Conversations with Matt Scarpa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Scarpa.

Hi Matt, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m a young guy, finished high school when I was 15, finished CSUN when I was 19, am currently a Project manager at StratDev Digital Marketing agency, a company founded by my best friend Jordan Calderon (whom you also interviewed). I am also launching a low-cost housing initiative to build ADU’s across the Los Angeles area and encourage the development of homes across Southern California. We will be promoting the development and managing the creation of these homes from inception to completion.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve been very blessed to have gotten where I was today and have had wonderful family and friends to support me… My family didn’t really have a lot of money when I was growing up, and my dad has recently been battling a very serious illness for the last couple of years. It’s hard to be taken seriously sometimes, especially having been so young throughout my educational career. It’s always been difficult trying to find my path, but I have been incredibly lucky to be where I am today. I hate to complain with as many blessings as I’ve been given.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am currently working as a Project Manager for StratDev Digital Marketing. I manage a fantastic team of marketing professionals and I get to help clients every day find new ways to grow and scale their businesses. I love being able to interact with people day to day and help reach new business goals. On the real estate side, I have always been a really interested in real estate and have had a passion for Los Angeles and the neighborhoods that have supported me ever since I was growing up. Initially, I wanted to get into single-family home development or house flipping, but I soon realized how difficult it was for people to find affordable housing situations in the LA area and noticed the lack of viable alternatives to the typical apartment living situation for young and/or lower income people in the city. I realized that ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) were becoming more and more viable and have been assembling a team to help coordinate the ADU construction process. My father, brother and I, created Acacia West Homes, a company that manages the entire project of building an ADU, from the design phase, the permitting phase, the financing phase, all the way to the construction phase. I love the idea because I believe that these types of homes are a perfect solution for both many homeowners and potential renters alike. I have always been very tuned in to the unique set of issues that different neighborhoods across Los Angeles face and have always been proud to be so well integrated in and familiar with the people and the cultures of each one. I would love to help people all over the area address the issues that they face, and for now, I feel that the best way to do that is through a housing initiative such as this one.

What’s next?
I am looking to explore new and creative ways to build these types of homes across the LA area and help people looking for a new living situation find these homes to be more and more viable. Considering that ADU’s are essentially tiny homes in people’s backyards, I would ultimately love to create a “tiny home village” for people to be able to live in a lower cost, sustainable community without sacrificing some of the more tangible luxuries of living in an actual home. I would love to have a sort of rent-to-buy option available too so that people have the opportunity to own their homes if they would like to.

Contact Info:

• Email: matt@acaciawesthomes.com
• Website: https://www.acaciawesthomes.com/
• Instagram: @mattscarpa

Image Credits:
Johnny Bartelt (all images but last)