Projects

The Purpose: The purpose of the Introduction to Land Development course is to acclimate new students with the field of land development by conducting site visits and learning about various return on investment measures. 

The Project Parameters: The class was divided into teams of seven with each team having one students selected as Team Leader while the other students each choose a return variable: Economic, Social, Environmental, or Visual. After the site visit, we were challenged to apply the Quadruple Net Return equation to this development then create a short film and final report of our findings. 

My Role: I was selected as the Austin site Team Leader, and served in this role assisting each student individually with his or her part of the written and visual assignment. My team earned an award for 'Best Original Film' for our work on this assignment. 

The Purpose: The purpose of the Income Property Development course is to explore the characteristics of real estate as an investment. It involves venture and capital structures, the development process, site and financial feasibility, and project funding strategies.

The Project Parameters: This particular assignment asked me to build a discounted cash flow model for a 257,000 sq. feet buildable area proposed as an apartment community in Lewisville, Texas. 

My role: I was given certain information from which to build the model including unit-type distribution and square feet per unit. From there I built a model which demonstrates investor returns as well as debt calculations, and other cash sources and uses for decision making purposes. 

The Purpose: The purpose of the Land Development Trends course is to identify trends within the Land Development industry. These might include financial or demographic trends, and then identify market opportunities based on these trends. 

The Project Parameters: In this assignment, students were asked to identify an opportunity based on a current land development trend. This trend could be based on any finding from the Urban Land Institute assigned readings or other web sources. 

My Role: I chose to concentrate on the inner city college investment opportunity. I sought to highlight trends across the nation which show re-urbanization as a current trend and then identify land uses available for revitalization in the inner city. I chose inner city college communities in the SE United States and drew parallels in their land value, revitalization options, and population indicators.