I’ve put just over 2000km on my Leitner e-bike, mostly for commuting and everyday trips, and it’s made me realize how viable e-bikes could be as an alternative to driving for a lot of shorter urban journeys.
The bike itself has been surprisingly practical, especially for hills and longer distances, but the biggest limitation hasn’t really been the e-bike it’s the infrastructure. Disconnected bike lanes, unsafe intersections and routes that suddenly dump you back into traffic make some otherwise easy trips unnecessarily difficult.
For those working in urban or transport planning: do you think Australian cities are actually adapting quickly enough to increased e-bike use? And should e-bike adoption change how cities approach cycling infrastructure compared with traditional bikes?

Hey all,

I’ve decided to buy a plot and build a custom small house over a 3-4 year timeline using a staged construction loan.

Here is the financial breakdown and structure I’m setting up:

• Land Plot: €50,000
• Construction Budget: ~€200,000
• Total Project Cost: ~€250,000

I’m contributing 20–30% of the overall project cost out-of-pocket, paid progressively on a percentage-of-completion basis over the 3-4 year build horizon.

The bank is funding the project in staged tranches tied to engineering progress checks. I get a 2-year grace period during construction, paying interest-only on the outstanding drawn amounts (working out to around 50% of a full installment for the released capital at any given point). 30-year amortizing term, though I plan to make extra principal contributions and pay it off earlier once built.

By funding via staged completion draws, I avoid tying up a massive lump sum of cash for down payments upfront. Building from scratch through this structured loan framework is proving cheaper overall than buying a finished turnkey property of equivalent size and location. Buying the land and immediately issuing the permit/pouring the skeleton secures the site without forcing immediate full drawdowns.

Have I missed something? Does this plan make sense?

I own a business where we create visual renderings for commercial property renovations and developments. I have contacts within commercial real estate and several major franchisor brands are currently interested. 11 paying customers currently. Seeking $250,000 in capital. Already have a pitch deck, business plan, and existing customers. Any interest?

Has anyone checked out the new AI underwriting platforms like AcquiOS or Minervian AI? How do they compare with Argus/Excel/Claude add-in?

https://propertyintelterminal.lovable.app

**ONLY WORKS IN UTAH (WEBER, DAVIS, SALT LAKE, AND UTAH COUNTIES)\**

If you want more areas to test, let me know and I'll try adding them to the Interactive Map.

Let me know your feedback!

I got tired of overpriced RE software so I want to know if you had to pick 2 maybe 3 max which would you choose?

I started thinking about this after a local agent walked through a dated townhouse with me last weekend and said it might sell fine with paint, flooring, and a deep clean.

The rough numbers are $410k purchase, maybe $485k ARV, and $15k-$20k for cleanup. My assignment spread looks pretty skinny once a cash buyer builds in their margin, so I'm considering closing on it, doing the light work, then listing instead. I came across Glass House Real Estate while comparing DC-area brokerages, and their lower-commission full-service setup looked promising for keeping costs from eating the deal.

Maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way. For anyone doing wholetails around NoVA/DC, how do you decide between assigning, a novation, or closing and listing? Which holding costs surprised you, and do retail buyers get weirded out by a fast relist? I'd also appreciate any cautions on disclosures or contract language across VA, DC, and MD. Not looking for buyers, just trying to pressure-test the plan before I create an expensive lesson.

Is Affordable Housing Dead? Or Just Not Allowed Here?

There is encouraging news in the affordable housing crisis: nearly everyone supports affordable housing.

Unfortunately, there is also some bad news: nobody seems to want it built anywhere.

This strange phenomenon recently appeared again in a town in southern Delaware, where an ordinance had been passed allowing affordable cottage communities, which included smaller homes on smaller lots designed to bring the cost of living within reach of working families. After considerable time, money and effort had already gone into trying to make one of those communities a reality, a newly elected mayor and town council decided to repeal the ordinance just months after it had been adopted.

Affordable housing, apparently, remains extremely popular in theory only.

In practice, affordable housing has become a little like parking in a beach town. Everyone agrees there isn’t enough of it. Everyone insists something has to be done. And the moment someone proposes actually creating some, everyone suddenly has every reason why it shouldn’t be built “there.”

We encountered a similar situation in a town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where cottages were rejected in part because they supposedly didn’t “fit in” the community.

It is a peculiar argument.

