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All Forum Posts by: Devin James

Devin James has started 75 posts and replied 378 times.

Post: New Construction - Updated Garage Door Color

Devin James
Pro Member
#4 Land & New Construction Contributor
Posted
  • Developer
  • Orlando, FL
  • Posts 387
  • Votes 237

A few weeks ago, I posted about us changing the garage door color of one of our homes after realizing the original color we chose wasn’t it.

Here’s the before and after—what do you think?

We’re happy with how it turned out and would love to hear your thoughts!

Before:

After:

Post: Home Building Promotes Economic Growth - Another Home Delivery!

Devin James
Pro Member
#4 Land & New Construction Contributor
Posted
  • Developer
  • Orlando, FL
  • Posts 387
  • Votes 237

We paid $232,447.36 out to 36+ different trades & vendors for this home.

This $232K creates jobs and promotes growth because it is spent and recycled in the economy, creating a ripple effect.

Congratulations to the Greatleaf Homes Team for another new construction home closing today!

It’s SO cool to see how our work affects so many people!

Post: Thoughts on New Color Scheme?

Devin James
Pro Member
#4 Land & New Construction Contributor
Posted
  • Developer
  • Orlando, FL
  • Posts 387
  • Votes 237

Our new listing photos are in!! Take a look at our new “Katara” color scheme.

What do you like? What do you dislike? What would you change?

We’d love to hear your thoughts!!

Post: Want Improvement in any Area? Master The Boring.

Devin James
Pro Member
#4 Land & New Construction Contributor
Posted
  • Developer
  • Orlando, FL
  • Posts 387
  • Votes 237
Quote from @Bruce Woodruff:

Interesting take... but often true. I would add this: the best in their fields train all day/every day. Boring as hell. But you can make boring fun if you have a thing called passion. This is how the best win - make boring a fun passion...


 Great point. Making boring a fun passion, understanding that this is what will ultimately set you apart.

Post: Want Improvement in any Area? Master The Boring.

Devin James
Pro Member
#4 Land & New Construction Contributor
Posted
  • Developer
  • Orlando, FL
  • Posts 387
  • Votes 237

Mastering the boring every day will set you apart from your competition.

Where do you want improvement in your life? Get boring in that area.

Want to be in better shape? Working out is boring. Eating healthy is boring.

Want better finances? Budgeting is boring. Daily finance reading is boring.

Want a successful career? Refining skills are boring. Repetitive tasks are boring.

Want a better marriage? Consistency is boring. Marriage literature is boring.

Doing the boring stuff will help you “win” in life.

“Winning is more fun than fun is fun”

This is also a reminder to myself.

Post: Home Building - North Port Florida

Devin James
Pro Member
#4 Land & New Construction Contributor
Posted
  • Developer
  • Orlando, FL
  • Posts 387
  • Votes 237

Today, we visited 14 of our homes under construction in North Port, FL.

We love to see the progress of each home after every visit.

Post: How do you source deals?

Devin James
Pro Member
#4 Land & New Construction Contributor
Posted
  • Developer
  • Orlando, FL
  • Posts 387
  • Votes 237

Most of our deals are found through networking. Relationships are everything in this business.

Our current land development pipeline now comes from relationships with a local landowners.

How are others sourcing deals?

Examples:

- Brokers

- Cold Calling

- Networking

- On Market

Post: What Area of Development do you Specialize?

Devin James
Pro Member
#4 Land & New Construction Contributor
Posted
  • Developer
  • Orlando, FL
  • Posts 387
  • Votes 237
Quote from @Jordan Ray:
Quote from @Devin James:

Most residential developers specialize in one of three areas:
- Entitlements & Permitting (Paper Lots)
- Horizontal Development (Finished Lots)
- Vertical Development (Finished Homes)

Some developers focus on multiple, depending on the market, their risk tolerance, and other factors.

Historically, we've focused on entitlements and permitting, with some horizontal development.

Now, we have a few projects where we plan to do all three.

