How Chris King Turned a Historic Property Into His First Development Deal | EP#9

This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a movement for LOCALS ready to lead.In this insightful episode of Local Real Estate Developers, we sit down with Chris King, a young and ambitious real estate investor and developer based in Pensacola, Florida. Chris shares how he transitioned from licensed realtor to full-time developer—all before age 30—by tackling a high-risk, high-reward historic redevelopment in downtown Pensacola.Chris opens up about getting his start in real estate through his mom, landing a huge deal while still in college, and how a relationship with his former basketball coach turned into a critical business partnership. Together, they acquired a vacant historic home in a prime downtown location, planning for a straightforward flip, but as the renovation unfolded, it morphed into a full-blown redevelopment with serious learning curves.Chris takes us behind the scenes of this first project: the complications of renovating within historic guidelines, a costly stop-work order, contractor challenges, and what ultimately led him to buy out their original joint venture partner. Despite the setbacks, Chris came out stronger—refinancing the deal twice, preserving the asset, and walking away with a blueprint for future success.Topics Covered Include: ✅ How Chris got into real estate investing while still in college ✅ The deal that changed everything: acquiring a historic downtown home ✅ Why trusting new partners can be risky if you don’t verify ✅ How a stop-work order almost derailed the project ✅ Partnering with mentors and navigating hard money loans ✅ What to look for in a good development partner ✅ Advice for young developers starting with little experienceChris also reflects on the importance of patience, research, and the mindset shift from being a realtor to becoming a developer. His story is a testament to perseverance, smart partnerships, and learning by doing.💡 “If you’re doing it for the first time, take your time and don’t assume you know everything. Find someone who’s done it before and build with them.” – Chris King👉 Ready to become a local developer in your town? Apply for the Mentorship:https://www.localrealestatedeveloper.com/dev-mentorship🎧 Access all platforms, the Developer Vault, and more:https://linktr.ee/localrealestatedeveloper .#LocalRealEstateDeveloper #ThinkBigStartLocal #RealEstateWithHeart #LREDPodcast #BuildWhatMatters #CommunityFirst #FromVacantToVibrant #MentorshipMatters #NeighborhoodRebuilders #GatekeepingEndsHere