Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Estelle.
Hi Joe, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Back in the early 80s, my college roommate suggested I read “Nothing Down” by Robert G. Allen. Using a method outlined in this real estate book we convinced a couple to owner finance their commercial building for us with no down payment. The method worked so well that it actually scared us, and we backed out of the deal. At that time, I had no idea that experience would be the start of a life-long career in real estate. Since that time, I’ve owned and managed a mortgage company and started three real estate investment companies. I’m extremely proud and excited about this most recent endeavor, the Oak Cliff Community Investment Fund. We’re building a 50-acre Socially Impactful Mixed-use Development in South Oak Cliff. In addition to my real estate work, I have committed myself to stay active within the community. I volunteer with a number of community organizations. I met my current partner Allison Brim while volunteering at a non-profit she helped found. We started the Oak Cliff Community Investment Fund together to help in alleviating many of the day-to-day challenges facing people in underserved communities.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’m a big believer in the old saying, what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. So no! It hasn’t been a smooth road, and I’m a lot stronger than I was 30 years ago when I was negotiating that first deal. I believe many of my struggles have come as a result of who I am and the space I operate in. Throughout the years, I’ve attended a number of training, workshops, and high-level meetings where there were very few people who looked like me. Unfortunately, we haven’t gotten to the point in this society where access to resources is equally available to everyone.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Oak Cliff Community Investment Fund?
Oak Cliff Community Investment Fund is a company I started with my partner Allison Brim. I met Allison while volunteering at a non-profit she helped found. We started the company to raise capital for a Socially Impactful, Mixed-Use Developmental we’ve named Parks @ Oak Cliff. The idea is to build an environmentally friendly, self-sustaining, health-focused, culturally rich community where families can thrive. Working with an Urban Planning firm we engaged stakeholders within the community to plan out this vision. The plan calls for over 300 homes, a grocery store, hotel, health care facility, commercial restaurant/retail space, and a large green space with a walking trail. We’ve decided to crowdfund part of the development as a way to grow wealth for our investors. We believe all of the components together make our development truly unique. We invite readers to visit https://www.investinoakcliff.com to find out more.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I grew up in a small close-knit community in Waco, TX. My paternal grandmother lived just across the creek from us, and my maternal grandmother lived two doors down. I remember my grandmother having a huge back porch. It was called a sleeping porch, and when my aunts and uncles came to visit her, we all slept outside on that porch. Sleeping out under the stars and listening to my elders tell stories about growing up left lasting memories for me. I’ve always enjoyed family and my childhood memories of spending time with them are some of my fondest.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.investinoakcliff.com
- Facebook: @oakcliffinvestmentfund
- Twitter: @investoakcliff
