Does anyone know, or have a good idea, about the difference in returns on entitling & developing the land for each scenario, with final objective to sell to a builder to build and sell the structures him/herself.  

. -- lots of factors to consider (including your personal strategy), but here are a few high level metrics to compare the most populous zip codes in HuntsvilleWelcome to drop me a message if you are interested in checking out the full report 

For those more entrenched in the Denver development market than I am, is this a fair trade for the city and for the developers?

The demand for student housing in this area remains strong, driven by the presence of Texas A&M University and its large student population.

Investors might want to start exploring smaller cities or less-saturated markets poised for population and business growth.

Year 0: ($2,000 - $1,700) x (1 + 2%)^0 / (1 + 5%)^0 ≈ $300 in today’s buying power.Year 5: ($2,000 - $1,700) x (1 + 2%)^5 / (1 + 5%)^5 ≈ $260 in today’s buying power.Year 10: ($2,000 - $1,700) x (1 + 2%)^10 / (1 + 5%)^10 ≈ $225 in today’s buying power.Year 15: ($2,000 - $1,700) x (1 + 2%)^15 / (1 + 5%)^15 ≈ $194 in today’s buying power.So, if you purchase property in a city where rent increases at a slower pace than inflation, the amount of goods and services you can buy will decrease over time due to inflation.Here is what I recommend:Purchase in a city that possesses the following characteristics.Significant and sustained population growth.Rapid and sustained appreciationBalance negative cash flow, interest rate buydown, and increased down payment to create an acceptable cash flow situation today.Refinance when rates fall to increase cash flow.

I have over a decade of experience in strategy consulting and in real estate underwriting for new acquisitions and ground up developments.

Red Rock Development spent $50 million building the 600,000sqft warehouse (that Amazon now occupies) without a tenant lined up based off the projected growth. 

The consistent population and job growth are driving real estate values along with many companies choosing to move and develop here like Intel, Amazon, Google, Meta, etc.

You may also want to check the Columbus OH market - great macroeconomics with lots of job and population growth along with major companies developing here that drive strong rental demand.