Design Development Overview (Masterclass #22)
There are firms in San Francisco and Los Angeles whose entire business plan is to get a site approved and then sell it.
The Bright Build
A weekly design-driven and community-focused newsletter by Sean D. Sweeney, mapping the moves and mindset crucial for both the seasoned and aspiring real estate developer.
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Winning Over the Planning Commission (Masterclass #21)
In Master Class 21, I pick up where we left off, at the moment your land use application lands on the city planning department’s desk, and walk you through what actually happens next.
Effective Neighborhood Outreach Strategies (Masterclass #20)
A neighbor once stood up in the middle of a meeting, walked to the front of the room, and jabbed his finger into a friend of mine’s site plan four separate times.
Limited Partner Series #6
Alden Row and the Capital Stack (Where Your Money Actually Sits)
How to Get City Approval (Masterclass #19)
A city council member once told me, almost word for word, “I think this project is great, but I’m not going to support it publicly.” I wasn’t offended.
Understanding Your Pro Forma and Key Metrics (Masterclass #18)
Move one assumption in my pro forma by half a percentage point, the cap rate, and the exact same building goes from being worth $2.52 million to $2.749 million.
How to Become World Class at Schematic Design (Masterclass #17)
On one of my projects, I wanted every car in and out of the building running through the alley behind it but the city had a different opinion, and it came with a phone call I wasn’t expecting and a bill I didn’t want to pay.
Boss me around. Do it.
Hey folks-
How to Find the Perfect Architect for Your Project (Masterclass #16)
I once got three architect bids back at $300,000, $310,000, and $500,000.
It's Time to Read a Real Deal
Limited Partner series number five
Environmental Reports and Site Readiness (Masterclass #15)
On one of my own sites, we pulled the history and found an auto repair shop that had sat along the property line for eighty years, plus a dry cleaner across the street running chemicals from 1940 into the early fifties.