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Erik HaydenFeb 9, 2023 10:16:20 AM7 min read

What Makes a Great Ground-Up Development

There is an art and a science to ground up development. In our decades of building experience we’ve identified four main factors that lead to success.

First and foremost, there’s the old standby “location.” It may be cliché but it’s true. You have to be in the right place, and it also helps to be there at the right time. We have talked about this a lot with downtown San Jose. The trends there are clear: major companies are moving in, young people want to live and work there, and that’s creating a need for housing, restaurants and entertainment, and modern office space designed for the post-Covid world.

A second factor is the construction process itself. This is a great place for a development team to add value. Cost efficiency is important, but so is local market knowledge, including an understanding of land value and land use policies. With major infill developments like ours, an ability to work effectively with local government is critical if you want to get something done. No matter how good your project is, if you can’t get it approved you can’t get it done.

There is the integration of the design and the construction teams. Architects want to build beautiful buildings (and so do we). General contractors have budgets to meet and practical problems to solve regarding building sites and functionality. We have those issues, too. Balancing the demands for beauty, utility, and practicality is our job as the project manager.

You want to have a building where people want to live and work. You also want to make money for investors. That brings us to the final consideration: financing. Most ground up commercial real estate projects are built using a combination of debt and equity. The exact mix depends on the project and on market conditions, among other considerations. Understanding what can be done and maximizing the financing package on a project by project basis is critical to delivering for investors.

At Urban Catalyst, we have experience with more than $5 billion in development projects and 200+ real estate properties. We know how to get things done. To find out more about how to invest with us, go here.

 

Important Disclosures

The contents of this communication: (i) do not constitute an offer of securities or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities, (ii) offers can be made only by the confidential Private Placement Memorandum (the “PPM”) which is available upon request, (iii) do not and cannot replace the PPM and is qualified in its entirety by the PPM, and (iv) may not be relied upon in making an investment decision related to any investment offering by an issuer, or any affiliate, or partner thereof ("Issuer").

All potential investors must read the PPM and no person may invest without acknowledging receipt and complete review of the PPM. Any potential conflicts of interest are governed by conflict-resolution provisions in our PPM and reviewed by a third-party appraiser and attorney to ensure arm's length transactions.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Attorney General of the State of New York nor any other state securities regulator has approved or disapproved of the DST securities, or determined if the Operative Documents are truthful or complete or passed on or endorsed the merits of the offering. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. You may only invest in the DST if you are an accredited investor as defined in Rule 501 of Regulation D.

This presentation contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws and regulations relating to the business and financial outlook of the DST that are based on management’s current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections and are not guarantees of future performance.

These forward-looking statements are identified by the use of terms and phrases such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will” and other similar terms and phrases, including references to assumptions and forecasts of future results. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on any such statements. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this presentation.

Forward-looking statements in this material speak only as of the date on which such statements were made and not as of any future date, and the DST undertakes no obligation to update any such statements that may become untrue because of subsequent events. With respect to any performance levels outlined herein, these do not constitute a promise of performance, nor is there any assurance that the investment objectives of any program will be attained. All investments carry the risk of loss of some or all of the principal invested. Assumptions are more fully outlined in the Offering Documents/ PPM for the respective offering. Consult the PPM for investment conditions, risk factors, minimum requirements, fees and expenses and other pertinent information with respect to any investment.

These investment opportunities have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and are being offered pursuant to an exemption therefrom and from applicable state securities laws. All offerings are intended only for accredited investors unless otherwise specified.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All information is subject to change. You should always consult a tax professional prior to investing. Investment offerings and investment decisions may only be made on the basis of a confidential private placement memorandum issued by Issuer, or one of its partner/issuers. Issuer does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein. Thank you for your cooperation.

Real Estate Risk Disclosure:

- There is no guarantee that any strategy will be successful or achieve investment objectives including, among other things, profits, distributions, tax benefits, exit strategy, etc.;
- Potential for property value loss – All real estate investments have the potential to lose value during the life of the investments;
- Change of tax status – The income stream and depreciation schedule for any investment property may affect the property owner’s income bracket and/or tax status. An unfavorable tax ruling may cancel deferral of capital gains and result in immediate tax liabilities;
- Potential for foreclosure – All financed real estate investments have the potential for foreclosure;
- Illiquidity – These assets are commonly offered through private placement offerings and are illiquid securities. There is no secondary market for these investments.
- Reduction or Elimination of Monthly Cash Flow Distributions – Like any investment in real estate, if a property unexpectedly loses tenants or sustains substantial damage, there is potential for suspension of cash flow distributions;
- Impact of fees/expenses – Costs associated with the transaction may impact investors’ returns and may outweigh the tax benefits
- Stated tax benefits – Any stated tax benefits are not guaranteed and are subject to changes in the tax code. Speak to your tax professional prior to investing.

Opportunity Zone Disclosures

- Investing in opportunity zones is speculative. Opportunity zones are newly formed entities with no operating history. There is no assurance of investment return, property appreciation, or profits. The ability to resell the fund’s underlying investment properties or businesses is not guaranteed. Investing in opportunity zone funds may involve a higher level of risk than investing in other established real estate offerings.
- Long-term investment. Opportunity zone funds have illiquid underlying investments that may not be easy to sell and the return of capital and realization of gains, if any, from an investment will generally occur only upon the partial or complete disposition or refinancing of such investments.
- Limited secondary market for redemption. Although secondary markets may provide a liquidity option in limited circumstances, the amount you will receive typically is discounted to current valuations.
- Difficult valuation assessment. The portfolio holdings in opportunity zone funds may be difficult to value because financial markets or exchanges do not usually quote or trade the holdings. As such, market prices for most of a fund’s holdings will not be readily available.
- Capital call default consequences. Meeting capital calls to provide managers with the pledged capital is a contractual obligation of each investor. Failure to meet this requirement in a timely manner could elicit significant adverse consequences, including, without limitation, the forfeiture of your interest in the fund.
- Opportunity zone funds may use leverage in connection with certain investments or participate in investments with highly leveraged capital structures. Leverage involves a high degree of financial risk and may increase the exposure of such investments to factors such as rising interest rates, downturns in the economy or deterioration in the condition of the assets underlying such investments.
- Unregistered investment. As with other unregistered investments, the regulatory protections of the Investment Company Act of 1940 are not available with unregistered securities.
- It is possible, due to tax, regulatory, or investment decisions, that a fund, or its investors, are unable to realize any tax benefits. You should evaluate the merits of the underlying investment and not solely invest in an opportunity zone fund for any potential tax advantage.

The above material cannot be altered, revised, and/or modified without the express written consent of Urban Catalyst.

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Erik Hayden

Responsible for developing more than $3.5 billion in real estate projects, including over 2,300 residential units in the California Bay Area, Mr. Hayden has experience in acquisition, contract negotiation, due diligence, risk assessment, financing, construction, and disposition of multifamily, single family and large mixed-use and master planned developments. He maintains relationships with a broad network of property owners, enabling him to identify and acquire prime investments. Mr. Hayden also has expertise in navigating projects through the entitlement process by working with elected officials, community groups, and political organizations to gain support and get projects approved.

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