I’m testing something and need brutally honest feedback from investors & brokers.Every deal starts the same way: zoning PDFs, city portals, traffic counts, demographic tabs, Google Maps… and hours of manual work before you even know if a site is worth 10 more minutes.I’m building a tool that turns one address into a structured feasibility snapshot (zoning, allowed uses, infrastructure, market context, risk flags).

I know this question has probably been asked too many times but we all start somewhere at some point and this is my start so any help would be extremely appreciated.

@Matthew Becker everything cash flows when you pay in cash 😆 but honestly, it's possible but extremly extremly difficult.

For the first time in my career, we’re about to fund a loan with a 5% broker fee.
Normally, broker chains are a red flag. But this one worked because the broker had full control of the borrower and lender relationshi...

Great topic — ground-up projects can produce strong margins, but execution risk is where many investors get caught off guard.From the builder/developer side, the biggest challenges we consistently see are:1️⃣ Site Work UnknownsFill, compaction, drainage, and soil conditions can shift budgets quickly — especially in markets where lot conditions vary significantly.2️⃣ Utilities & Impact FeesWater/sewer access, well/septic requirements, and local impact fees are often underestimated during underwriting.3️⃣ Environmental FactorsProtected species, wetlands, and flood elevation requirements can affect both timelines and build costs.4️⃣ Permit TimelinesApproval periods — particularly when civil or environmental reviews are involved — can extend holding costs beyond initial projections.5️⃣ Builder Execution CapacityProject success often comes down to the operator’s systems, trade relationships, and cycle times — not just the numbers on paper.Because of these hurdles, we’re seeing more investors lean toward ready-to-build projects — where feasibility, plans, and permitting are already in progress or completed — as a way to reduce entitlement risk and shorten timelines.Ground-up can be extremely rewarding, but the upfront diligence and execution planning are what ultimately determine outcomes.Always happy to compare notes with other investors and builders working through similar projects.

I don’t see how you can rely on a 140K spread between purchase price and ARV to back into a target 30K profit when property condition and renovation scope are almost guaranteed to fluctuate.Trying to flip a house in a distant market while relying entirely on third party vendors in hopes of making 30K seems extremely risky to me.

I am a little handy and willing to get my hands dirty, and my dad is extremely handy.

We loved the idea of creating something experiential and weird in the best possible way.Here’s the reality check we eventually hit:Actually getting to the summit portion of the land is extremely difficult.

You want someone who knows the local rental neighborhoods well, can explain why one area rents better than another, and is honest if a deal doesn’t make sense instead of trying to push you into something.

You say NJ which is known for being an extremely unfriendly environment for LLs.