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Better Real Estate will transform how cities and community development corporations challenge vacancy and affordable housing.

About Us

Better Real Estate (BRE) seeks to provide innovative, market-driven affordable housing solutions through its Go Dutch! Rent-to-Own Program. It provides community-led real estate development that tackles vacancy, affordable housing, and home ownership in one fell swoop. BRE acts as a for-profit CDC that acquires and renovates vacant buildings and puts affordable homes on the market through 3-5 year rent-to-own program. 

BRE will specifically targets vacant, historical, and architecturally significant housing stock located in Dutchtown’s Opportunity Zone Census Tracts (1155 and 1153), working to co-create a home ownership model and pathway to building wealth in the low-income neighborhood with our ecosystem of partners. 

Our Team

Caya is a long time urban pioneer, passionate about St Louis city architecture and history. 4th Generation prodigal Dutchtownie. Co-founder of DT2, the Downtown Dutchtown, which is the progenitor of the Dutchtown CID (Community Improvement District). Ardent entrepreneur & problem solver. Realtor, real estate investor and runs the property management side of their long-term and short-term rentals. Co-creator/Chef of Urban Eats and the Urban Arts Collective. She and her husband live above the Urban Eats in their repurposed 1929 furniture store loft in Downtown Dutchtown.

John is a social Entrepreneur, Technologist, Real Estate Investor, Accidental Restaurateur & Passionate Community Builder in Dutchtown, one of the largest, most diverse neighborhoods in the City of St. Louis. John is the President and Co-Owner of SolutionWorks Corporation, Founder of CareReady Solutions, Co-Founder and President of Urban Eats, and the President and Co-Founder of NICstl.

Brian is a transplant to St. Louis from Los Angeles, having attended Washington University in St. Louis for his Bachelor’s Degree and now in the process of earning a MPPA at the University of Missouri – St. Louis. Brian is passionate about urbanism, economic development, regional politics, and local activism. Brian is a Co-Founder of Better Real Estate, Director of Business Development at NICstl, and Founder of Missouri-Metro.com.