Land and Money : Finance, Development, and Design: Recent Episodes
Adam Word Gates
A podcast exploring all aspects of real estate development. Hosted by award winning architect, Adam Word Gates.
Bobby Fijan is a housing developer in Philadelphia who has a particular interest in urban housing for families.
In this episode Bobby talks about the importance of designing and building specifically with families in mind, and he offers suggestions for how we can do it better.
In this episode Richard unpacks best practices and common mistakes for commercial real estate transactions, which are his specialty. We talk about trust, staying organized, making compromises, and much more.
In this episode I sit down with Andrew Overton, founder of Creative Land Strategies.
What you're about to hear was recorded on September 18th, 2025.
If you are a novice or small scale real estate developer, this one is for you.
In this episode of the podcast, I sit down with Andrew Overton of Creative Land Strategies. Andrew is a development consultant and mentor with 25 years of experience and a nationwide reach.
There are a bunch of great lessons in this conversation. But my favorite is the idea that acting classes are better than a law degree.
The best part of all of it for me is that Andrew really has the heart of a teacher. So much so that he's created a real estate development certificate program that he sells on his website for a very reasonable rate. He practically gives it away. So check that out at creativelandstrategies.com.
Sarah Monroe is a professional designer and aspiring architect in San Antonio. She currently leads the AIA San Antonio Emerging and Young Architects Committee, and is the recipient of the 2025 AIA San Antonio Rising Star Award.
This is Her Story.
In today's episode Adam reaches the conclusion of The Speed of Trust; looking at the last subchapter "The Propensity to Trust."
In today's episode Adam continues in the last chapter of The Speed of Trust; looking at the next subchapter "Restoring Trust When It Is Lost"
In today's episode Adam begins the last chapter of The Speed of Trust; looking at the first subchapter "Extending Smart Trust".
In this episode Adam reviews the next two chapters of "The Speed of Trust" by Stephen M.R. Covey. He speaks briefly about the chapter on Market Trust, and moves on to the chapter about Societal Trust.
In this episode Adam moves on to the next chapter of "The Speed of Trust", which deals with organizational trust.
In today's episode Adam takes a closer look at the next five trust building behaviors in The Speed of Trust. These five behaviors are associated with competence.
In today's episode Adam takes a closer look at the last three trust building behaviors in The Speed of Trust. These three behaviors require both competence and confidence.
In today's episode Adam takes a look at the first 5 trust building behaviors in The Speed of Trust. These first 5 behaviors are associated with character.
In today's episode Adam moves into the next chapter of The Speed of Trust dealing with relationship trust and the principle of behavior.
In this episode Adam looks back on the last 10 days studying the Four Core of Credibility in "The Speed of Trust".
In this episode Adam continues his study of trust with the fourth core of credibility from "The Speed of Trust " by Stephen M.R. Covey.
If credibility is a tree, then "Results" are the fruit.
In this episode Adam continues his study of trust with the third core of credibility from "The Speed of Trust " by Stephen M.R. Covey.
If credibility is a tree, then "Capabilities" are the branches.
In this episode Adam interviews Meg Epstein; an award winning real estate developer from Nashville TN.
Nicki Marrone is a Managing Principle and 24 year veteran of Alamo Architects.
This is Her Story.
In this episode Adam continues his study of trust with the second core of credibility from "The Speed of Trust " by Stephen M.R. Covey.
If credibility is a tree, then "Intent" is the trunk.
In this episode Adam continues his study of trust with the first core of credibility from "The Speed of Trust " by Stephen M.R. Covey.
If credibility is a tree, then "Integrity" is the root system.
In this episode Adam continues his study of Trust with an over of chapter 2 in "The Speed of Trust" by Stephen M.R. Covey.
In this episode Adam continues his study of Trust with the rest of chapter 01 in "The Speed of Trust" by Stephen M.R. Covey.
In this episode Adam continues his study of Trust by sharing notes on Chapter 01 of "The Speed of Trust" by Stephen M.R. Covey.
Day 32 - The Speed of Trust, Pt. 1 - 100 Days of Vulnerability
In this episode Adam begins his study of Trust by jumping into "The Speed of Trust" by Stephen M.R. Covey.
In this episode Adam offers thoughts about the 30% project milestone, and creates expectations for the days to come.
In this episode Adam speaks about boundaries, scope creep, and a particular personality trait.
(The episode is published a day late. The night before we got hung up on the Instagram post and forgot to publish the full podcast.)
In this episode Adam shares a new development in a prospective project, and introduces the idea of a Pre-Design and Feasibility study.
In this episode Adam reflects on the different types of effort and gratification at the end of a construction project.
In this episode Adam speaks off the cuff about project delivery methods, trust, and vulnerability.
In this episode Adam reflects briefly on the first 20 days of this series, and sets expectations for the week ahead.
In this episode Adam (finally) dives into the Architects Services; describing what architects do and why he thinks typical contracts are flawed.
In this episode Adam takes a few steps back to review the Table of Articles in the standard contract he is reviewing.
In this episode Adam begins to unpack what architects do in their scope of basic services.... but he was delightfully interrupted by friendly neighbors, so he'll gather these thoughts again tomorrow.
In this episode Adam continues to examine a standard design contract; focusing today on the first portion of the "Scope of Architects Services".
