Susie Vaillancourt

August 4, 2010

Property Development – Get an Architect on Board

Filed under: Architec — Tags: , , — deokeytp @ 10:33 pm


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Why try to struggle with making plans yourself when it comes to homes and property? There are people out there already who are fully qualified at this thing called architecture. These architects really know what they are doing funnily enough. Let’s face it how many of us are undiscovered Christopher Wrens, all we do is get in a mess with our plans and end up literally back at the drawing board.

Any ideas you may have about extending a property in some way or converting the loft space should be handed over to a qualified architect who can help you realize your plans in a professional way. I am not very confident about my technical drawing skills and particularly my measuring, so I never attempt them. There is no point in risking a delay with the planning office by sending in incorrectly filled and inaccurate forms and sketches. And if you have dealt with planning offices then you know you want to make it as simple as possible for them.

Now, it will be a budgetary issue whether you go ahead with employing yet another person to help with your development. Particularly if it’s your first property and expenses are pushed to the limit but as you become more competent and have bigger and more properties you will find that delegating out these responsibilities just make good business sense. At the end of the day how much is your time worth? If you have hours available to tinker with your plans then so be it but isn’t there something else you could be doing like finding another property to develop?

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May 10, 2010

Choosing The Right Architect For Your Commercial Real Estate Development

Filed under: Architec — Tags: , , , , — deokeytp @ 2:45 am


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A good real estate development starts with the right architect. An architect is concerned not only with the concept but also the planning as well as designing of a building or any real estate development. A degree in architecture equips one with the knowledge of the building and operational codes that are to be adhered for every architectural design.

An architect is trained such that he/she transforms a user’s needs and demands into design and eventually into physical form. This implies that he/she should have complete training that will aid in the building of safe and healthy construction for people and the communities. Architects have to obtain licenses to practice architecture as their building designs and planning decisions play a vital role in the safety and security of the public.

Architects specialize in different fields among architecture i.e., land, land development, buildings, office parks, residential, landscape and the like. This specialization is a result of the increasingly fragmented, demanding and concentrated world. Thus, it is difficult for a single architect to be aware of the know-how of each of these fields and to accommodate the distinct demands of different clients.

An architect plays a very significant role in a project from its conception to its construction. The final physical form of a building or any real estate development is designed by an architect who obviously considers the desires and needs of the client. As such, it is important to choose an architect who is well qualified as well as experienced in the specialized field of your choice. An architect who has been in business for at least 5-10 years must have developed a strong foundation of relevant concepts. He/she must possess the skills, knowledge and experience needed for a decent and fascinating project. This indicates that it is essential to review an architect’s qualifications prior to selection; his/her degree, experience and license – all should be checked before one hands over the project. An important point to note is that he/she should be experienced for five plus years in the particular field of the development project and not just as a general architect.

Having said the significance of educational qualifications, it is time to review an architect’s affiliations and accreditations. An achieved architect should also be affiliated with a reliable institution, for instance, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, Royal Institute of British Architects and the like. Affiliation with such institutes demonstrates an architect’s credibility and popularity in the industry. An architect who is affiliated and accredited by similar professional architectural organizations has certainly passed their comprehensive requirements. This is a strong recognition and a proof of their achievement. However, mere affiliation is not the only consideration before choosing an architect. Other relevant factors and elements should also be considered so that the ultimate decision is made bearing all concerns in mind.

Geographical area of specialty is also an important element. Some architects are specialized and well-aware of certain area(s), and as such their scope is quite limited to those areas. Although he/she may excel in architecture and the particular area(s), this does not ensure that he/she will be able to deliver equivalent results in the area of the project’s requirement. Thus, this aspect should also be kept in mind.

Certain other conditions are also relevant as they ascertain whether a project will be successful and simultaneously whether the relationship between the client and the architect is sound and pleasant. A good architect should possess good communication skills and should be responsive of the client’s questions and/or queries. This is a very important factor, which ensures the completion of the project on time and on good terms. For your relationship with the architect to be successful, the architect you ultimately select should, by all means, follow up on calls and emails and should keep his/her word on different aspects related to the project.

An architect’s connections are a reflection of his/her success and achievement as well as political and negotiation skills. One who is well connected and has contacts like city planners and those in political processes is most certainly preferred as opposed to his/her counterparts with relatively few connections and contacts. Yet another factor is an architect’s membership of local clubs as the Kiwanis, Toastmasters, Knights of Columbus, Rotary etc. An associated member is most certainly a better candidate.

Each one of the above mentioned factors are important considerations for an investor or a customer prior to choosing a suitable architect. At first, it might seem difficult to find architects with all qualifications but there are ways. You can talk to developers, other popular architects, city planning and building departments, local economic developments, chambers of commerce etc and ask for references. Similar references cal also be obtained from experienced customers, sellers and buyers. The advent and popularity of the Internet has opened previously unknown avenues for obtaining information. The Internet can be a source of information, details and contact about reputable, qualified and experienced architects. The websites of architectural professional organizations may also list prominent architects in different regions.

