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Existing real estate apps like Zillow are great for searching for homes, but homebuyers can't actually take action because their business model involves selling leads to agents. We built @_TurboHome so that we control the entire transaction which allows us the redesign the rinciples with the homebuyer at the center.
Today we're rolling out our new buyer app which gives our customers direct access to world class AI tools with their expert real estate agent in the loop for the entire journey. A few things you can do with 1 click:
- Find properties
- Run a valuation
- Schedule tours
- Query live MLS data for insights
- Draft offers
- Chat with your agent
Available on web, mobile, and iMessage at app.turbohome.com
Today we're rolling out our new buyer app which gives our customers direct access to world class AI tools with their expert real estate agent in the loop for the entire journey. A few things you can do with 1 click:
- Find properties
- Run a valuation
- Schedule tours
- Query live MLS data for insights
- Draft offers
- Chat with your agent
Available on web, mobile, and iMessage at app.turbohome.com
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Ben Bear retweeted
Our society is being torn apart by the inability of many Americans to buy their own homes, yet the federal government taxes developers who build new, for-sale homes at much higher rates than it taxes developers who build rentals.
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Ben Bear retweeted
GREAT NEWS: The Council voted to advance Esmeralda's approvals!
This was the single most important vote of the project, Oct 14. Adoption of the ordinances is on track for Nov 11
These approvals will unlock tremendous value & opportunity
This was the single most important vote of the project, Oct 14. Adoption of the ordinances is on track for Nov 11
These approvals will unlock tremendous value & opportunity
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Ben Bear retweeted
This is the GPT-3 moment for housing.
Introducing Demonstration House 2.
Our first home built with our completely redesigned building system, engineered for automated manufacturing and rapid assembly.
Demo 2 – Proto Town, TX
- 2 Bed
- 1.5 Bath
- 1 Office nook
- 1,100 sqft
How we got here... 🧵
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Ben Bear retweeted
Introducing Demonstration House 2.
Our first home built with our completely redesigned building system, engineered for automated manufacturing and rapid assembly.
Demo 2 – Proto Town, TX
- 2 Bed
- 1.5 Bath
- 1 Office nook
- 1,100 sqft
How we got here... 🧵
Our first home built with our completely redesigned building system, engineered for automated manufacturing and rapid assembly.
Demo 2 – Proto Town, TX
- 2 Bed
- 1.5 Bath
- 1 Office nook
- 1,100 sqft
How we got here... 🧵
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Ben Bear retweeted
I've been working on something.
For the last two years, I've wanted to build something that captures the way urbanism is really part of something bigger.
A bigger-tent category around building better places.
Today, I'm launching BUILDPLACES.
🧵
For the last two years, I've wanted to build something that captures the way urbanism is really part of something bigger.
A bigger-tent category around building better places.
Today, I'm launching BUILDPLACES.
🧵
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Ben Bear retweeted
Slowly the suddenly!
Very cool to see TurboHome’s market share 10X in the last year as buyers learn they can use their $30K rebate to make their offer stronger and unlock a 50% offer win rate.
Amid all the interest rate doom and gloom nationally, the Bay Area housing market is as competitive as rs are looking for every edge they can get in a market where the average home receives 4-6 offers.
We still have a long way to go. Tech enabled models that provide savings to the customer have 1% market share vs 50% in tax preparation.
It’s hard to imagine that share wont continue to grow as AI models continue to improve and buyers look to benefit from the efficiency created.
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Very cool to see TurboHome’s market share 10X in the last year as buyers learn they can use their $30K rebate to make their offer stronger and unlock a 50% offer win rate.
Amid all the interest rate doom and gloom nationally, the Bay Area housing market is as competitive as rs are looking for every edge they can get in a market where the average home receives 4-6 offers.
We still have a long way to go. Tech enabled models that provide savings to the customer have 1% market share vs 50% in tax preparation.
