How to Navigate Conflicting City Department Comments Without Losing Months ASK: Fire requires one solution. Engineering requires another. How do we resolve conflicting comments without stalling the project? ANSWER: Conflicting department comments are not an exception in development. They are the norm. What surprises many developers is that no one inside the city is responsible […]

What Happens After Planning Commission Approval? A Step Most Developers Underestimate ASK: We received Planning Commission approval. Why does it still feel like the project could fall apart? ANSWER: Planning Commission approval feels decisive. Votes are cast. Motions pass. Conditions are read into the record. Teams breathe for the first time in months. And then […]

How to Spot Red Flags in a Land Deal Before Money Goes Hard ASK: I found what looks like the perfect site. How do I know if there are hidden risks before I make it official? ANSWER: Every piece of land tells a story, and some chapters can get very expensive. Developers fall in love […]

Top 5 Reasons Projects Get Stuck in Plan Check (and How to Avoid Them) ASK: We finally got through entitlements, but now we’re stuck in plan check. What’s causing the holdup? ANSWER: Plan check is where great projects go to stall. It’s the technical review after approvals, where every sheet, code, and calculation gets dissected […]

Entitlement Risk 101: How to Structure Land Deals When Approvals Take Time ASK: We’ve got a great site, but entitlements might take a year or more. How do I structure the deal so I’m not overexposed during approvals? ANSWER: Entitlements are where real estate deals are won or lost. You can find a perfect site, […]