Questions from developers
Does it feel like a hard time to be a developer right now?
You're not the only one. It's something I hear from developers I talk to. These are plain answers to the questions that come up most about finding sites when every deal is harder to make work.
Why does it feel harder right now?
Money costs more and building costs more, so fewer sites work on paper. That makes the hours you spend on the wrong sites hurt more than they used to.
Where does the time go when I'm looking for a site?
Mostly in checking. Zoning, lot size, who owns it, what's on the deed, what the city plans next. By hand that's about 30 minutes a parcel. One corridor in Alexandria, Virginia has 2,947 parcels. That's about 1,470 hours before you've made a single call.
Can a small firm do this without an analyst?
Yes. That's who I built this for. The map does the first pass across every parcel in an area, and you spend your time on the short list.
What does the map actually check?
- Zoning, and whether your use is allowed
- Lot size and land value from the assessor
- Distance to transit and trails
- What the city's plans say about the area
- A link to the deed for each parcel
You choose how much each one counts. Change a weight, and the ranking changes with it.
How do I know the scores are right?
Every score shows its reasons, so you can check it yourself. Before anything goes to a client, I check the top sites by hand against the source records.
Tell me your top 3 problems finding a site. Bring them to a 30-minute call.
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