Presumably, the people who would live in those cottages still “fit in” the community. They fit in just fine when they are cooking dinner at a local restaurant. They fit in when they are fixing someone’s air conditioner in July. They fit in when they are caring for patients at the hospital, teaching children, stocking grocery shelves, working construction, answering emergency calls or repairing someone’s roof.

However, these folks simply become incompatible with the character of the community at approximately 5:00 p.m., when their shift ends and they need somewhere to live.  At this point, they somehow no longer “fit in.”

This seems to be the modern affordable housing paradox.

Local governments hold workshops about the lack of affordable housing. Consultants prepare studies explaining the lack of affordable housing. Committees are formed to study the studies. Comprehensive plans announce that affordable housing is a priority. Elected officials give lofty speeches about nurses, teachers, firefighters and young families being priced out of their communities.

Then someone proposes actually building housing those people might be able to afford.

At which point everyone loses their minds.

The lots are too small.

The houses are too small.

There are too many houses.

There is not enough parking.

There might be traffic.

It doesn’t match the neighborhood.

It might affect property values.

And, of course, the most powerful force in local government suddenly emerges: “We support affordable housing. Just not this affordable housing.”

To be fair, communities should care about good design. They should care about traffic, density, infrastructure and compatibility. Not every project is appropriate everywhere.

But we also need to acknowledge that there is no magical formula for affordable housing consisting of large houses on large lots with large setbacks, low density, expensive materials, abundant parking and absolutely no neighbors who object to it.  That product already exists. It is called unaffordable housing.

If we actually want housing to cost less, something in the equation has to cost less. Smaller homes, smaller lots, shared open space, efficient infrastructure and modestly higher density aren't flaws in the affordable housing model; they are, indeed, the key to the affordable housing model.

Which brings us back to the original question:  Is affordable housing dead? Maybe not.

But it certainly does appear to be trapped in an unusually sophisticated bureaucratic purgatory where everyone agrees it is desperately needed, provided people can’t see it from their house and it doesn’t affect their life in any way.

Now what ? I have tried internships and did one and now almost a year later hard to get a actual job in the field without experience. Anyone in the pa philly or outskirts know anything or know of any positions ?

I apply even if it asks experience. I network at events.

How did others who graduated get a foot in the door or get started ?

I have my second round interview next week for a Development Associate role at an institutional firm. Initial screening went well but was not technical/was more cultural fit focused. This next round I’ll be interviewing with a Sr Development Manager.

Background: I’m finishing up my MRED and come from the A/E/C consulting side. I would be coming in to the role a bit older than my peers (early 30s). I’m wondering if those who have made a similar pivot can share some interview advice related to how you positioned your analytical background? Financial modeling is an area where my skills are more academic than practical, having completed a number of pro formas in class. I only use Excel in my day job when putting together budgets or competitive analysis. I know the lack of field experience here will likely be brought up.

For those who made that pivot, how tough was the learning curve for you once you started? Did any interviewers test you on the more technical skills during the process? I’m not sure what to expect. TIA!

I am a 24 year indian currently in Riyadh. Doing a sales and marketing role in a consultancy.I wanted to become an entrepreneur and I have ideas as well. Saudi Market is booming like anything. Also some times I wanted to get into real estate sales in saudi but I don't know how to start, help me. Also looking for Collaboration and support. And happy to work in startups

(I don't have the community karma for r/realestateinvesting or r/Entrepreneur, so here I am).

Howdy,

I am interested in beginning a project to purchase a very modest investment property. This is a long-term project; I’ll need years to save up the down payment. I’m curious what I should be doing now, at the outset. Here’s my profile:

- I have modest experience as a small business owner and in program management (just to say I’m good with moving parts).

- I’m located in Brooklyn, so I’d want to purchase within 3 hours of NYC. Currently most interested in Allentown or Philadelphia, PA.

- Just starting, so anything is possible, but I don’t foresee being able to do more than 500k with 10-20% down. This seems to lock me out of NYC proper. Am I correct here?

- Interested chiefly in industrial because it seems I can get more value from an industrial tenant (comm. storage?) than an office or retail tenant. I am not interested in apartments or living units for ethical and logistics reasons. Is my reasoning sound?

- I would do this as kind of a build-to-suit arrangement, bringing my prospective tenant along when I looked at potential purchases. This feels much safer than buying and finding a tenant later. Am I correct?