It’s hard to imagine that share wont continue to grow as AI models continue to improve and buyers look to benefit from the efficiency created.
Amid all the interest rate doom and gloom nationally, the Bay Area housing market is as competitive as rs are looking for every edge they can get in a market where the average home receives 4-6 offers.
We still have a long way to go. Tech enabled models that provide savings to the customer have 1% market share vs 50% in tax preparation.
It’s hard to imagine that share wont continue to grow as AI models continue to improve and buyers look to benefit from the efficiency created.
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Ben Bear retweeted
New pod drop!! Took a stroll around sunny San Francisco with Bryant Chou (@bryantchou). My first impressions - Bryant is very articulate, fun, chill, and fashionable! After 13 years as a co-founder and CTO at Webflow, he left to start over solo at 40, went back through Y a $27M seed.
We talk about:
- Leaving Webflow after 13 years, decided in a single day
- Doing YC again at 40: “I’m scared shitless”
- Building in 2013 VS 2026
- His grandfather, left for dead in a morgue → “Keep going, Bryan”
- 20 → 40 → 100 → 800 employees: the last question his grandfather asked
- Why a healthy fear of death has him wing foiling after 14-hour days
and so much more!
𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐒
(00:00) Bryant Chou, Co-Founder of Webflow & Founder of Ploy
(01:46) What running Webflow's marketing team taught a CTO
(03:05) "Slurping" your website into a brand design system
(07:35) Deciding to leave Webflow in a single day
(11:08) Going after the 99% of websites not on Webflow
(12:34) Turning your website into your hardest working employee
(13:41) Scared of 20-year-old founders and doing YC again
(14:30) Building a startup in 2013 VS 2026
(18:04) Why a 40-year-old third-time founder went back to YC
(20:16) Demoing Ploy cold after his son's baseball game
(24:31) His grandfather's escape from a wanted list in Taiwan
(35:41) 996, FOMO, and the San Francisco rat race
(40:10) Relearning founder mode
(50:58) Running three teams through Covid with two kids under two
(58:00) The redemption he's chasing with Ploy
We talk about:
- Leaving Webflow after 13 years, decided in a single day
- Doing YC again at 40: “I’m scared shitless”
- Building in 2013 VS 2026
- His grandfather, left for dead in a morgue → “Keep going, Bryan”
- 20 → 40 → 100 → 800 employees: the last question his grandfather asked
- Why a healthy fear of death has him wing foiling after 14-hour days
and so much more!
𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐒
(00:00) Bryant Chou, Co-Founder of Webflow & Founder of Ploy
(01:46) What running Webflow's marketing team taught a CTO
(03:05) "Slurping" your website into a brand design system
(07:35) Deciding to leave Webflow in a single day
(11:08) Going after the 99% of websites not on Webflow
(12:34) Turning your website into your hardest working employee
(13:41) Scared of 20-year-old founders and doing YC again
(14:30) Building a startup in 2013 VS 2026
(18:04) Why a 40-year-old third-time founder went back to YC
(20:16) Demoing Ploy cold after his son's baseball game
(24:31) His grandfather's escape from a wanted list in Taiwan
(35:41) 996, FOMO, and the San Francisco rat race
(40:10) Relearning founder mode
(50:58) Running three teams through Covid with two kids under two
(58:00) The redemption he's chasing with Ploy
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Ben Bear retweeted
After the best 9.5 years of my professional life, and with a heart bursting with gratitude, I'm spinning out of @FjLabs to start my own firm.
@fabricegrinda and Jose Marin helped pioneer super-angel investing, a collaborative, network-driven model that still sounds unfathomable when I describe it. I had the privilege of working on almost 500 investments and raising capital from LPs in 20+ countries.
While my day-to-day at FJ is ending, I'm staying in the family as a Senior Advisor, helping with the portfolio and working closely with the FJ team on secondary opportunities.
