Professional Real Estate Development, Second Edition: The ULI Guide to the Business [Hardcover]

Anne B. Frej (Author), Richard B. Peiser (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0874208947 | ISBN-13: 978-0874208948 | Publication Date: January 1, 2003 | Edition: 2nd

This basic primer covers the nuts and bolts of developing multifamily, office, retail, and industrial projects. Small-scale examples are ideal for anyone new to real estate development.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard B. Peiser was appointed the first Michael D. Spear Professor of real estate development in the department of urban planning and design at Harvard University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 397 pages
• Publisher: Urban Land Institute; 2nd edition (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874208947
• ISBN-13: 978-0874208948
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #85,735 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #79 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Urban Planning & Development
  • #88 in Books > Business & Investing > Real Estate > Investments

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

89 of 94 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars ULI Guide, January 27, 2004

By 

Atherton Reader (Atherton, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Professional Real Estate Development, Second Edition: The ULI Guide to the Business (Hardcover)

For its high price, you may want to seriously think about your needs. If your intention is to buy a book for a broad overview of the development process with a somewhat academic approach, then this may be right for you. If you are builder or someone with prior real estate brokerage/service experience, you may find this too ivory tower and not practical. This book was a bit theoretical for my taste.

Although this book has been reprinted recently, all the data dates back to the late-1990's. Social and economic data are perhaps presented for illustrative purposes only, however, it is a bit disheartening.

There are some interesting project data, financial models and checklists, but frankly, the reader could figure those out on his/her own with some common sense and marginal experience in the industry.

Bottom line -- my suggestion is to review the book at the public library before you buy.

119 of 128 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Overview Of The Development Process, April 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Professional Real Estate Development, Second Edition: The ULI Guide to the Business (Hardcover)

I am a 66 year old developer with several successful projects under my belt. This is a fine book for beginning, intermediate, and yes, advanced developers. The best I've ever read, and I've got bookshelves full of them. Also, for a modest fee, you can download from the publisher the software used for the financial illustrations in the book. I had to learn this material the hard way, because when I started out, there weren't any good books on development. If you want to be a developer, start here. If you're an experienced developer, you'll learn a lot from this book. I congratulate the authors for putting in such an immense amount of work.

23 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Academic. A text book that needs a refresher for today's issues., April 23, 2006

By 

Matthew Shanaberger "Matt Shanaberger" (Santa Barbara, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Professional Real Estate Development, Second Edition: The ULI Guide to the Business (Hardcover)

Rick is first and foremost a professor, so the book follows an academic format best suited for the young student of development seeking a broad introduction to the process. Of course, the real world is more complex than any text book could ever capture. That said, the book has become a bit dated for the contemporary developer, whose world is increasingly governed by investors, special interest groups and oft ill-informed government officials! The book delivers fundamental building blocks in a logical, sequential process. The examples cited are, as another reviewer pointed out, on average probably 14 year old analogies. Perhaps the largest ommission is an accurate portrayal of what a developer really does - assembles a diverse team of people together to share in a singular vision, then rule over this creative, temperamental team with an iron fist in velvet gloves. A chapter called 'Cat Herding' would best summarize that world.

My recommendation is, buy the book, join the Urban Land Institute, attend your meetings, be a good listener, and dont think reading one book will set you off on your path to that infamous (maybe fictitious unless you happen to be the primary investor in an opportunity fund!)in that $100,000,000 net profit deal!