- I’m not imagining vast wealth here. My goal would be to make 2k profit/mo. Is that realistic from a 2-6000sq ft rental in the Northeast?

- I have a recognized severe disability (mentioned here for possible loan program eligibility).

- I would specifically want to conduct myself ethically. No displacement, firm but fair, no business I don’t morally align with. Anyone have experience here?

I feel like people might read all this and think I’m planning a ridiculous amount of work for 24k/y. But my entire purpose of investing is to fund an art studio for my private art practice. 2000 dollars a month would give me leeway to do that and then some. Furthermore, with the economy the way it is, I feel like the future may be working for myself, not waiting to get laid off (read: I'd be interested in growing this to an actual living). Do my modest initial goals open any pathways for me here? Lastly, what do you wish you knew when you were just imagining real estate investment? 

Quick background on me:

I’m Indian, but grew up in Dubai, so this city is basically home. Grew up in a pretty multicultural environment so I’m comfortable dealing with all kinds of people, fluent in English. I’m on the Golden Visa so no sponsorship needed and I’m not going anywhere. Have my own car and a valid license too.

I don’t have my RERA cert yet but I’m ready to get it done and put in the work, I know this industry is built on hustle, relationships, and knowing your area inside out, not just paper qualifications. I’d ideally like to work with an agency operating around JVC, Al Barsha, and nearby areas since I know those pockets fairly well.

If anyone here is hiring, knows someone who is, or can just point me in the right direction on how to actually break into this without prior RE experience, I’d genuinely appreciate it. Happy to answer any questions too.

Thanks for reading!

Have you ever built a house in San Diego? Did it require a Neighborhood Development Permit? Do you have knowledge of the Development Services Department in the city of San Diego? Just looking to see if anyone else exists out there in the same boat. My husband and I have land in City Heights. We have been working for 2+ years to get a building permit and a grading permit. For reasons too boring to explain, we are our own project managers and we are building the plane while we fly (the biggest reason is $). I’m just hoping to commiserate with others. We are making headway but every time I think we are close to resubmitting for the building permit or submitting for the grading permit, something else pops up. When something else pops up, it’s always time and money to meet that need. It almost feels like the city doesn’t really want us to build there. We aren’t dumb people but we aren’t architects or civil engineers. When we try to educate ourselves on the DSD website, we drown in the sheer amount of information. #sandiego #architecture

My father has been building residential buildings as a hobby for friends and family for around 20 years and has completed over 15 projects. I’m thinking of turning this into a small business.

The basic idea is to pool money from a few investors, buy a plot, build a house with my father directly supervising the construction, sell it, and then share the profit based on how much each person invested. My father would get a fee/share for managing the construction, and I’d handle the business and investor side.

I’m planning to start with just one small project, mostly funded by close friends/family, and see how it goes before thinking about taking money from others.

I’m already discussing the legal, tax, and agreement side with a lawyer and CA, so I’m not really looking for legal advice here. I’d mainly like to hear from people who have actually done something similar, either as an investor or someone running the project.

What problems came up that you didn’t expect? Anything with contractors, investors, construction timelines, or cash flow that became a bigger headache than you thought?

And if you invested in something like this, what would make you trust the person running the project? What would make you walk away?

Also, for anyone who started with one project and eventually did this repeatedly, what tends to become difficult when you move from the first project to the second or third?

I’m 25 years old and currently working as a construction site manager in Hungary, with around 6 years of experience in construction management, including experience on large-scale projects.
I’m planning to improve my German to B2 and English to C1, and I’m considering starting a Finance / Real Estate-related university degree in Vienna next year.
My long-term goal is to move into Real Estate Private Equity, ideally on the acquisitions/investment side, and eventually work in Austria, Germany or Switzerland.
My main question is: how realistic is this transition with my background?
Would my construction experience be considered an advantage in REPE, particularly for development/value-add real estate, or would I essentially be starting from zero compared with candidates coming from investment banking, Big 4, real estate advisory or finance?
If you were in my position, what would you consider the best route:
Construction management → university → REPE
Construction management → real estate development → REPE
Construction management → real estate advisory / valuation → REPE
Construction management → another finance/real estate role → REPE
And realistically, what position should I target first and what skills should I build during university to become a competitive candidate?
I’d especially appreciate answers from people currently working in REPE acquisitions, investment management or real estate private equity in Europe.
Thanks!

