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Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.
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THE BHP WIRE —
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Explore the people, places, events, achievements, struggles and stories that shaped our journey.
Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.
Innovation, patents, science, technology and world-changing contributions.
Pioneers, champions, Negro Leagues, records, activism and excellence.
Meet the people whose lives, choices and achievements shaped the journey.
Black towns, communities, institutions and places where history happened.
Moments that changed communities, movements, institutions and the nation.
In August 1908, a white mob attacked Springfield, Illinois’s Black community, destroying homes and businesses and lynching two Black men. National outrage over the violence helped spur the movement that created the NAACP the following year.
MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
Real estate development is the process of acquiring land or existing property, improving it through planning and construction, and selling or leasing for profit.[1] It involves coordinating design, financing, approvals, construction, and marketing. Developers assume significant risk in exchange for potential returns and may oversee projects ranging from residential housing to commercial and mixed-use developments.
Developers acquire land, arrange financing, obtain regulatory approvals, and oversee construction or renovation.[2] Developers usually take significant financial risks in the creation or renovation of real estate and receive the greatest rewards. Typically, developers purchase a tract of land, determine the marketing of the property, develop the building program and design, obtain the necessary public approval and financing, build the structures, and rent out, manage, and ultimately sell it.[3]
Real estate development has been criticized for contributing to urban sprawl and environmental degradation.[4] Supporters argue that development expands housing supply, reduces housing costs, stimulates economic growth and creates jobs. Lower construction costs,[5] land prices and regulation costs[6] tend to increase real estate construction.
Some developers only handle part of the process. For example, some developers source a property and get the plans and permits approved before selling the property with the plans and permits to a builder at a premium price. Alternatively, a developer who is also a builder may purchase a property with the plans and permits in place so that they do not have the risk of failing to obtain planning approval and can start construction on the development immediately. Financial difficulties in development and investing differ because of leverage[7].
Developers work with many different counterparts along each step of this process, including architects, city planners, engineers, surveyors, inspectors, contractors, lawyers, leasing agents, etc. In the Town and Country Planning context in the United Kingdom, “development” is defined in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 s55.
Development teams vary in size, bigger companies may provide all services in-house. At the other end of the spectrum, a development company might consist of one principal and a few staff who hire or contract with other companies and professionals for each service as needed.
Assembling a team of professionals to address the environmental, economic, private, physical and political issues inherent in a complex development project is critical. A developer's success depends on the ability to coordinate and lead the completion of a series of interrelated activities efficiently and at the appropriate time.[8]
Development process requires skills of many professionals: architects, landscape architects, civil engineers and site planners to address project design; market consultants to determine demand and a project's economics; attorneys to handle agreements and government approvals; environmental consultants and soils engineers to analyze a site's physical limitations and environmental impacts; surveyors and title companies to provide legal descriptions of a property; and lenders to provide financing. The general contractor of the project hires subcontractors to put the architectural plans into action.
Purchasing unused land for a potential development is sometimes called speculative development.
Subdivision of land is the principal mechanism by which communities are developed. Technically, subdivision describes the legal and physical steps a developer must take to convert raw land into developed land. Subdivision is a vital part of a community's growth, determining its appearance, the mix of its land uses, and its infrastructure, including roads, drainage systems, water, sewerage, and public utilities.
Land development is risky because it depends on outside approval and infrastructure and often requires a long investment time period without cash flow.
After subdivision is complete, the developer usually markets the land to a home builder or other end user, for such uses as a warehouse or shopping center. In any case, use of spatial intelligence tools mitigate the risk of these developers by modeling the population trends and demographic make-up of the sort of customers a home builder or retailer would like to have surrounding their new development.[9]
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Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
Real estate development is the process of acquiring land or existing property, improving it through planning and construction, and selling or leasing for profit. It involves coordinating design, financing, approvals, construction, and marketing. Developers assume significant risk in exchange for potential returns and may oversee projects ranging from residential housing to commercial and mixed-use developments. Developers acquire land, arrange financing, obtain regulatory approvals, and oversee construction or renovation. Developers usually take significant financial risks in the creation or renovation of real estate and receive the greatest rewards. Typically, developers purchase a tract of land, determine the marketing of the property, develop the building program and design, obtain the necessary public approval and financing, build the structures, and rent out, manage, and ultimately sell it. Real estate development has been criticized for contributing to urban sprawl and environmental degradation. Supporters argue that development expands housing supply, reduces housing costs, stimulates economic growth and creates jobs. Lower construction costs, land prices and regulation costs tend to increase real estate construction. Some developers only handle part of the process. For example, some developers source a property and get the plans and permits approved before selling the property with the plans and permits to a builder at a premium price. Alternatively, a developer who is also a builder may purchase a property with the plans and permits in place so that they do not have the risk of failing to obtain planning approval and can start construction on the development immediately. Financial difficulties in development and investing differ because of leverage. Developers work with many different counterparts along each step of this process, including architects, city planners, engineers, surveyors, inspectors, contractors, lawyers, leasing agents, etc. In the Town and Country Planning context in the United Kingdom, “development” is defined in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 s55.
Real estate investing involves purchasing, owning, managing, renting, or selling real estate to generate profit or long-term wealth. A real estate investor or entrepreneur may participate actively or passively in real estate transactions. The primary goal of real estate investing is to increase value or generate a profit through strategic decision-making and market analysis. Investors analyze real estate projects by identifying property types, as each type requires a unique investment strategy. Valuation is a critical factor in assessing real estate investments, as it determines a property's true worth, guiding investors in purchases, sales, financing, and risk management. Accurate valuation helps investors avoid overpaying for assets, maximize returns, and minimize financial risk. Additionally, proper valuation plays a crucial role in securing financing, as lenders use valuations to determine loan amounts and interest rates. Financing is fundamental to real estate investing, as investors rely on a combination of debt and equity to fund transactions. The capital stack represents the hierarchy of financing sources in a real estate investment, with debt issuers taking on lower risk in exchange for fixed interest income, while equity investors assume greater risk to participate in the upside potential of a property. Investors seek to improve net operating income (NOI) by increasing revenues or reducing operating expenses to enhance profitability. The success of a real estate investment depends on factors such as market conditions, property management, financial structuring, and risk assessment. Understanding the deal cycle, valuation techniques, and capital stack enables investors to make informed decisions and optimize their investment returns across different property types. In contrast, real estate development focuses on building, improving, or renovating properties.
A holdout is a property that did not become part of a larger real estate development, usually because the owner refused to sell their property. There are many examples of holdouts worldwide.
Graduate real estate education is the study of real estate development at the graduate school level. It has taken many forms, giving rise to various educational models in different countries. The decision for individuals pursuing higher education in this field often comes down to choosing between a traditional degree with a focus on real estate finance (e.g., Master in Science with a concentration in real estate) or an interdisciplinary, comprehensive degree (e.g., Master of Real Estate Development) focused wholly on real estate studies. While there are many real estate programs available to students around the country, there are only a handful of real estate development graduate programs that tackle the broader educational task of engaging the full range of real estate development (e.g., Master of Real Estate Development) -- from property acquisition to planning and permitting, law and finance, design and construction, and culminating in marketing, commercial leasing, property, portfolio and asset management.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →The Greenwood District.
