Inside San Bernardino’s First Modular Mixed-Use Affordable Housing Project

Juan Hernandez (00:00)
And you see in a home at the office, be meaningful when you see a person try to ask, “What do you need?” Don’t do it, you know, everything about yourself. No, that’s wrong. Make about them. What is the need? How can I help you? And along the lines, your business is gonna be grown, your family and the community is the benefits at the end of the day.

Issa Hanna (01:57)
Welcome back to another episode of the Real Estate Pro Show. I’m Issa Hanna, and today I have Juan Hernandez, somebody taking San Bernardino and changing it totally. Juan, welcome to the show.

Juan Hernandez (02:09)
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Issa. It’s a pleasure being here, you know, and I just wanna let people know what’s coming next.

Issa Hanna (02:17)
Definitely. And I’m excited just talking to you, having family in San Bernardino and having a little bit of history in there. So for people that are at home and we maybe we already got wondering, what what is Juan doing? What are you what are you doing right now, Juan?

Juan Hernandez (02:31)
What I’m doing right now, so it’s, you know, a a a great a a great opportunity, and we are doing a mixed-use project in San Bernardino. So to change people’s life and mo mostly to the community. This is for the community.

Issa Hanna (02:47)
Definitely. And you’re starting with basically housing that’s affordable. So you’re building modular homes, the first of its kind in San Bernardino, and people are gonna be able to get in, and it’s gonna be a lot more affordable from what what you’re telling me, correct?

Juan Hernandez (03:02)
Yes, yes. So I was, you know, I was telling you that one of my partners, Robert Carrillo, and LaunchPad are doing this project, you know, for the community. And yes, it’s gonna be in mixed-use, and the bottom, you know, commercial and the top floors are gonna be forty-eight apartments. And you know, yesterday it was the groundbreaking ceremony for the San Bernardino to see exactly what we’re coming to build in that beautiful city.

But yes, it’s gonna be mixed-use, you know, mixed income from low to high income, but mostly for people coming out of foster care, okay, McKinney-Vento, and you know, veterans and single women and veterans and immigrants as a whole. So it’s, you know, it’s beautiful, and I’m excited. Every every time that somebody asks me what we’re doing, it’s, you know, for the community.

Hey man, I’m just I’m I’m happy to he’s coming and come coming alive.

Issa Hanna (04:02)
Yeah.

And it’s exciting, Juan, because not only are you bringing more housing to San Bernardino, more options to the people of San Bernardino, but with the mixed-use in the commercial, you’re bringing business, you’re bringing money to the city of San Bernardino, you’re bringing tax revenue, which is gonna help the infrastructure, help the whole city in general. And with that, this is such a new thing. It’s the first of its kind in the city, you said that.

Recently the codes changed and the city basically made this possible. So can you shed a little bit more light on on what changed and made this possible?

Juan Hernandez (05:24)
Yes, you know, I and I was telling you that they changed a lot of stuff. And my partner, Robert Carrillo, saw the the need and saw the opportunity, and he was like, “You know what, Juan, we need to do something in the city. We need to build something meaningful to the community.” And when they start changing the codes for the construction, he saw like right away, “You know what, Juan, this is the time. Let’s let’s make that happen.” And yes, now where you can build like

two hist history buildings, now you can build them four and six. So it’s all depends on the area. And this is why my partner become more like, you know, into it. He knows exactly the the the land and the process to bring it, you know, to life. And you know that just the this is just beauty. Once you start, you know, seeing it from the the the community, is more easy.

It’s not just to make money. Yes, we hit we hit to make money, but it’s once you focus on the community, everything is just shifting for you for you.

Issa Hanna (06:32)
Definitely. And San Bernardino, you guys better be excited because they’re bringing economy, more economy to the city. And and it’s definitely a rising city. So, and and I could see, I could see it, Juan, that you guys are just not businessmen. You guys really, really care. And shout out to your partner for having this vision. You guys have the knowledge. So the minute that that code changed, you guys are like, “You know what? Let’s start building,” and and

you know, you beat everybody to the punch. You’re the first ones. You’re the originators of all this. So definitely congratulations. Juan, I wanted to ask you, how did you get started in real estate?

