy.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's just our names on social media is the best place um on all platforms. We're just at Kamo High and Tristan. Um, and you can also find us on HTTP on Tuesdays at Tuesdays at seven o'clock Hawaii time, but that's nine.
SPEAKER_05It's nine p.m. central.
SPEAKER_009 p.m. central. Yeah, that's where I'm at.
SPEAKER_05So that makes it easy with the central time. Yeah, yeah. Cool guys. Well, we're gonna definitely have our team catch up on the episodes here. And uh, I want to know what happened with that tree.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, please tag us and and tell us your favorite part about the episode. Tag httv, hashtag renovationaloha. I would love to hear from you guys and what you think.
SPEAKER_05Amazing. Thank you guys so much, and thank you everyone for listening to this episode. Please go ahead and check out the show notes that are linked in the podcast description for everything that we talked about today and follow along with Tristan and Kamohai. Thank you guys. Bye.
SPEAKER_02Aloha.
SPEAKER_05We hope you enjoyed this episode. And if you found it so valuable, you want to connect with us one-on-one, click the link in the description to tell us all about your project so we can help you get started. And to get notified on the next episode here on Innovative Real Estate, go ahead and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes so you never miss a beat. Get out there, put today's advice into action, and we will see you in the next episode.