And I understand that it’s about applying yourself as well.Do you have any programs you’ve tried and had better a better experience? 

The agent said this is likely a market standard.

However, I do agree that there is a problematic trend of guru's falling in love with "creative" without understanding the big picture.

I learned the hard way that going with Moen/Delta/American Standard, well known reputable brands for showers & faucets.

If they don't approve the project, all the time and money spent chasing it yields no return.3) Market Risk: The market can change during the entitlement process, which can also work in your favor like it did for many Developers in 2021.That's why knowing your municipality, understanding their processes, and making wise decisions in selecting which projects to pursue are crucial.Success in development requires choosing the right projects that 1) meet your criteria and 2) have a promising path to approval.The good thing is that this risk is compensated by having a higher return.

Understand the difference between owning RE personally versus in a retirement plan. 

High occupancy rates can indicate a profitable rental market.Seasonality: Analyze seasonal trends to understand peak times and adjust your pricing strategy accordingly.3.

I think there are two maybe 3 ways to look at this in my mind.  1) you go into it and bring it all up to modern standards but using that old charm to basically take what is there bring it up to modern standards and rent it out essentially I'm thinking cocktail bar or something trendy like that.2) most banks are on really good centrally located real estate if this is true, then I'd consider it for the dirt, plan to scrape the lot and go vertical with whatever the highest and best use is.3) a kind of combo of the two, if the lot is in a good location and its doable, pull the vaults or other "character pieces" out of the building, scrape the lot, and build whatever is best suited for the site there, but incorporate those historical pieces into the final designs.Is the site near a major retail area? 

The only way I would ever win a MF deal in DFW would be to overpay - I wouldn’t understand the sub market like the locals do.Pick one or two markets you can get to easily.

also especially for the first few I would look to build a good team in the area you want to work so they can help you understand these differences