Light Construction &
Development Management (LCDM)

A prerequisite to all other courses in the Certificate Program in Light Construction and Development Management. What skills and knowledge do you need to successfully manage a residential construction development project? This course gives you insight into the scope of the job, the skills and knowledge necessary and the courses required in this certificate program. Gain the foundation of knowledge you need by exploring topics including company structure and organization, site and marketing anaylsis, project planning and costing, governmental entitlement, finance and financial controls, construction operations, and implementing a marketing plan. Learn the fundamentals of light construction and development management.

Proper planning and costing is the first and most crucial step toward a successful construction development project. Begin by improving your knowledge of design, including how to create a dynamic design team and an effective design process, as well as understanding product types and floor plans (responding to segmentation) for traditional SFD (single family developments), patio homes, Z lots, wide lots, townhomes, staked flats, and stacked flats over subterranean. Gain new insight into site planning, site analysis, onsite circulation, plotting of units, and recreation area design while learning what you need to know about elevations, typical subdivision styles, material palettes, color, architectural detailing and curb appeal. Acquire technical knowledge of soil types and constraints, grading design for flat land and hillside projects, infrastructure design, sewer, storm drain, and water and dry utilities. Explore landscape architecture, including basic design concepts, circulation, focal area, plant materials, and finish lot elements. Learn crucial costing skills such as preliminary costs per densities, onsites/directs, elements and preliminary costs, product type and price, finance, marketing and indirects. Lay the groundwork necessary for a successful project!

A well-executed marketing plan is essential to assuring that your residential development project performs well in the marketplace. To create a successful plan, you must know how to bring groups from a variety of disciplines together to form a cohesive marketing group. Learn how to motivate, communicate with, and manage your marketing team. Homebuilding industry professionals will share practical insights into topics which include creating a theme, graphics, advertising, public relations, on-site merchandising, interior design, landscaping, sales offices, and post-sale programs. Gain the competitive advantage by learning how to execute a successful marketing plan.

A good marketing plan communicates your project to the right audience and stimulates sales. Gain the competitive advantage by learning how to create an effective marketing plan with a realistic budget for new housing developments. This course gives you valuable insight into the marketing planning process and its influence on the decisions affecting the sale and development of new housing. Learn how to read appropriate market segments, forecast sales and develop appropriate marketing plans and budgets. Understand how to determine criteria for the creation of architectural and site plans. Create a dynamic, exciting marketing plan that gets results--and how to create an appropriate marketing budget.

Until recently, many builders equated customer service with warranty repairs. Today, builders understand that customer service includes everything from buyer satisfaction to reputation. The customer service employees need to be familiar with trade contractors; sales staff; lenders and the customer. Regardless of company size, all homebuilders face similar challenges: selling, building, delivering and servicing the homes. In 2003, civil code sections 895 et. seq. (SB800) became law and subsequently changed the way homebuilders service new product for upwards of the initial 10 years of the home's life. For the first time the State of Cal codified what constitutes a construction defect and what homebuilders must do if they want the right to repair, short of litigation. Attending this class will expose students to the basic skills necessary to become a proactive member of the homebuilding team.

The governmental entitlement process and other rules and regulations have a major impact on your development project. Master the art of working with the government by exploring topics including general plan elements and policies; the role and responsibilities of staff in planning, zoning and specific plan; and legal basis and issues. Explore development review issues, such as the environmental review process; subdivision procedure; tentative procedure; tentative tract and parcel maps; and design review. Learn how to work with your community by understanding public considerations including public participation and citizen involvement; public hearings; addressing negative citizen input; dealing with appointed and elected officials; establishing relationships and determining issues; initiative and referendum; special districts; LAFCO; schools; and current issues and trends. Avoid costly and time-consuming pitfalls by understanding and planning for governmental entitlements.

