Depending on the number of jobs and number of new development going on in the area it may just be simple supply and demand.

Michael,   A good book to purchase is "Professional Real Estate Development: The ULI guide to Business.   

Software developer - "What things do you look for in a CRM?"

The area is rich in history and culture, and with ongoing investment and development in the neighborhood.

I looked into this at more than one occasion, because Milwaukee has such an old housing stock, everything is 60-120 years old.Most of the new apartments we see are 4 and 5 star developments with very high rents, this allows to offset the high cost of construction a little better.

I mean really robust and to us the money is made finding those pearls of land that can be developed

The truly tragic natural disasters in California, North Carolina, Florida and others of the past six months are evidence that no location is truly 'climate safe,' however there are geographical areas that can expect less weather extremes and lower costs of living, developing, insuring and seemingly...surviving. 

Build a strong team, prioritize cash flow, and take the time to understand the local market and regulations, especially for development projects.

If the project is in Canada then I would look to an attorney that understands international law as it could be more complex.Personally for something along the lines of what you are doing I would look to partner with another developer vs trying to raise the capital as that will be less labor intensive.

There are many new developments going up but traffic in some areas are horrific, especially at peak.