Juan Hernandez (07:09)
Man, this is, you know, back to the 2008 when the crash started to happen. And when someone tells you, “No, don’t do it,” that’s when I start doing it, even even harder. So, yes, back back then I was just, you know, doing loan modification, helping a company get into the real estate. I get my license and everything. So in six six years, I was just like focused on real estate. Okay, that was my

my my background. I was like, “No, this is me, this is me.” And I shifted for finance, you know. I started looking for investors and so on, so on. And I think three years ago we started doing our own company. So we shifted to work for somebody to start doing our own company from finance, investments, insurance protection, you know, risk mitigations. And now

we when I partner up with Robert Carrillo from LaunchPad, we start shifting to start doing this type of projects, bringing investors. And it’s just, you know, it’s a beauty. I I can’t describe, you know, the emotion and for for my family, for the for for the future, for the legacy, for the community. And it just

you know, the partnership with a lot of a lot of companies around from construction, for non-profits. So it’s just amazing. The city, city mayor, and you know, I can keep telling you a lot of stuff that is happening right, right.

Issa Hanna (08:47)
I you know what? Yeah, I’m so happy for you. I I know this is such a big project for you just by talking to you, and and you really you guys really did it. You just broke ground. You’re, you know, the city loves you. I’m sure the citizens are gonna thank you for this. Now, you know, everything’s great right now, right? But everybody has to learn sometime, and sometimes the hardest lessons in real estate

are when you have a real estate nightmare. And everybody has one. So can you please share one of yours with us?

Juan Hernandez (09:19)
Yes. I was telling you earlier that I think the setbacks was like thinking that, what if this not gonna happen? You know, but we were like, “No, let’s continue, let’s continue.” And like I say, one my partner, he knows a lot of stuff, and he was like, “No, let’s push, push, push.” And you know, just the the the entitlement process was he was thinking to get to twenty-four months to forty-eight months,

you know, just to get the permits to start building. And right now it’s like from nine to twelve months ready to build. That’s why yesterday was, you know, the groundbreaking with all the permits to start building just in twelve months. It’s, you know, it it’s amazing, but yes, it’s something it happened along the along the line. I’m not gonna say everything is perfect, you know. No.

Issa Hanna (10:06)
Mm-hmm.

Juan Hernandez (10:17)
If some somebody tells you everything is perfect, run away. Because no business, no business—never, never you’re gonna never gonna have any setbacks. Yes, you you are. But that was probably the the setback, thinking it’s gonna take longer, we’re not gonna have the the right investors. People don’t believe in San Bernardino, but we do. That’s why we’re here. That’s why now

it’s time to build, now it’s time to show the city and the community. That’s why, you know, the community yesterday they show up. Even the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and other and and other non-profits, they saw the the the vision, and now they’re behind this vision.

Issa Hanna (11:39)
Definitely. You guys are bringing so much money and so much opportunity to San Bernardino. The these commercial units are gonna bring jobs, and you know, I mean it it’s endless, you know. So I I definitely wanna commend the city of San Bernardino and then commend you and your partner, Juan, because you guys are the pioneers of this, you know. And and now that you did have those setbacks and you went through the setbacks,

you know the way around the setbacks, so your process is even more flawless. So everything’s just gonna happen even better for you guys now. That that is amazing. And and and then with that, the future, five years down the line, ten years down the line, where are we gonna see you, Juan? You’re gonna own the whole city?

Juan Hernandez (12:20)
You

know, yeah, maybe, you know, with and and with with with the community, with the partners that we have, you know, I can mention all the partners with open arms, the the the college from the San Bernardino, and you know, the we have a lot of partners that are gonna start filling, you know, the apartments and helping us emprendedores, new business owners and

five years from now, this is our vision with my partner, having the new, you know, modular company building those house in San Bernardino.

Issa Hanna (13:00)
Wow.

Juan Hernandez (13:00)
That’s what we want want to achieve in the future. And you know, I don’t know if you know, but in California they need three point five million in affordable housing. But just in the city of San Bernardino, they need eight thousand two hundred by twenty twenty. So LaunchPad want to do at least five thousand of those.