A good architect is the key to any real estate development. Once a solid relationship and understanding has been established with the right architects(s), the entire process of idea generation, conceptualization through to final construction becomes simpler and satisfying. A good architect is aware of all reasonable specifications and is filled with ideas that form successful real estate development strategies. Thus, it is absolutely imperative to choose the right architect – one who is aware, experienced and reputable.

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April 13, 2010

Property Development – What’s an Entitlement and Why Do I Need it to Build?

Filed under: Architec — Tags: , , , , — deokeytp @ 3:39 am


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What is An Entitlement?

The definition of entitlement with regard to land development is the legal method of obtaining approvals for the right to develop property for a particular use. The entitlement process is complicated, time consuming and can be costly, but know what you can and can’t do with a piece of property is vital to determining the real estate feasibility of your project. Some examples of entitlements are as follows:

Entitlement Examples:

1. Zoning and zoning variances for building heights, number of parking spaces, setbacks. Your land use attorneys and zoning experts come into play here. My advice is to heavily rely on their expertise and follow their directions to avoid unnecessary delays in your approval process.

2. Rezoning. Depending on the current use allowed for the property, you might need to have the site rezoned which is a complicated process and sometimes cannot be done.

3 Use Permits. You may need to obtain conditional use permits and this goes hand in hand with zoning and zoning variances.

4. Road approvals. Do you need to put in existing roads? Who maintains the roads? Are there shared roads via easements? These are all questions that you need to have the answers to and be prepared to comply with in the regulatory process.

5 Utility approvals. Are utilities available to the site? Do you need to donate land to the city in exchange for utility entitlements? Again, you will need to comply with the municipality regulations and standards.

6. Landscaping approvals. The city planning and development agencies must also approve your design and landscaping. Your architect and engineers will be most helpful in this area.

Hire an Experienced Development Team:

The best advise is to hire an experienced development team of architects, developers, lawyers, project consultants, civil, soil, landscape and structural engineers and consultants at the onset to help you analyze, review, interpret and advise you regarding design studies, applicable zoning and code requirements, and maximum development potential of the property. Without an experienced team, it is extremely difficult and a lot of time will be wasted in trying to complete the regulatory process because the very nature of the regulatory process is so complicated.

Here is how the process works. First, remember to keep in mind that the process is very slow and frustrating and can take approximately 3 to 12 months or sometimes years depending on how complicated the project is. Part of the reason is that each city planner has different interpretations of their local rules. Today, approvals involve jurisdictions overlapping such as city, county and state and these jurisdictions do not communicate with each other. It is extremely crucial that you establish good working relationships with these planners to obtain your approvals. Again, this is why you need to work with a development team that has already built these relationships with local staff of the local jurisdiction where your property will be developed. These relationships will streamline and help to expedite your approval process. Your experienced team of experts will be able to negotiate issues for you and eliminate additional requests by the local jurisdiction to avoid further delays in obtaining your approvals.

Regulatory Process:

Majority of development projects must go through certain aspects of the entitlement process and some projects will be required to go through several public hearing processes for approval depending on each jurisdiction’s rules. To begin, commercial development of land requires a review and approval from the local Development Review Board or Planning Department Review Division. Each municipality has a different name but the functions are similar.

  1. The process starts with obtaining site approval from the local Planning and Development Department. By contacting the local Planning and Development Department Review Division, your expert team will then put together a land use pre-application which complies with the codes of that particular jurisdiction. By complying with the codes, this will eliminate additional requests by the jurisdiction, further review and extension and unnecessary delays of the approval process.
  2. Next a meeting date will be set. You and/or your representatives will meet with the Planning Department to discuss the proposed project and review process. The process includes approval of your site plan, elevations, colors, landscaping, vicinity map, etc. Environmental information will need to be submitted also. There is usually a fee that accompanies the application. The fees vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
  3. If for some reason your site plan is denied, you can appeal to the City Council. The appeal process varies from each jurisdiction.
  4. Once you obtain site approval, then you will need design approval, master use permits. The design approval process is where your architect will design the building shell, core layout, exterior appearance, building height, site layout, landscaping concepts, traffic impact, site access and utility layouts and submit them for approval.
  5. Neighborhood hearings are generally required for all general plan conditional use permits. You may be required to send out written notice or post information on the site. Normally the City will send notices to the neighbors also. Signs should be placed on the property, and an open house meeting is generally held. Your development team will be instrumental in advising and assisting you so that you have a higher probability of achieving success in obtaining neighborhood approval. Be prepared, even if you comply with the regulatory process codes and regulations, there is always the possibility that the neighborhood may have their own agenda and that the hearings and decisions may not be favorable to your project going forward. This is where your attorneys and the rest of your development team’s expertise and participation are crucial.

If wetlands are located on the property you will need special documentation that states whether the Wetlands Act applies or not. If it does, either it will result in significant or insignificant impact as granted by evidence of a permit. Sometimes it is best to set aside or donate the wetlands portion of the property and avoid development issues. Your development team will be able to advise you on the best course of action once they have assessed all the information and reviewed the reports.

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