In its current version, AI is a glorified search engine.

If we expand to serving clients (beyond our own projects), I'd greatly appreciate advice from any others that have gone in that direction.We're considering handyman and full-service (even offering architect, engineering if needed)What key things elevated you above competition?

Cracked brick, bigger problem.I would have a structural engineer look at it.

None of those investments experienced any realized losses (let alone suffered a total collapse like this one did).And I passed on Open Door due to what I felt were specific red flags that were present from day one such as:1) Inadequate skin the game (co-investment)...which ordinarily aligns the sponsor with investors.2) Standard, critical info missing from the pitch deck that are required to understand the deal and the risk being taken (sponsor skin in the game, information on the debt, etc)3) Too little experience: Sponsor didn't have experience across a full real-estate cycle (with little to no money lost).4) Heavy “financial engineering” to make projected returns look better (which increases risk) instead of relying on boring, simple fundamentals (buying good real-estate at reasonable prices).5) Deals marketed aggressively to newer / less experienced investors (which experienced sponsors don't need to do, because they've already built up an organic following).Good real estate is usually pretty boring.

No YouTube video or online course can prepare someone to entitle land across different markets.Once you select a market, I strongly recommend engaging a local zoning attorney and a local civil engineer who regularly practice in that jurisdiction.By way of example, I am based in Philadelphia and have encountered very different entitlement issues across projects: one involved an overlay that required negotiations with both the Planning Commission and the Historical Commission to make ADA-compliant façade changes; another required stormwater and Streets Department reviews before a zoning permit could be issued; and a separate $20 million development I am currently working on ran into a conflict between zoning approvals and the building code due to a design team oversight and is now undergoing a redesign.Investors operating in other markets will face their own local land use, zoning, and code issues that are just as nuanced and location specific.As far as the value that's created, there must be a very compelling story of value add for lenders to treat the imputed equity borrower's equity participation.

An example is the town engineer wouldn't sign off that the lot was created (because it didn't meet setback requirements),  the city council couldn't grant a variance because the lot didn't technically exist yet and the county wouldn't sign off the the lot existed as the city hadn't approved it so it couldn't on the county record.Ultimately, we got the engineer to sign off with a verbal city approval and then the county to create the lot, then the city permitted the structure and lot as it was "grandfathered in".Points for you to take into consideration.Find a surveyor that has experience in that city, they can be invaluable on the process and presenting information in a way that the city and county both can understand.

Quote from @Joseph Noori: Hello- I am an engineer and live in N.

The 60's was the era or glorifying Engineers, Dr's, ingenuity and brilliance.

Its not the normal vanilla whosaling and you for sure need dough to pay for the entitlement process's  engineers studies and land use apps etc.

Highly recommend hiring a good mechanical engineer to create MEP plans for the building even if the municipality does not require them.