The Louis Rudolph Journey
The Legacy
Louis Rudolph Homes is named after two men who understood that housing is power.
Rudolph Ware, Reggie Brown's grandfather, stayed behind during the Great Migration. While many Black families left their land, Rudolph paid the taxes on 750 acres in Louisiana—for himself and for his siblings and their children who had scattered to Oakland and Detroit.
He gave them one instruction:
“Don’t Sell the land”
He believed there was value there. Years later, he was proven right when natural gas was discovered beneath it.
Louis Brown, also Reggie's grandfather, settled in Northern California after serving in the Navy. In the 1940s and 50s, banks refused to sell real estate to Black people. Louis and his wife Ella Mae trusted a family friend to buy property on their behalf, then transfer it to them.
It wasn't legal in the traditional sense—it was survival. It was creativity. It was how Black families built wealth when every door was closed.
Both men knew something essential:
Land and housing aren't just assets. They're freedom.
“I try to embody the creative spirit of my grandparents and honor their tenacity through real estate. They showed me that property isn't just land—it's a foundation of safety and freedom.”
-Reggie Brown
How We Got Here
The Foundation of Healing
As a mortgage broker, Reggie Brown saw firsthand how failed housing systems hurt first-time buyers. This led to a pivotal shift: he committed to only flipping houses he could 'gut' and replace entirely, a standard of integrity that birthed Louis Rudolph Homes.
His commitment went beyond construction—it became a path to reconciliation. After decades of living separate lives, the work of developing Ruth’s Landing, a 10-unit housing community in East Tacoma, brought the Brown siblings back together. Today, Reggie, Christopher, Jonathan, and Veronica are honoring their grandfather’s legacy by building a future as a united family.
The Birth of Louis Rudolph Homes
Founded on the belief that Housing Heals through integrity at every level, Louis Rudolph Homes has been building stability since 2013.
Brandi Brown, Asset Manager and Founder of Wisteria Properties, brought the operational expertise. A residential and commercial broker specializing in lease-ups, property management, multifamily design, and land acquisition, Brandi built the systems that allowed the company to scale.
In 2020, Lexie Brown joined with a degree in Bioresource Science Engineering from the University of Washington. She has since overseen the construction of 44 units and helped scale the company into multifamily and middle housing. In 2024, she launched her own development company.
Today, Louis Rudolph Homes has delivered over 300 units across Tacoma and Pierce County, with 94 more affordable housing units permit-ready. What started as a commitment to building with integrity is now a family legacy.
“Homeownership is such a valuable way to strengthen our communities because it addresses one of our basic needs. I want to make an impact across America by building all of us up—you're only as strong as your weakest link.”
— Lexie Brown
The Mission Today
We believe that Middle Housing is the missing link in our current housing crisis.
Building for Impact: Since 2017, we have shifted our focus to multifamily projects that serve the community, utilizing the Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE) to provide quality homes for those who need them most.
Mentorship as Healing: We are committed to "reaching back" to empower BIPOC developers. By sharing shortcuts and providing loan guarantees, we help others overcome the "self-disqualification" that holds so many back. We don't just build homes; we help people believe that success is for them, too.
“Housing Heals by giving us stability”