The Builder Nation Podcast — hosted by real estate developer and entrepreneur Brian Koons (a.k.a. The Builder Brian) — dives deep into how high-performing entrepreneurs, investors, and creators use leverage to build wealth, health, freedom, and legacy.
Each episode breaks down the real playbooks behind millionaire entrepreneurs and developers who do more with the same 24 hours — no silver spoons, no shortcuts.
Expect raw conversations about business, systems, fitness, family, mindset, and building a life that actually cash flows — in every sense of the word.
New episodes weekly. Built for the ones who want more out of life… and are willing to build it.
How Developers Actually Make Money w/CJ Catrambone | TBN 036
Most people looking at an ADU project start with the wrong question, and it can cost them years and hundreds of thousands of dollars before they realize it.
In this episode, Brian Koons (@thebuilderbrian), who has looked at nearly every ADU deal to hit the San Diego market over the past six years, sits down on an active job site to walk through the entire journey of an ADU project, from the first look at a property all the way to the exit.
Brian shares why he tells people what not to build far more often than what to build, why one of the “safest” looking deal types on the market right now deserves a second look, and the surprisingly simple approach behind how he finds his deals when everyone else is digging for off-market leads. You’ll also hear what separates the projects that made their owners serious money from the ones that ended up back with the bank, and the one mistake that sets off a chain reaction most investors never see coming.
Whether you’re sitting on equity in your own home and wondering about a unit in the backyard, or you’re looking to scale into bigger development deals, this conversation will change how you look at your next property. Stick around to the end for the story of Brian’s very first deal, which turned out a lot differently than anyone planned.
Thinking about building an ADU or need a team to manage your project properly? Get in touch: https://form.typeform.com/to/N94A3a27 (https://form.typeform.com/to/N94A3a27)
Follow CJ Catrambone
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-catrambone-8065167b/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-catrambone-8065167b/)
Instagram: instagram.com/cjcatrambone (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=channel_description&redir_token=QUlxb01IYnNWNUtOZjF2MVFPd3Q5bDVkenZSV3xBSTVJdTV2ckdjMTExdVJ5NUN3a1dSTDBnYlFxVHdsS2ZQOElrS0gtcnpmYTF6dW9ZZFFYNDFzdWtIb1FfenJZQ2J0WFlGaXRaaERSdC11WmhqQ19vbW5CYklJNC1EYTV4RjJi&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fcjcatrambone%2F)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CJthedeveloper (https://www.youtube.com/@CJthedeveloper)
Follow The Builder Brian:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuilderbrian/?hl=en (https://www.instagram.com/thebuilderbrian/?hl=en)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankoons/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankoons/)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_builderbrian (https://www.youtube.com/@the_builderbrian)
24 Sept 2026
From VA Loan House Hacking to 1,100 Units w/Morgan Hampel | TBN 035
At 22, Morgan Hampel walked away from his own startup's payout so his co-founders could survive without him. By the day he left active duty in the Navy, he had built a portfolio of 1,100 apartment units while still wearing the uniform.
In this episode of The Builder Nation Podcast, Brian sits down with Morgan, co-founder of Hammer and Hampel and VP of Capital Formation at Comfort Capital, to break down exactly how he went from house hacking in Charleston to raising $32.5 million for a single mobile home park deal. The first apartment offer he and his partner ever submitted got accepted, and they had to raise $1 million having never raised a dollar before. They closed on day 88 of a 90 day escrow.
If you're a high earner, a veteran, or anyone who's been "getting ready" to invest for years, this conversation is the push you've been waiting for. Morgan and Brian get real about why most partnerships blow up (and the one conversation that prevents it), why the fear of a bad decision keeps more people broke than any bad deal ever will, and why relationship capital compounds faster than money.
What you'll learn:
How Morgan cash flowed $400 a month while living for free on his first VA loan property
The "joint custody" framework for structuring business partnerships before they go sideways
How they went from 0 to 174 units in six months with no track record
Why San Diego real estate is an equity and tax play, not a cash flow play
The Outliers framework that finally convinced him to leave the Navy
Why mobile home parks might be one of the most overlooked asset classes right now
Thinking about building an ADU or need a team to manage your project properly? Get in touch: https://form.typeform.com/to/N94A3a27 (https://form.typeform.com/to/N94A3a27)
Follow Morgan Hampel
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-hampel (https://www.instagram.com/morganhampel/?hl=en )
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morganhampel/?hl=en (https://www.instagram.com/morganhampel/?hl=en )
Morgan's fund: https://www.instagram.com/hammerandhampel/?hl=en
Follow The Builder Brian:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuilderbrian/?hl=en (https://www.instagram.com/thebuilderbrian/?hl=en)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankoons/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankoons/)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_builderbrian (https://www.youtube.com/@the_builderbrian)
9 Sept 2026
How To Not Be An A**hole Developer w/David Namazy | TBN 034
Most real estate investors think adding density is an automatic ticket to wealth, but the modern ADU gold rush is quietly wrecking portfolios across the country.
While the hype promises easy cash flow and fast scaling, the reality on the ground involves bitter neighborhood wars, crushing management overhead, and unexpected legal battles that catch high-income earners completely off guard.
In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the hidden pitfalls of property development and break down what it actually takes to build a sustainable, long-term portfolio without sacrificing your sanity.
We also discuss:
The Density Trap: Discover why chasing high-density studio units might look incredible on a spreadsheet, but ultimately ruins your long-term peace of mind with crushing vacancy rates and constant management headaches.
The Designer Blindspot: Find out why hiring a standard architect who only cares about making things pretty - and doesn't understand your performance or tenant rentability - is secretly sabotaging your cash flow.
The "Spirit and Intent" Rule: Learn how ignoring municipal regulations and cramming properties into spaces neighbors genuinely hate will land you in expensive legal trouble and neighborhood lawsuits.
Building for Retirement, Not a New Job: Hear how to shift your mindset from mindless expansion to creating a lifestyle portfolio that actually lets you enjoy life rather than trading one exhausting career for another.
If you are tired of following generic real estate advice that leads straight to stress, this conversation will completely change how you look at property development, mentorship, and building true wealth.
Thinking about building an ADU or need a team to manage your project properly? Get in touch: https://form.typeform.com/to/N94A3a27 (https://form.typeform.com/to/N94A3a27)
Follow David Namazy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidnamazy/?hl=en (https://www.instagram.com/davidnamazy/?hl=en)
Email him: david@catalystcoastalcapital.com
Follow The Builder Brian:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuilderbrian/?hl=en (https://www.instagram.com/thebuilderbrian/?hl=en)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankoons/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankoons/)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_builderbrian (https://www.youtube.com/@the_builderbrian)
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Spotify
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10 ratings
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