Episode 767

Duplex King: How JB Thibodeaux Built a $100M Portfolio from Pocket Developments

JB Thibodeaux shares how he became the “Duplex King,” scaled pocket developments, and created a $100M+ housing portfolio through innovation and relationships.

In this episode of RealDealChat, Jack Hoss sits down with JB Thibodeaux, founder of JB Thibo Homes & Properties and the man known as the “Duplex King.” JB explains how growing up in construction became both an advantage and an Achilles heel — and why relying on hustle alone nearly destroyed his early real estate career.

He shares the full story behind his pocket development strategy, how he scaled from flipping to building dozens of duplexes at a time, and how he created an efficient 18x67 duplex design that opened the door to $100M+ worth of sustainable housing projects.

JB also breaks down his Duplex Flex Giveaway, a partnership with Prosperity Bank and the NAACP designed to help working-class individuals move from surviving to thriving. He explains why real estate is “the ultimate relationship business,” how he overcame mistakes (like buying 23 houses too fast), and why mindset and delegation drive scale more than construction skills ever could.

This is a masterclass in development, mindset, and creating generational wealth.

What You’ll Learn

  • Why growing up in construction helped—and hurt—his early career
  • How he went from flipping to developing high-density duplex projects
  • The innovation behind his 18x67 duplex design
  • How to avoid overbuilding and manage engineering costs
  • The biggest mistakes new investors make when scaling
  • Why relationships matter more than tactics
  • How delegation unlocked his ability to grow
  • How the Duplex Flex Giveaway works and who it helps
  • A practical framework for moving from service provider to developer


📍 Learn more at JBThiboo.com


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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Construction background: blessing or Achilles heel

01:14 – Growing up working with his father

02:30 – Learning trades without formal teaching

04:00 – Discovering real estate for the first time

05:00 – From nonprofit lending (NACA) into investing

06:00 – Becoming known as “The Duplex King”

07:00 – Pocket development concept explained

08:20 – The innovative 18x67 duplex design

09:30 – How he fit 8–12 duplexes on two lots

11:30 – Learning to scale through delegation

13:00 – The disaster of buying 23 houses in one year

15:00 – Overcoming mistakes, taxes, liens & bad tenants

17:00 – Real estate = solving problems, not perfection

18:00 – Building a system for investors & partners

19:37 – The Duplex Flex Giveaway & why it matters

21:00 – Why relationships are the key to real estate

22:00 – Masterclass structure & $25K Flex Cash

24:00 – Helping the working class reach financial freedom

26:00 – The Real Estate Quadrant explained

28:00 – How developers think differently than agents or wholesalers

31:20 – Tools, software & project management systems

33:00 – Final advice: don’t stay on the sidelines

34:40 – Rapid Fire: lies, lessons, books & time-savers


#RealEstateInvesting #JBThibodeaux #DuplexKing #PocketDevelopment #RealDealChat #MultifamilyInvesting #RealEstateDevelopment #AffordableHousing #InvestorMindset #GenerationalWealth #ConstructionToDeveloper


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About the Podcast

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RealDealChat / Lessons from Real Estate Investors
Your Gateway to Real Estate Investing Success

About your host

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Jack Hoss

We gather amazing stories from leaders in Real Estate Investing. In each episode, our guests will tell you what they are doing that works, what they tried that failed, and best of all you'll learn actionable steps to take your real estate investing to the next level.