As for what's next- if you know me, you know I'm an obsessive distance runner. An ekiden (eh-kee-den) is a long-distance relay race that started in Japan more than a century ago. Each runner carries a sash called the tasuki for one leg, then hands it to the next teammate.
As I wrote in Venture's Nifty Fifty Moment, great companies now stay private longer than the funds that backed them were even built to last. Venture has quietly turned into a race with no finish line. I like to say that one of the polite lies of venture capital is the 10-year fund life. Plenty of early investors, employees and LPs have run their leg, and they're still waiting for someone to take the sash.
Announcing Ekiden Capital. If you're looking for the next leg in the venture relay race, my inbox is open.
@fabricegrinda and Jose Marin helped pioneer super-angel investing, a collaborative, network-driven model that still sounds unfathomable when I describe it. I had the privilege of working on almost 500 investments and raising capital from LPs in 20+ countries.
While my day-to-day at FJ is ending, I'm staying in the family as a Senior Advisor, helping with the portfolio and working closely with the FJ team on secondary opportunities.
As for what's next- if you know me, you know I'm an obsessive distance runner. An ekiden (eh-kee-den) is a long-distance relay race that started in Japan more than a century ago. Each runner carries a sash called the tasuki for one leg, then hands it to the next teammate.
As I wrote in Venture's Nifty Fifty Moment, great companies now stay private longer than the funds that backed them were even built to last. Venture has quietly turned into a race with no finish line. I like to say that one of the polite lies of venture capital is the 10-year fund life. Plenty of early investors, employees and LPs have run their leg, and they're still waiting for someone to take the sash.
Announcing Ekiden Capital. If you're looking for the next leg in the venture relay race, my inbox is open.
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Ben Bear retweeted
I don’t have time to go this year … but I could not recommend this conference more!
I brought my wife last year and she had an amazing time!
I brought my wife last year and she had an amazing time!
My favorite conference of the year thoughtfully hosted by two wonderful people
Reconvene in Santa Monica is a great place to nerd out about real estate for a few days each year
Maybe I'll see you next week.
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Ben Bear retweeted
This law will result in many more starter homes being built for Californians. It's an example of a positive feedback loop of listening and improving regulations to achieve results.
I'm grateful for the hard work that went into this, proud to contribute, and excited to use it!
I'm grateful for the hard work that went into this, proud to contribute, and excited to use it!
I'm thrilled to share that SB 1116 was signed into law today. This represents four years of hard work by my team, across SB 684 and SB 1123, to iron out the wonky details, refine it based on developer/planner feedback, and pass pro-housing legislation that will get units built.
to a few people: Senator @CASenCaballero and her excellent chief of staff Jeffrey Roth made it happen. Sosan Madanat, our lobbyist, was in the trenches with me the from the beginning. Our many wonderful co-sponsors were key, and, of course, the whole @cayimby team is the best in the business. @maxdubler, who did an excellent job on SB 1116, will be taking over from me as policy lead.
There is still work to be done. But we have built out the foundation of a robust statewide framework for ministerial, streamlined small lot/townhouse/cottage court subdivisions statewide in California. I'm optimistic that this framework will form the basis of a building boom on the scale of ADU reform, but for a product that will create the next generation of California homeowners.
In the coming week, Max and I will publish a post on the blogging platform that's shadowbanned here explaining the details of the Starter Home Revitalization Act, with guidance both for interested developers and implementing planners, and ideas for how the next generation of reformers can pick up the baton.
It was tough work, but every time I hear that shovels are going in the ground and homes are getting built using SHRA, something that is happening at an escalating clip, I get a little emotional! I hope we can continue reviving the California Dream for many thousands of families.