In this episode Adam continues to examine a standard design contract; focusing today on the section entitled "Architect's Responsibilities"
In this episode Adam discusses the project description and initial information portions an example contract.
In this episode Adam discusses a bit about the importance of knowing who you're working with.
In this episode Adam begins looking at a boilerplate design services contract through the lenses of trust, relationships, and vulnerability.
Allison Lerma is a senior architect at Overland Partners Architects, and the current Co-Chair of the Women in Architecture network.
This is Her Story.
In this episode Adam shifts gears to begin looking at interpersonal systems in greater detail.
In this episode Adam wades into the topic of Trust to discover that it's quite deep, and will take some extra effort to understand.
In this episode Adam shares a bit about a cloudy day, and a touchy subject he's been mulling over.
In this episodes Adam mixes ideas from Dr. Brene Brown and Ray Dalio to consider what might be missing project project culture.
I this episode Adam considers how to inject daring leadership into a project, and what project role is in the best position to so.
Guess who?
In this episode Adam takes a more balanced view, weighing the discouraging and encouraging prospects of Daring Leadership.
In this episode Adam explores concepts from Dr. Brene Brown's book, "Dare to Lead", and shares some thoughts on daring leadership in the built environment.
In this episode Adam reviews the table contents of "The Gifts of Imperfection" by Dr. Brene Brown, which outlines the 10 Guideposts to Wholehearted Living.
In this episode Adam introduces the work of Dr. Brene Brown and its relevance on his work as an Architect.
In this episode Adam introduces the 100 Days of Vulnerability series. A daily exercise for 100 days leading up to his 40th birthday.
This episode is a belated introduction to the Land and Money Podcast, and to the host, Adam Word Gates.
Tenna Florian is an Architect and 25 year team member at Lake Flato Architects, where is a Partner and co-leader of the Eco-Conservation Studio.
Tenna was elevated to the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows in 2023.
This is Her Story.
In this episode we sit down with Sam Sosa and Matthew Buchalski from Ownwell to learn the fundamentals of property taxes and how to save on your tax bill by hiring a consultant.
Amber Perry is a newly licensed Architect in San Antonio, TX; currently serving as the Chair-Elect of the AIA San Antonio, Women in Architecture Network. She will lead the network in 2026
Amber is an Architect and Team Leader at Open Studio Architects.
This is Her Story...
Aline Yoldi is an award winning architect in San Antonio, TX; currently serving as a Senior Associate, Office Director, and Higher Education Market Leader for Stantec San Antonio.
Aline is the founder of the Women in Architecture Network in San Antonio.
This is Her Story.
In this episode we sit down with Corrina Green, the Associate Vice President for Real Estate, Construction and Planning at the University of Texas at San Antonio. UTSA is a major development player in San Antonio, and now so more than ever as they move forward with plans for an expanded downtown campus.
Omar Gonzalez is a local leader in the San Antonio real estate development ecosystem. He is currently the Director of Development at Pearl Build, and was formerly the director of real estate for Hemisfair.
Christian Reed-Ogba is the Co-Founder of EHCU Public Relations in San Antonio. In this episode Christian and Adam discuss PR and the Built Environment, particularly in inner cities and historically marginalized communities.
In this episode we sit down with Peter French to discuss the infamous and long awaited Lone Star Brewery Development project on the San Antonio River. Peter offers insights into the recent news that Lone Star is (once again) up for sale. During the conversation we use Lonestar as a case study to discuss many aspects of complex urban real estate development.
Reeves Craig is the Vice President of Multi-Family Development for Weston Urban. Weston Urban began in 2012 as an effort to attract and retain San Antonio’s new generation of talent by reviving the city’s center. With primary services in development, leasing, and lending, Weston Urban has helped to create and define the San Antonio skyline through both thoughtful historic redevelopment and strategic ground-up construction.
John Cooley is the Chief Operating Officer of Terramark Urban Homes. With over 20 years of design and construction experience, Terramark Urban Homes is one of the leading builders of urban dwellings in San Antonio.
Ben Bowman is an Architect, Real Estate Broker, and Real Estate Developer in San Antonio, Texas. His unique approach has culminated most recently in a one of a kind development called Boston Commons in San Antonio's historic Dignowity Hill Neighborhood.
In Episode 05 we sit down with Ed Cross, the pioneering San Antonio developer responsible for The Vistana, a large mixed use residential building in downtown San Antonio. We'll also hear about his current project, Vicinia, which is raising the bar for suburban development on San Antonio's west side.
Summer Greathouse is an attorney who represents government entities in the formation and management of Public Private Partnerships.
In episode 03 we sit down with Steve Yndo, Owner and operator of Yndo Urban Development in San Antonio. In our conversation Steve shares his experience in developing urban infill projects in the King William neighborhood as well as near the Pearl. He speaks to the importance of building a neighborhoods and the challenges he faced along the way.
In Episode 02 we sit down with Jim Bruner, Executive Vice President of Kairoi Development and Co-Chair of our local ULI Housing member council. Jim shares his experience in developing residential urban high rise projects, and also his thoughts on why we don't see more of it in San Antonio.
Thad Rutherford is the President of Southstar Communities, a Central Texas based mixed-use community developer which specializes in large scale greenfield development. In his 20+ years of experience Thad has learned the value of commitment, engagement, and going the extra mile for the people and communities he serves.