Our Story

Chris Affinito is the president and founder of Heartwood Real Estate Group, which develops and builds uniquely designed homes and communities in Central Austin. With over 10 years of experience in a variety of real estate and development sectors, including acquisitions, land planning, structured finance, valuation and sales, Chris brings in-depth expertise to his leadership role. Chris has nurtured and managed several thriving communities of single-family homes, townhouses, condos, and more, across Central Austin, providing more unique and sustainable living options for Austinites.

Chris began his career as an economic and valuation services associate at KPMG LLP, where he appraised commercial real estate. He left to work for Vision Real Estate Partners, a New Jersey based commercial real estate developer, where he was responsible for sourcing new acquisitions and raising capital. In this role, Chris was directly involved in over $500 million of office, retail and industrial real estate. In 2014, he made the move from New Jersey to Austin, entering a completely new and growing real estate market. Chris grew up in New Jersey and received his bachelor’s degree in finance and real estate from Villanova University in the greater Philadelphia area.

Isabel Affinito oversees operations and investor relations at Heartwood Real Estate Group.  In her role, Isabel works closely with Heartwood team members to develop systems and processes that support the team and help Heartwood deliver consistent results for investors. Isabel joined her husband, Chris Affinito, at Heartwood in 2022, bringing with her over a decade of experience in real estate sales, team building and small business management and operations. During her years of selling residential real estate, then building and managing an all-female sales team in Austin, Isabel enjoyed working closely with her team members on a daily and weekly basis. She found great professional satisfaction in understanding the challenges team members faced, and problem solving collaboratively to help each member thrive in their role. She continues to enjoy this rewarding work with the Heartwood team.

Isabel took an unlikely path into real estate, graduating from Villanova University with double majors in History and Theology and double minors in Humanities and Peace and Justice. She briefly considered a career in academia as an avenue to satisfy her love of learning, exchanging ideas and teaching. Instead, she met her husband, Chris, at Villanova, who introduced her to some wonderful administrators and alumni at the DiLella Center for Real Estate at Villanova. These relationships inspired her to try out a career in real estate before pursuing a possible academic career, and over a decade later she still enjoys the industry. Someday, she may return to school or teach, but for now real estate offers plenty of opportunities to stay curious, continue learning, and mentor others. These days, she is interested in developing a deeper understanding of architecture, design, land planning, urban planning, building science, natural building materials, permaculture, regenerative real estate principles and real estate financing. She is currently pursuing her Living Future Accreditation through the International Living Future Institute, an organization with a beautiful vision for creating the greenest buildings in the world.

Born and raised in Oklahoma, with family in Texas, Isabel is happy to be closer to home and family in the great city of Austin which she and Chris have called home since 2014.

As VP of Construction, Michael Bradshaw oversees all construction, sets up vendors, and bids out plans. His job demands constant analysis of costs and timeframes throughout the building process to keep all projects running smoothly, on time, and according to budget. Michael got his start in residential construction in 2006, and he has since worked his way up the construction ladder from the warranty department all the way to Director of Construction in 2018.

In his new position as VP of Construction, Michael looks forward to building and working on new and challenging projects, learning more about developing land, and supporting the Heartwood mission. Outside of work, Michael enjoys spending time with his family as well as golfing, fishing, and spending time on the lake.

Emma Martinez is the Development Administrator of Heartwood Real Estate Group, a role that sees her manage varying responsibilities including contract administration, real estate transactions, coordinating contract to close, and managing Human Resources for Heartwood. Emma has been in the real estate industry for 20 years, and she has a passion for helping people achieve homeownership and start building wealth.

Emma has a strong interest in houses and architecture, as well as in planning the best use for a piece of property or raw land that will enhance the area’s sense of place and community. In her current role, Emma hopes to hone her collaboration skills and see Heartwood emerge as one of Austin’s most prominent real estate developers. In her free time, Emma enjoys hiking around Austin greenbelts, long strolls through neighborhoods, traveling, and staying connected with God, family, and friends.