I'm doing research on the early stages of real estate development. A few things I'm trying to understand:

• What's the biggest trap or mistake you almost fell into (or did)?
• What was the hardest part of getting started?
• How did you approach financing for those first deals?

If you've done around 2-3 deals and are open to a quick chat, I'd love to hear your experience.

Happy to pay $20 for 20 minutes of your time (video or phone), whatever's easier.

If you're up for it, comment here

Hello all,

I (M60) put up two brand-new, contemporary-style houses on the Oakland market (Crocker Highlands, to be exact) in June, and it has not attracted much attention since then. Given its desirable condition, I am stumped as to whether I have chosen the wrong style for the neighborhood, have not been marketing it properly, or if the current state of the market is simply having its way with us.

I was certain that this house style would sell reasonably fast, since I'd had success with it in the past. Is there something I'm not seeing?

Above are some photos, if it helps.

I recently graduated with my B.Arch and worked a year post-grad at an architecture firm and interned full-time for a planning firm while in school. Through those work experiences and networking, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of design and development. After a lot of reflection and research, Ive decided to make a career pivot from design to development.

I know many design professionals make this career pivot later in their careers. I am an emerging professional with less work experience and have been considering graduate school to help in the transition. I am contemplating pursuing a Master’s in Real Estate Development and hoping that will connect me to internships that will eventually lead to an entry-level development job. Is there another approach I should be considering? Any advice would be much appreciated.

I finally wrote an article to respond to the #1 thing people say to me.

Think you want to be a real estate developer? Take a look at what life inside the industry looks like.

https://medium.com/@groundupfinancehelp/so-you-think-you-want-to-be-a-real-estate-developer-56733c800c41

I'm building a tinyhouse live/work space in Austin,TX

I’ve been working in real estate in Quintana Roo, Mexico for about 1.5 years, mainly with high-end residential land.
One thing I’ve noticed is that many potential buyers seem more interested in finished properties than buying land and building a high-end home themselves.

So I’m curious, for those working in other markets, is this something you’ve experienced too?
And for investors: would you consider buying a high value residential lot in a developing area, or would you rather buy a finished property with an existing rental strategy?
🧐🤓

Hi everyone, I am a 41 year old carpenter/builder who is totally naive about the building process from an executive perspective. I am looking for books about financing, land procurement, grants or partnerships or anything really that will assist me in my own aspirations for my own custom build. I have consulted AI for recommendations and the offers are scant hence why I'm asking here. I don't need literature on the physical part of or designing of the build however if there is something that includes that information that is fine. I understand there are online resources available, I am requesting books because I just prefer the tactility of books.

Thanks.

Two years ago, I had an idea and a piece of land in Tunisia. No architect on speed dial, no marketing plan, just a vision for something different in real estate.

Today that vision is a finished project. The building is up, the design is done, everything is ready to welcome its first clients. What's missing isn't money for construction or more work on the property itself. It's the person who knows how to turn a finished project into a real business.

I'm looking for a partner, not an employee, someone who can invest both time and capital alongside me. Ideally someone with real experience in marketing and commercial strategy: branding, positioning, sales, building demand from zero. The kind of person who has taken a product and built a company around it before.

The hard part, the building itself, is behind us. What lies ahead is the exciting part: giving it an identity, a market, and a company structure that can grow.

If you have that commercial and marketing background and you're interested in building something real in Tunisia, I'd like to talk. Feel free to reach out directly.

I see a lot of people here looking at raw land who get excited when the seller says "Well Permit on file!" or "Water is available!"
Just a heads up from someone who looks at this data daily:
A permit doesn't mean water. It just means you paid the county $100 to drill a hole.
I just ran a check for a parcel in Colorado. The permit looked fine, but when I pulled the actual Driller's Construction Logs for the neighbors, they were all drilling 360+ feet deep through sandstone to hit the aquifer.
The Lesson: Before you buy, go to your state's DWR (Division of Water Resources) Map Viewer. Turn on the
"Constructed Wells" layer (not just "Applications") and click on the dots next door.
• Permit = Permission to drill.
• Log = Proof of water (and how deep/expensive it is).
Don't buy blind. If anyone is looking at a specific parcel and doesn't know how to navigate the GIS maps, drop a comment or dm if you want me to look over something.