Carla Reid on Real Estate, Tax Sales, and Building Community Brick by Brick
Real estate is not just about property. In the right hands, it can become a tool for legacy, stability, community repair, and generational opportunity.
In Episode 5 of STL Hustle Insider, Cortez Hustle sits down with Carla Reid, founder of Brick X Brick Collective, for a powerful conversation about motherhood, social work, real estate investing, tax sales, ethical development, and what it means to build community with intention.
Carla shares her journey from growing up in St. Louis, becoming a mother at 15, finishing school alongside her daughter years later, working in social services, managing property for her mother, and eventually stepping into real estate investing for herself.
This episode is for anyone interested in real estate, community development, legacy building, affordable housing, tax sale education, and the belief that everyday people can learn the game and build something that lasts.
In This Episode
Cortez and Carla talk about:
- Who Carla Reid is beyond the business title
- Her identity as a mother, daughter, community champion, social worker, investor, and developer
- Growing up in the West End of St. Louis City
- Being raised by parents who worked in social work and nursing
- Attending Oakville Senior High through the desegregation program
- Becoming a mother at 15
- How shame, responsibility, support, and resilience shaped her journey
- What parents can do when a young person’s life takes an unexpected turn
- The importance of support systems for young mothers
- How Carla’s father taught her the meaning of community through family fish fries
- Why community starts at home
- Working full-time in social work while continuing school
- Carla and her daughter both graduating in 2018
- How her mother’s real estate decision introduced her to property management
- Managing a four-family property and building relationships with tenants
- Why Carla stopped managing properties for some out-of-state investors
- Choosing to invest with integrity and provide quality housing
- How Carla discovered tax sale investing
- The mindset shift required to become a real estate investor
- The difference between St. Louis City tax deed sales and St. Louis County tax lien sales
- Why Carla used her own money to acquire but borrowed money to renovate
- Her first tax sale property, renovation, refinance, and equity strategy
- How social work influenced the way she thought about families affected by tax sales
- Tax sale overages and why families need to understand what may be owed to them
- The setup for Brick X Brick Collective and helping everyday people understand real estate
Key Takeaways
- A difficult beginning does not define the rest of your life.
- Strong support systems can change the future for young parents and their children.
- Community is not just a public idea. It starts with how families care for, introduce, and support one another.
- Social work and real estate may seem separate, but Carla’s story shows how both can be rooted in service.
- Real estate investing can be done with integrity when the goal includes quality housing and community impact.
- Tax sales can be a legitimate acquisition strategy, but they require education, patience, research, risk awareness, and the right professional support.
- Being prepared matters. Opportunity is only useful when you are in position to act on it.
- Legacy building often starts with one property, one decision, and one willingness to learn.
- Carla’s social worker mindset pushed her to think not only about the investor, but also about families affected by the tax sale process.
Featured Guest
Carla Reid is a mother, daughter, community champion, social worker, investor, developer, and founder of Brick X Brick Collective.
Rooted in St. Louis, Carla brings together her background in social work, property management, real estate investing, and community advocacy to help people better understand real estate, tax sales, ownership, development, and legacy building.
Guest Links
Resources Mentioned
- Brick X Brick Collective
- STL Virtual Resource Center
- St. Louis Community College
- University of Missouri–St. Louis / UMSL
- Florida A&M University
- St. Louis City Juvenile Detention Center
- Missouri social services / case management
- St. Louis City tax deed sale
- St. Louis County tax lien sale
- North Point neighborhood
- Justine Peterson
- Invest STL
- UMSL Neighborhood Leadership Fellows
- Tax sale overages
- LatifLive.com
Episode Sponsors
This episode was recorded at the STL Virtual Resource Center Studios in St. Louis, Missouri.
The STL Virtual Resource Center is designed to help St. Louis area entrepreneurs find resources in one place, including funding resources, networking events, co-working spaces, business development support, and other tools to help move their businesses forward.
Music Attribution
Break music mentioned in this episode:
Chapters
Note: Chapter timestamps are approximate and based on the transcript provided. Please adjust to match the final edited audio export.
00:00 - Welcome to STL Hustle Insider
00:28 - Who is Carla Reid?
01:27 - Growing up in the West End of St. Louis City
01:54 - Oakville, the desegregation program, and high school
02:32 - Becoming a mother at 15
03:40 - Finding out she was in labor
06:01 - Encouragement for young mothers
07:18 - What parents and caregivers can learn
08:47 - Shame, disappointment, and support
10:08 - Growing up around social work and service
10:29 - Family fish fries and Carla’s first lesson in community
11:32 - Community starts at home
12:59 - School, work, and social services
14:20 - The support system that made progress possible
15:12 - Returning to finish her degree
16:07 - Carla and her daughter graduate in 2018
16:46 - Break and music from Latif
17:12 - “Different This Time” by Latif
18:00 - Welcome back from STL Virtual Resource Center Studios
19:00 - How Carla got started in real estate
20:00 - Managing her mother’s four-family property
21:30 - Working with out-of-state investors
22:30 - Choosing real estate with integrity
23:30 - Discovering tax sale investing
24:45 - St. Louis City tax deed sales vs. St. Louis County tax lien sales
27:00 - The mindset shift required to invest
29:00 - “You have everything you need”
31:00 - Buying her first tax sale property
33:00 - Turning the first property into an asset
35:00 - Using financing for renovation
36:30 - Refinancing and buying two more properties
38:00 - Legacy building and real-life Monopoly
39:00 - The social worker mindset after the first purchase
40:00 - Tax sale overages and helping affected families
41:30 - Brick X Brick Collective setup and second break
About STL Hustle Insider
STL Hustle Insider is a St. Louis podcast and local media platform hosted by Cortez Hustle and owned by iHustle Media Group LLC.
The show spotlights the people, businesses, creatives, nonprofits, leaders, entrepreneurs, and movements building St. Louis from the inside out. Through real conversations and local storytelling, STL Hustle Insider brings attention to the builders, visionaries, and community movers shaping the future of the region.
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