The housing crisis is talked about everywhere, yet truly understood almost nowhere. Rising prices, limited supply, regulatory friction, labor shortages, and capital constraints are often treated as separate problems, when in reality they are deeply interconnected. The result is a system that struggles to deliver affordable, attainable housing at scale—despite strong demand and available capital.
In this episode, we sit down with Jon Grabowski, founder and CEO of Red Cedar, to unpack what’s really happening behind the scenes. Drawing from his experience building a vertically integrated development and homebuilding platform, Jon explains where the housing ecosystem breaks down, why traditional solutions fall short, and how build-to-rent, land strategy, and operational control play a critical role in closing the supply gap.
This conversation goes beyond headlines to explore what it will actually take to restore affordability, align investors and communities, and create housing that works for both families and long-term capital. If you want a clearer, more honest view of the housing crisis—and the path forward—this episode delivers it.
Episode Highlights Here:
Brett
Before we jump into this episode, I want to invite you to join our community to help you become a better steward scale to billions and ultimately give more or all of it away. All I want you to do is to click the subscribe button right now. I love your support. It’s incredible to see your comments, and we’re just getting started. I can’t wait to go on this journey with you. Thank you so much for subscribing. It means the world to me. Welcome everybody to the buildings podcast, where we guide successful entrepreneurs and investors on their journey from millions to billions. We believe the key to scaling and compounding your wealth and life starts every single day with the mindset and practice of stewardship, of our ownership and applying billionaire biblical principles. Our ultimate goal is help you scale and compound your wealth and life so you can give moreall the way to help the way to help. MVPs, my name is Brett Swartz, and every episode, we’re joined by the world’s top entrepreneurs, millionaires and billionaires, and they share their story, insight and wisdom with us, so we can all level up and gain more freedom and make a bigger impact. I’m excited about our next guest. He is the CEO of red cedar Capital Partners, and he has a passion for building and creating value with housing, mostly in the smile states, where we’re talking more about that we’re here live in Charlotte, North Carolina, shooting today. He’s originally from Philadelphia, and he is here with us today. I’m so excited to introduce John Grabowski, John, how we doing?
Jon Grabowski
I’m doing well. Brett, very well.
Brett
The last name, obviously, is so close, Grabowski. Okay, yeah, so we practice it a little bit, yeah. I mean, you know, and then you have wrong Gronkowski, right your whole life, maybe, or when he was popular, a lot of grabs.
Jon Grabowski
You know, a lot of you know is always grabs but yeah, just flows. Grabowski, John. Grabowski,
Brett
awesome, John. And for our listeners, get tonight for the first time, would you give us a little more about your story and your current, current focus?
Jon Grabowski
Yeah, sure. So, starting real estate out of college, I worked for a developer and then started my own Residential Brokerage business. And you know, so it was still early in my career during the Great Recession, you know, the GFC. And so, from 2009 until 2014 bought Distressed Real Estate focused on the southeast. So, Charlotte, Atlanta, Florida, Texas markets, and I like to say, took two bites of the apple, initially, for a couple years, bought foreclosed homes at the courthouse steps, had a team that would renovate those homes, then we would sell them back to single family rental groups. And you know that space got more institutionalized. As time went on, and so by about 2013 pretty much it was just the institutional groups that were buying at the courthouse steps. And us as an aggregator, we weren’t seeing as much value in that model anymore, and we started that business, literally buying 10homes, and then 20, and then 40, and increase that over time, and then the second bite of the apple. Then was buying vacant developed lots during that period of time. And so we were focused on, again, in the southeast, subdivisions that were built, maybe completed, vacant, developed lots that were ready to be built on. And at that time, believe it or not, you know, these lots had little to no value, just because there was so much supply so little demand, you know, at that time in the market. And so, we bought aa portfolio of about 1800 lots across similar states, and our plan was to sit on those for a period of time. And one of the capital groups that we worked with our first iteration said, you know, look, if you configure out a way to get a physical home on these lots, we’ll take everything that you have. And so, over the course of two and a half years, we partnered with local builders self-perform some and built not those lots and sold them to that Capital Group. And so, it was a great exit out of 2014 and we laugh, you know, these were lots that we were buying for, you know, two to $5,000 you know, homes at that time that we were building for, you know, 45 to $50 a foot. And you know, those homes are probably valued, you know, four and $500,000 now. So, you know, amazing trade for the investment groups that bought them at the time and had the capital to do so. But we were very, you know, opportunistic to play. You know, our role at that time.
Brett
Love it. So, a couple themes so far, and we’ll dive into more of these as we get the show going here. But you know, starting in the 2009 eight crash right and right there, and getting started and seeing opportunities and taking action right at the courthouse step, literally going and doing that until basically. So, if you like, this little, short clip of the interview I just did, click over here to watch the full interview. If. And please don’t forget to subscribe. Thanks so much, everybody. You.
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About Jon Grabowski
Jon Grabowski is the Founder and CEO of Red Cedar Capital Partners, a vertically integrated real estate development and homebuilding platform focused on solving housing challenges in high-growth U.S. markets. With experience spanning multiple market cycles, Jon has built and scaled businesses across land acquisition, development, construction, and build-to-rent strategies, giving him a rare, operator-level view of how housing is actually delivered at scale.
Under his leadership, Red Cedar was designed to control the entire value chain—from land sourcing to construction—allowing for greater efficiency, resilience, and alignment between capital and communities. Jon is known for pairing disciplined execution with long-term vision, focusing on restoring housing affordability, increasing supply, and creating sustainable returns for investors while addressing one of the most pressing economic issues facing families and communities today.
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