Dear Wilkes-Barre-Scranton area, my name is Gabe and I'm relatively new to the real-estate game- but I'm eager to learn.

If you don't have an agent...well...nothing is a problem until it's a problem but our advice and opinions are meaningless if you actually need to use your insurance.It's vitally important that you understand exactly what you have before you need it. 

My wife and I are looking to start investing in real estate so we are eager to learn the ins and outs of the business. 

At a minimum,  you should understand what the current zoning is and what restrictions there are.As the post above mentioned reaching out or going in person to speak with the planning and zoning department will be very helpful. 

VG  it was my understanding that sub to guys charged 15k .. thats what one BP member told me at the time.. so its hearsay how much they actually wanted for their expertise..

These methods include: Detailed Engineering Cost ApproachDetailed Engineering Cost Estimate ApproachSurvey or Letter ApproachResidual Estimation ApproachSampling or Modeling ApproachExperience or “Rule of Thumb” ApproachIt’s important to understand the differences between the approaches including which one best fits your property and the reliability of each approach.DETAILED ENGINEERING COST APPROACHThis approach compiles the costs from construction and accounting reports to build a report.

I understand the sentiment behind this advice.

I've done some preliminary due diligence (as the lender) and feel I have a pretty firm understanding of how it works.

I'd like to understand @Devin James, from the domestic developer mind of things; If there stands a confusion, lack of comprehension on how to address housing compilation in a given region, city, MSA etc., why not look to Europe? 

Once the above skills and tools are acquired, understanding the sequential process of the development along its timelines and costs needs to be correctly implemented.