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Ben Bear retweeted
I'm thrilled to share that SB 1116 was signed into law today. This represents four years of hard work by my team, across SB 684 and SB 1123, to iron out the wonky details, refine it based on developer/planner feedback, and pass pro-housing legislation that will get units built.
to a few people: Senator @CASenCaballero and her excellent chief of staff Jeffrey Roth made it happen. Sosan Madanat, our lobbyist, was in the trenches with me the from the beginning. Our many wonderful co-sponsors were key, and, of course, the whole @cayimby team is the best in the business. @maxdubler, who did an excellent job on SB 1116, will be taking over from me as policy lead.
There is still work to be done. But we have built out the foundation of a robust statewide framework for ministerial, streamlined small lot/townhouse/cottage court subdivisions statewide in California. I'm optimistic that this framework will form the basis of a building boom on the scale of ADU reform, but for a product that will create the next generation of California homeowners.
In the coming week, Max and I will publish a post on the blogging platform that's shadowbanned here explaining the details of the Starter Home Revitalization Act, with guidance both for interested developers and implementing planners, and ideas for how the next generation of reformers can pick up the baton.
It was tough work, but every time I hear that shovels are going in the ground and homes are getting built using SHRA, something that is happening at an escalating clip, I get a little emotional! I hope we can continue reviving the California Dream for many thousands of families.
to a few people: Senator @CASenCaballero and her excellent chief of staff Jeffrey Roth made it happen. Sosan Madanat, our lobbyist, was in the trenches with me the from the beginning. Our many wonderful co-sponsors were key, and, of course, the whole @cayimby team is the best in the business. @maxdubler, who did an excellent job on SB 1116, will be taking over from me as policy lead.
There is still work to be done. But we have built out the foundation of a robust statewide framework for ministerial, streamlined small lot/townhouse/cottage court subdivisions statewide in California. I'm optimistic that this framework will form the basis of a building boom on the scale of ADU reform, but for a product that will create the next generation of California homeowners.
In the coming week, Max and I will publish a post on the blogging platform that's shadowbanned here explaining the details of the Starter Home Revitalization Act, with guidance both for interested developers and implementing planners, and ideas for how the next generation of reformers can pick up the baton.
It was tough work, but every time I hear that shovels are going in the ground and homes are getting built using SHRA, something that is happening at an escalating clip, I get a little emotional! I hope we can continue reviving the California Dream for many thousands of families.
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For the longest time our internal true north at @BuildCasa was pictures of new homes, not renderings.
Today is finally the day! It’s super exciting to see the first of 8 new townhomes built with SB684/1123 go live on market for $675K which is ~33% less than avg single family home in San Diego.
Today is finally the day! It’s super exciting to see the first of 8 new townhomes built with SB684/1123 go live on market for $675K which is ~33% less than avg single family home in San Diego.
The first units of a new generation of starter homes are on market now!
@BuildCasa + SB 684 (Starter Home Revitalization Act) in San Diego
🏡➡️🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡
Using this new law, one home becomes five
We're proud of these modestly sized, new construction units. The first of many.
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Ben Bear retweeted
The first units of a new generation of starter homes are on market now!
@BuildCasa + SB 684 (Starter Home Revitalization Act) in San Diego
🏡➡️🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡
Using this new law, one home becomes five
We're proud of these modestly sized, new construction units. The first of many.
@BuildCasa + SB 684 (Starter Home Revitalization Act) in San Diego
🏡➡️🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡
Using this new law, one home becomes five
We're proud of these modestly sized, new construction units. The first of many.
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Ben Bear retweeted
There are a lot of psychos on this platform who think we should Strait-of-Hormuz Bay Area traffic by opposing the transit measure in November.
Don’t listen to them. Don’t rip up the JCPOA and double all your transit times. spur.org/sites/default/…
Don’t listen to them. Don’t rip up the JCPOA and double all your transit times. spur.org/sites/default/…
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Ben Bear retweeted
37% of travel searches now start with AI, and that number will only grow.
Every single result on this search is a @wander powered unit, either the direct booking site, or the marketplace.
The AI moment for travel is here, and we are powering it.
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