Issa Hanna (13:25)
Wow. Wow.

Juan Hernandez (13:26)
So we had too much ahead, but not leaking the ground yesterday, we see the future right at the corner.

Issa Hanna (13:35)
Definitely, man. You guys have some huge plans, but I mean, what you’ve already built, it shows that your plans, you guys will achieve them. So five thousand units, no problem. Wow, I can’t believe I’m very excited for the city. I’m very excited for you guys, and and I know people at home that watch this show, a lot of them are starting out, right? A lot of them,

they, you know, they get into the the real estate, maybe they’re new agents, you know, and they’re and they’re looking at you, and they’re seeing how happy you are that your project came and and everything’s working, and and they’re getting inspiration from you, Juan. So with that, do you have any advice for them on how to how to get these relationships going? You found great partners, you have great investors. How do you find these relationships and make yourself known to people?

Juan Hernandez (15:03)
You know what? I can me as an immigrant, you know, and English is my second language, I didn’t see at first hard to relate to other people. So once I get to, you know, networking events or any events, I make sure to connect to at least one or two, three people. I don’t go

and you know, just pass it down my my my business cards. I try to understand the need. I try to connect to the people. Because like that, the connections—that’s why Robert Robert Carrillo and me with LaunchPad and LTL Financial Group, it’s, you know, a a great mix. Why? Because he saw a vision. He saw the need of the and in the city. He came to me and like, “You what? Let’s do something.” “Okay, perfect. What can we do?”

And a star, you know, boom, boom, boom. And he put a great team together, you know. I’m bringing the investors, bringing the money, bringing, you know, all the connections. And by the way, I’m the president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in San Bernardino. So I know how to create relations around and see the need. That’s why that is important for you to see who see this this podcast.

And you see in a home at the office, be meaningful when you see a person try to ask, “What do you need?” Don’t do it, you know, everything about yourself. No, that’s wrong. Make about them. What is the need? How can I help you? And along the lines, your business is gonna be grown, your family and the community is the benefits at the end of the day.

And the legacy, you know, seeing my my two my three years old yesterday.

My nine months, you know, daughter footprint in this project. I don’t have to be

Issa Hanna (17:02)
Come on. Yeah,

that’s that that is such a heartwarming story. And and to the people at home, listen to Juan’s advice because you’re never gonna get playing time sitting on the sideline. You gotta get in there, you gotta you gotta get on the, you know, you gotta get in front of people and tell them, and then also like he said, bring value to people, not what they could do for you. What can you do for them? Because that’s when they will remember you.

Man, Juan, such great advice for our young viewers. I I love that. So now if people are at home and maybe in San Bernardino, and and they want to get a hold of you, maybe they wanna do business with you, maybe they wanna ask you more about what you got going on, how could they reach you, Juan?

Juan Hernandez (17:44)
Yes, they can they they can they can look up Latinos Transformando Latinos, or you just get my my number. That’s, you know, if I can say my number, that’s even better: 909-272-6785. 909-272-6785. So you can reach out to me and see how can can collaborate together, or if you have any ideas, you know, and you wanna bring it to life,

Issa Hanna (17:53)
909…

Juan Hernandez (18:10)
I’m more welcome to to chat.

Issa Hanna (18:11)
Make sure if you guys if if this appealed to you, make sure you guys reach out to Juan. He’s such a nice guy, and he really cares about the community. And you can even tell from his phone number, it’s 909, San Bernardino. True true San Bernardino guy over here. Juan, thank you, thank you so much for coming on the show. And I would like to extend an invitation, maybe a year from now, would to come back on the show. I I I want to see the progress of what you’re doing.

So if you will come back on—

Juan Hernandez (18:39)
Yes, why not? You know, one year from now a lot of things are happening. And I can

Issa Hanna (18:46)
I can’t wait for that. And and Juan, I enjoy talking to you, brother. It was it was a true honor to talk to you about what you got going on. I’m super excited for the city. And to our viewers at home, if you guys enjoyed my conversation with Juan and want to see more just like it, make sure to like and subscribe. I talk to people every day that could bring us a wide variety of knowledge on the industry we all know and love, and that’s real estate. Until next time.