Are these still the main players and if so, who would you recommend?

These company owners likely know what players would be interested in having a look.  

Has anyone been working for one of the large players and switched to KWC?

dont really knowand Blazers affect the real estate market like 0 %  .. other than the few players that buy maybe 5 or 6 multi million dollar homes.. 

When I say "big builders" I don't mean the publics--I mean the local guys who were the dominant players in the market either pre fire, or pre-market-collapse that have come out of retirement. 

Keep in mind that many markets have players you don't see.PE/HFs/Institutional Money is investing in a core asset base. 

(Even though it is definitely possible) The best thing is to educate, save, and also reach out to people in your target market so you can get your name out there and learn who the players are.

There are a few long time owners that are focused on selling to the little people instead of selling to the big players in the city. 

I agree, none of the big players that I have ever met (or any of our clients) created wealth through cash flow, that’s antiquated.

Hope this helps awser your question.It took me a number of years to get here so it is not all that glamorous compared to some of the other REI players highlighted story.