Blog
Field notes: the strip mall I drove past for three yearsA land guy's note on the center he kept overlooking on his own route, and what finally put it back on the list.
What is a flag lot, and why it slows down an acquisition pipelineFlag lot definition, pipe stem zoning rules, and setback quirks explained for analysts screening a submarket for buildable parcels.
Spotting assemblage opportunities in adjacent underused parcelsHow to read satellite imagery for clusters of adjacent underused parcels worth assembling, and what the pictures can't tell you.
What is a holdout parcel, and why it can stall a site assemblyA plain explainer on holdout parcels: what makes an owner a holdout, why assemblage deals are vulnerable to them, and how to spot the risk early.
- Field notes: the week a ranked parcel list rewrote our outreach order
A land acquisition analyst on the week a ranked parcel list flipped the outreach order, and what it changed about who got called first.
How to read a zoning overlay before you shortlist a parcelOverlay districts sit on top of base zoning and can stall a deal the zoning map never flags. Where to check before a parcel makes your shortlist.
- GeoJSON vs CSV for a parcel shortlist: which format fits your workflow
A practical look at GeoJSON vs CSV for a parcel shortlist, and which one fits into an acquisition analyst's daily workflow.
How to prioritize submarkets on a limited acquisition budgetA practical screening order for ranking submarkets when the acquisition budget only covers a few studies this cycle.
- How to spot a teardown candidate from satellite imagery
How land acquisition analysts use satellite imagery and change history to flag underused parcels worth a closer look before a site visit.
- What is land residual value? How it pencils an acquisition
A plain explanation of the land residual method: how analysts back into land value, where the inputs get shaky, and how to use it across a submarket.
- Floor area ratio vs. lot coverage: what signals underbuilt land
FAR and lot coverage measure different things. Here's how the gap between them flags underbuilt parcels that assessor records miss.
- How to read a land-to-improvement ratio before you drive the site
A field guide to pulling land-to-improvement ratios from assessor data and knowing which ones are worth a drive-by.
- Surface lot vs. structured parking: which sites actually get redeveloped
Why some surface lots flip to infill projects and others sit for a decade, and how to screen a submarket for the ones that will move.
- What is highest and best use in land acquisition?
A plain-language look at the HBU test and how it shapes which parcels make it onto an acquisition shortlist.