:-)Oh, yes, I have been in it for a while here in Chicago, particularly the Southside and despite what many say and despite the gross lack of development and resources being put into this part of town, it is still beautiful and contains some of thee best classic Chicago history which can be seen through the architecture. 

A 25 year architectural shingle should in most cases last 30-40 years with a little maintenance and perhaps some small repairs along the way.

They contact Engineering Architectural company for drawing, contacted all different insurance, and follow up with the insurance.

Real estate investing can be a long-term endeavor, but it is worthwhile.The rule of thumb is to maximize your FAR (building area).I also suggest selling the project with architectural plans and permit if you can instead of building it because construction requires a lot of capital.

I received an architectural proposal. 

My career in architecture got me used to working with picky clients, its an art in of it self, just be warned that preselling homes tends to lead to lots of change orders and tweaks. 

Currently, I work as an owners rep for various hotel development groups and have a Masters in Architecture.

This varied scope also makes the Architecture and Engineering fees very specific to the project/property.

Michael (son, licensed agent, does all preliminary site and architectural design, understands codes, helps manage jobs, works on jobs, James (our son in law/electrical contractor)  James helps with scheduling, and does all electrical on the jobs, plus managing projects as needed. 

I’d estimate $400/sf for smaller unit - with a custom unit, 2-4 months for architectural design / documentation / and then 2-3 months of permitting and 6-8 months to build, I can imagine the 12-18 month timeline is correct.