438 | Jon Irvine (Part 1) | The Future of Housing: The Generational Wealth Gap No One Is Talking About

In this first installment of a two-part conversation, host Darius Mirshahzadeh reconnects with longtime friend and industry veteran Jon Irvine, founder and CEO of Westcove Development. The two pick up where they left off after years apart, a reunion sparked when Jon accidentally discovered Darius's podcast while stuck in LA traffic. What follows is a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation covering Jon's biracial upbringing, his accidental entry into mortgage finance, a landmark $1.3 billion sale to Merrill Lynch 90 days before the 2008 financial crisis, the personal losses that forced him to rethink his legacy, and the unexpected signs that led him to launch a real estate development company. This episode is equal parts origin story, life philosophy, and housing industry insight with plenty of laughs along the way. In this episode, Darius and Jon will discuss: (00:00) Introduction and First Impressions (02:36) The Power of Personality Over Looks (05:25) The Impact of Generosity in Relationships (08:07) Reconnecting and the Journey to Podcasting (10:55) Background and Early Life of Jon Irvine (13:31) Transitioning from Finance to Housing Development (21:57) The Journey into Mortgages (27:59) Building a Successful Mortgage Company (32:12) Navigating the 2008 Financial Crisis (37:42) Understanding Generational Wealth Disparities (41:43) Transitioning to Real Estate Development Jon Irvine is the Founder and CEO of Westcove Development, a Southern California real estate development firm specializing in design-forward, small-lot single family homes in high-demand, supply-constrained markets. Drawing on California's evolving housing legislation — including SB1123 — Westcove manages the full development lifecycle from acquisition and entitlement through construction and sale. Jon brings nearly three decades of senior executive experience in residential finance, having held leadership roles at Change Lending, Banc of California, OneWest Bank (under CEO Steven Mnuchin), and Mr. Cooper/Nationstar, where he led initiatives across capital markets, production, and strategic growth. Through Westcove, he channels deep institutional finance expertise into scalable residential development built to meet California's urgent housing needs. Connect with Jon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonirvine/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Westcove-Development-61572683421911/  Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine  Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Write a review for The Greatness Machine using this link: https://ratethispodcast.com/spreadinggreatness.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices