From Divorce Drama to Housing Hero: How One Legal Rebel is Building Communities That Actually Work

Picture this: You're 18, your parents just got divorced, and suddenly you're supposed to figure out adulthood while the family resources are split between two households. Plot twist: there's nowhere affordable to live and no one's teaching you marketable skills.

I've seen this movie thousands of times. As Director of Divorce Channel at LegalZoom, I helped millions of families navigate their messiest moments while earning my "Legal Rebel" badge from the American Bar Association. But here's what makes me uniquely positioned to solve the housing crisis: I've spent decades mastering complex transactions at the intersection of technology and real estate development, partnered with a builder who's constructed over 150 homes across a 35-year career - including serving as President of the Builders Contract Association and Planning & Zoning Commissioner.

My next act? A $25 million fund that turns this crisis into profitable communities.

The Plot Twist Nobody Talks About

While everyone focuses on the emotional drama of divorce, here's what happens behind the scenes: kids turn 18, family money gets stretched between two homes, and suddenly young adults are competing for overpriced apartments with zero job skills and fractured support systems.

"We built the internet on fear-based engagement that converts 10-to-1, but research shows communities built with social repair generate 4-7% better returns during crises," Crosby explains. "Housing is the same opportunity - we can choose connection over extraction."

The Gateway Towns Genius Move

Here's where it gets interesting. BarndosOnly Fund I builds mixed-use communities in those gorgeous national park gateway towns - you know, the places where tourists flock but workers can't afford to live.

Young adults get affordable housing AND the chance to run their own tourism businesses. Gateway towns get the workforce they desperately need. Investors get 15-20% returns from a market with built-in demand.

It's like Airbnb meets job training meets affordable housing, but actually sustainable.

The Numbers Game

Gateway towns aren't just pretty - they're profitable. Tourism provides consistent revenue streams, and the integrated model solves real problems with proven market demand.

The Deal:

• Target Returns: 15-20% IRR

• Fund Size: $25 million

• Entry Point: $250,000 minimum

• Management Fee: 3% annually (Years 1-5)

• Bonus Impact: Your 1% foundation donation funds housing innovation

First close: August 2025. No pressure, but spots are limited by how much legacy equity we can actually convert.

The Bigger Picture

Instead of treating housing, job training, and community support as separate problems requiring separate solutions, this fund tackles them as one interconnected system.

"When impact aligns with business fundamentals, everyone wins," Crosby notes. "We're proving you can build communities that serve residents, investors, and the broader housing crisis all at once."

The best part? While traditional real estate extracts value from communities, this model creates it. Young adults get stable housing and real skills. Gateway towns get sustainable workforce development. Investors get returns from solving problems instead of creating them.

Ready to turn your legacy equity into communities that actually work?

BarndosOnly Fund I is open to accredited investors only. This contains forward-looking statements and does not constitute investment advice.