Junior Desinor never ceases to amaze me. Some people are born energetic, but Desinor gives new meaning to the word. When you build your first company in college, flip your first house at age 18, obtain your real estate license at 21, and your broker’s license at 23, you can see what I mean about energy! Now, he’s building luxury homes with his new company: Desinor Custom Homes. Let’s take a look at how he got here.
Desinor’s academic journey was a strategic one. He majored in finance and real estate at Texas Tech, a decision that would later prove instrumental in his career. His favorite TV show Flip That House was not just a source of entertainment, but a catalyst for his passion for real estate investing. “It was the first real estate show on HGTV that showed real estate investing,” Desinor said.
When he and a college pal decided to start flipping homes, they put together a business plan and went to a bank, only to be quickly shown the door. “My buddy’s dad ended up funding us,” Desinor said. “We did it all ourselves. We read books on how to do plumbing and roofing. We were just a couple of college kids, but we were both serial entrepreneurs. When people think alike and have passion and drive, you can move heaven and earth.”
The “kids” made a profit of $40,000 from that first flip and continued flipping throughout school, transitioning from homes to commercial buildings. Desinor met the love of his life in college, and when they graduated, they decided to move back to Dallas. He sold his shares in the company to his partner, who actually then became an investor in Desinor’s next project.
“I knew I wanted to be a real estate developer, so I created a 10-year plan to get there,” Desinor said. “The best way to learn about real estate is to become an agent, then a broker. I opened Level Properties in 2009 when I was 25.”
But, of course, Desinor’s entrepreneurial itch needed to be scratched. He created the Our Toor Lockbox, the first smart lockbox for the real estate industry. He headed to Shark Tank, and even though the deal with Barbara Corcoran and Kevin O’Leary did not close, Desinor went on to license the technology, selling it in 2019 and racking up three patents in his name. The tech industry was enjoyable, but spending time in Asia developing the product meant being away from home, family, and a new baby.
Desinor Custom Homes Is Taking New Construction to a New Level
“My love is always real estate,” Desinor said. After the sale of his product, he began flipping homes again, but this time they were homes on the higher end. As land value increased, it became increasingly clear that building new construction was the future, and Desinor Custom Homes was born.
“New construction is a scalable model,” Desinor said. “Once you get it down, it can be systematized. I was an athlete, so I’m a competitor, and I want to compete with some of these incredible homebuilding businesses in Dallas. I love creating, and being a home builder and developer has always been my dream.”
With Level Properties as the general contracting arm of his company, Deisnor is now a bonded contractor with the City of Dallas. The first Desinor Custom Homes project, located in Preston Hollow, has been completed and is now on the market.
Desinor wanted something unique with a narrow footprint. “I was in New York a few years ago and inspired by the brownstones,” he said. “When I saw the lot, I knew I could build a beautiful New York-inspired single-family home.”
A Legacy Business
Desinor is not just building homes, he is building a legacy business that he hopes his children will take over one day. His plans include in-house architects and designers from which his clients can choose from. “‘”This home is an example of what is to come with Desinor Custom Homes,” he said. “I’m excited for the right person to appreciate it.”
