Raven3 Real Estate: Hudson Valley Brothers Build 1,000-Unit Regional Housing Platform

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y, USA, August 28th, 2026, FinanceWire

Raven3 Real Estate, a vertically integrated real estate investment and management company founded by brothers Jake and Austin Deraaff, has grown from a single residential property purchased in 2018 into a regional housing platform with more than 1,000 units under ownership and management, over 3,000 residents housed, and more than 700 completed transactions across New York and New Jersey.

Company Overview

Founded in June 2018 when Jake and Austin Deraaff acquired their first property in Tappan, New York, Raven3 has grown into one of the Hudson Valley's most active real estate operators. The company name is drawn from the Deraaff family's Dutch heritage; "Deraaff" translates to "Raven" in Dutch, a nod to the founders' father, Marcus Deraaff, who immigrated from the Netherlands in 1983. Both Marcus and Shari Deraaff, the founders' parents, are now active members of the Raven3 team.

The company's investment strategy centers on workforce housing, attainable, professionally managed homes aimed at working families and tradespeople across the Hudson Valley region. Raven3 has built its portfolio primarily by acquiring and renovating distressed, vacant, and fire-damaged properties, an approach the founders say has allowed the company to create value while improving local housing stock.

"We grew up here," said Jake Deraaff, co-founder of Raven3. "This is home. These aren't just assets to us — they're neighborhoods we care about."

Portfolio Highlights

Raven3's growth has been driven by a combination of value-add renovation, ground-up development, and portfolio acquisitions. On the renovation side, the company has upgraded more than 150 properties across the Hudson Valley, spanning single-family homes, two-to-four-family residences, and multifamily assets ranging from 15 to 50 units. A notable project is 18-20 South Kensico Avenue in White Plains, a fire-damaged building that Raven3 redeveloped through an approximately $2 million reconstruction, resulting in 14 new apartments in downtown White Plains.

The company's development pipeline includes a 36-unit waterfront project in Peekskill overlooking the Hudson River, which has already secured approvals, along with a proposed 155-unit residential development in downtown Peekskill that is currently under review. On the acquisitions front, Raven3's larger transactions include an approximately $14.3 million property purchase in Ossining and a student housing portfolio in Glassboro, New Jersey, currently housing more than 140 students.

Raven3 has also expanded into manufactured housing communities, building a portfolio of 18 communities comprising nearly 600 home sites across the Tri-State area. The company cites the long-term ownership strategies of investor Sam Zell as a key influence on its approach to the asset class, and has identified manufactured housing as a growth priority given its role in addressing the broader affordable housing shortage.

Growth Strategy and Outlook

Raven3 has set a long-term target of 10,000 units under ownership and management, with plans to continue expanding its development pipeline and pursuing distressed-property acquisitions throughout New York and New Jersey.

The company attributes its growth in part to lessons learned scaling through rising construction costs, complex permitting processes, and shifting financing conditions, challenges that have shaped a more disciplined, operationally focused organization with expanded internal systems and construction capabilities.

Jake and Austin Deraaff, both born in 1997 in Kew Gardens, Queens, credit much of their business philosophy to mentors including Tony Robbins, Bob Proctor, Sam Zell, and Stephen Schwarzman. The brothers say their long-term goal extends beyond financial performance to building a legacy centered on philanthropy, opportunity, and service within the communities they operate in.

About Raven3 Real Estate

Raven3 Real Estate is a Hudson Valley-based, vertically integrated real estate investment and management company founded by Jake and Austin Deraaff. The company focuses on workforce housing through the acquisition, renovation, and development of residential and manufactured housing properties across New York and New Jersey.

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