At a young age, I poured myself in to building a successful business, but after a tough year and a sideways deal, it all began to slip away. To provide for my family, I began to take the odd remodeling and handyman jobs I was offered – until one day a client took a chance on me. I seized the opportunity, [JB1] and it proved to change everything for me.

I started my construction company at the age of 20. I was driven by my ambition and passion for real estate and development and love for all things “houses”. It required all my energy and motivation – the business meant everything to me. I worked hard, brought on several employees, and we were committed to doing excellent work. Before long, we were a growing success!

In 2008, I was newly married with a baby boy. The economy was turning, which was a death sentence for many small businesses in the industry, but we continued to soldier on and thrive. I was full of optimism, running a business focused on strong client satisfaction and collaborative business partnerships.

An architect I had a working relationship with flattered me by asking me to work on her pet project – a historic home she had purchased from the early 1900s. She had a vision to honor the historic craftsmanship while completely modernizing the home from the studs out. I remember marveling at the cost, knowing how pricey these changes were. It required a huge amount of my time and effort and working with an architect, the project changed almost daily. This job would cement an already strong relationship with this architect and lead to more opportunity to grow my business.

One day a mutual past client of the architect reached out to me, and she dropped a bomb shell – the architect never intended to pay me for a large portion of my work. She dropped me from the project and refused to pay the outstanding balance. At this point, my company was plunged into debt. I filed suit; she countersued. Word came through the grapevine: She had the money to drag this out and she knew I didn't.

At home, there was another baby on the way. Fortunately, I had a couple more jobs still going and we worked to hang on, honor our debts, and pay our employees. Eventually, those jobs finished, and the economy was too poor to bring in enough new business. I didn’t know what to do.

For the first time, I felt without direction in my career and struggled with an inability to provide for my family. I had managed to find success in a career I was passionate about, but I had lost the business that was such a part of my identity. I took any odd jobs I could find, cobbling together a couple hundred bucks here and there to make ends meet.

In my spare time, I even decided to get my real estate license, despite the fact that we were two years in to the biggest economic crash since the Great Depression. Then came the letters. We were in danger of losing our house. As discouraged as I was, I couldn’t stop working. I had too many people depending on me.

One day, I took a job regrouting a shower. As I worked, I got to talking with the homeowner. He was telling me about the house, the renovations he was making, and I asked him “Why?” Then he said the magic words, “We’re selling.”

I’m still not sure what came over me. I was bent over a shower floor in grubby work clothes, covered in grout and grime when I casually said, “I sell real estate!” The homeowner looked up, surprised. I didn’t look anything like a traditional agent at that moment. But maybe he saw something in me.

He responded, “Yeah? I’d be willing to give you a shot.” He had no reason to, but I wasn’t wasting this opportunity.

The next day I came back to his house with a CMA, and he hired me as his listing agent. After the sale, I received my commission. Not exactly a windfall, but better money than I had seen in a while. I decided to go all in.

I took the money from that one sale and invested it into building a real estate business. With that investment came a new passion and a stronger drive than ever.  As my family continued to grow—I’m now the father of four boys—so did my real estate business. And I continued my hard work until I became a top producing agent in my hometown.

My background in construction gives a huge advantage to my clients. Whether they are a traditional buyer purchasing their home, a seller looking to get the most out of their sale, a developer seeking their next opportunity, or an investor looking to add a solid piece to their portfolio. I have spent my whole career working in every nook and cranny of the real estate industry, and I bring that to each client that I serve. My journey has led me to my passion – helping others find their home and build their wealth through real estate. I look forward to the opportunity to work with you, your friends, and family.

Sincerely,

Dave Anderson
REALTOR®, Broker