Category: General
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The Hidden Cost of Cost-Cutting: When Value Engineering Strips Character from Our Communities
I’ve been through enough value engineering meetings to know they’re not optional. Construction costs rise, financing changes, and projects that once penciled suddenly need trimming to make it to closing. Value engineering is how we keep deals alive. The problem isn’t that we do it. It’s when and how we do it. The Unavoidable Reality… Read more
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Rethinking Retail: From Revenue Stream to Amenity Strategy
For years, developers treated retail space as a financial engine: lease it, collect rent, and let it carry its weight on the P&L. But as the retail landscape continues to evolve, the smartest multifamily developers are taking a different approach: using retail as a value driver rather than a profit center. Retail as an Amenity,… Read more
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Before Grabbing Your Pitchforks: What You Might Not Know About That New Apartment Project
AKA: The Nextdoor Commenter’s Guide to the Reality of Development Why You’re Reading This You’ve seen it before. Someone posts on Nextdoor about a proposed apartment building, and the comments explode: “They’re ruining our neighborhood!” “It’ll be luxury housing we can’t afford!” “It’ll bring crime!” “Developers are greedy!” There’s passion in these discussions, but there’s… Read more
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Bridging the Capacity Gap: Why Development Teams Are Turning to Fractional Associates
The fractional executive model isn’t new. For years, companies have leveraged fractional CFOs, CMOs, and CTOs to access C-suite expertise without the full-time commitment. What started as a solution for startups and growing businesses has proven its value across industries—providing specialized leadership exactly when and where it’s needed. Now, this proven model is expanding beyond… Read more
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Why I Started Scholhamer Research & Advisory
Getting Started Multifamily development isn’t what it was a few years ago. Interest rates are high, capital is tight, and construction costs remain unpredictable. Even strong sites with solid fundamentals are taking longer to underwrite, fund, and close. As deals stall or fall apart, already lean development teams are being asked to do more with… Read more