What do you specialize in?

 Great post @Devin James! I specialize in commercial land development. I just wrapped up a 13-acre City Park. My new project is a commercial town center, anchored by Publix. 

Have you done any commercial land development or just residential?

@Jay Hinrichs Do you only lend in Ocala? Or anywhere in Florida? 


 Hey Jordan!

We are strictly residential, but I guess some of our sites would be considered commercial due to the number of units. But we only provide residential housing.

Post: What Area of Development do you Specialize?

Devin James
Pro Member
#4 Land & New Construction Contributor
Posted
  • Developer
  • Orlando, FL
  • Posts 387
  • Votes 237
Quote from @Jay Hinrichs:
Quote from @Jordan Ray:
Quote from @Devin James:

Most residential developers specialize in one of three areas:
- Entitlements & Permitting (Paper Lots)
- Horizontal Development (Finished Lots)
- Vertical Development (Finished Homes)

Some developers focus on multiple, depending on the market, their risk tolerance, and other factors.

Historically, we've focused on entitlements and permitting, with some horizontal development.

Now, we have a few projects where we plan to do all three.

What do you specialize in?

 Great post @Devin James! I specialize in commercial land development. I just wrapped up a 13-acre City Park. My new project is a commercial town center, anchored by Publix. 

Have you done any commercial land development or just residential?

@Jay Hinrichs Do you only lend in Ocala? Or anywhere in Florida? 

Devin my lending business has a very Narrow niche our specialty is the 200k under BRRR that all these BP members want for rentals in the mid west.. we put them into title and let them refi or flip.. I am one of the few that has made a living doing sub 75k loans we just do ALOT of them

As for Development I have funded entitlement projects in Orlando  and Atlanta and currently doing 3 in Virginia just a few minutes East of Dulles these are high end REsi projects pre sold to Toll  and one to a large regional.

I also build in Charleston SC again for my own benefit I dont lend there..

I suspect your projects are far to large for us..  I would contact @Don Konipol  He is by far from what I have seen the most experienced and sharpest private lender on this site and has the bandwidth to do the larger loans complete opposite of what I do..


 I appreciate the insight!

Post: New Developments = More Affordable Housing

Devin James
Pro Member
#4 Land & New Construction Contributor
Posted
  • Developer
  • Orlando, FL
  • Posts 387
  • Votes 237
Quote from @Andrew W.:

What are you referring to when you say more affordable housing?  Your first comment regarding attending city commission meetings seems to indicate that you are referring to affordable housing under state statues (i.e income and other federal/state restrictions).  Your comment about building more houses/increasing supply to make housing more affordable seems to indicate that you are referring to simply increasing supply to lower prices.  These are obviously very different things.  Creating more true affordable housing isn’t really something that you can tell your local planning and zoning.  Affordable housing is not something that they have any say in, as it is regulated by the particular state.  Local planning and zoning can generally not change that.  A planning and zoning commission can generally not turn down a development with affordable housing that meets all of the state and local requirements.  In fact I think it is more common that developers will increase the % of affordable housing allowing them to circumvent the local planning and zoning commission in their approval process.  Also, I think people generally want less affordable housing in their towns, not more.  I could be wrong, but it certainly true in my experience in the cities/towns that I have lived in.


 Hey Andrew,

Thanks for the reply, I should have been clearer.

When I say affordable housing Im referring to generally making homes more affordable, nothing to do with the legal concept of affordable housing. 

In our city commission meetings, there are a ton of people (neighbors of proposed developments) advocating against new developments. And most City Commissions that we deal with always ask us to build less units. This country is severely under supplied in housing units so more units will better help affordability by adding more supply to the market.

I tried to make it as simple as I could but I can see how it got confusing. 

The message is, we need more housing supply to lower demand which will hopefully lower pricing and make housing more affordable. To get more demand, we need more projects and units approved. To get more projects and units approved, we need more people advocating for more developments and more units, rather than less.