Even the best designed and constructed project could sit idle if you haven't done your homework properly. Before you begin a construction or development project, you must make certain that you are building the right project in the right place at the right time for the right market. This course gives you the knowledge and skills you need to perform a comprehensive site and market analysis to ensure that your project gets off the ground and is well received in the marketplace. Understand such crucial topics as business planning and corporate objectives, economic and demographic trends, forecasting, determining housing demand by price range, qualitative market research, consumer segmentation, and geographic area selection. Learn what you need to know about preliminary financial feasibility, land residual, typical costs and percentages per product types, negotiation, and offer and escrow documentation. Gain the competitive advantage by putting your developments in the locations where they will thrive.

Construction can make or break your project. Is it on time? On budget--and per your plans? Ensure the success of your development or construction project by exploring and understanding the entire spectrum of construction operations. Begin by learning the essentials of estimating, purchasing, and scheduling. Understand the complexities of construction management, including scheduling and subcontractors, organizing production, and maintaining contractor relations, as well as learning the essentials of quality control, grading and offsites, foundations, framing, rough and finish mechanicals, finish work, drywall, finish carpentry, cabinetry, ceramic tile, painting, floor coverings, walk-through preparation, customer service and landscape. Manage your construction project effectively and profitably.

Whether you are interested or involved in construction and project management, real estate development, sustainability oversight, finance and acquisition or real estate law, you must have a solid understanding of real estate finance. If you have no prior experience in accounting or real estate finance, this course will give you the fundamentals. Gain a working knowledge of topics including economic and market environments, triple bottom line finance, controls for internal operations, financial statements, property valuation, and loans and their financial sources. You will learn new methods for measuring organizational success including economic, ecological and social. You will also learn how to prepare loan packages for commercial, industrial and residential real estate.

An elective course in the Certificate Program in Light Construction and Development Management. Are you interested or involved in the complexities and challenges of planning entire communities? From upfront analysis and market research to subdividing the land and establishing a market identity, learn what you need to know for an effective master land planning project. Intensive and practical, this course gives you valuable information on topics including researching a master planning program; analyzing economic and market information on residential, commercial and institutional needs; residential and commercial programming, products by density, product type and price; financial analysis, preliminary proformas, building flexibility for changing economics; as well as subdividing the land; selecting a mapping process based on land delivery and site development goals and constraints; compatible land uses; creating a land use plan; locating and designing major and interior streets; and working with environmental constraints. You will also explore marketing topics such as establishing a community character; developing a design theme; elements of urban design; park and landscape elements; marketing the community and establishing a market identity. Gain the experience and knowledge you need to tackle a master planning project.

An elective course in the Certificate Programs in Light Construction and Development Management; and Facilities Design and Management. Understanding the tax and legal considerations of your construction or development project is essential to ensuring its profitability, as well as avoiding costly and time-consuming pitfalls. Gain the competitive edge by learning the legal and tax considerations of real estate ownership. Explore topics including tax planning for the small home and diversified builder, legal considerations of corporate structure/partnerships, land acquisition, subdivision map act, establishing homeowner associations and CCR's, contract law and administration. Ensure the success of your construction or development project by understanding and incorporating your tax and legal requirements into your plans.

In today's competitive real estate market, you need an effective sales force that not only understands your customers, but knows how to qualify buyers and close the sale. Learn the strategies of sales management, training, and effective personnel management that are necessary for the urban and suburban home builder. Acquire a working knowledge of essential topics including management and recruitment of the sales force, training techniques, managing customers and owners and market positioning.

Today's homebuilding industry has become increasingly complex and fraught with risks. This course provides an awareness of the current issues and challenges which may impede or event halt a well-intentioned and well-planned homebuilding project. Topics covered address the issues professionals in this industry must deal with on a day-to-day basis. These include: anti-growth interest, supply and resource limitations, environmental issues, availability of labor and insurance, as well as numerous other challenges.

An elective course in the Light Construction and Development Management Certificate Program. By the year 2010 there will be 77 million active adults age 50 and older living in the U.S. To improve your sales success with the active adult home buyer, it is critical to have sales strategies specific to this complex customer. This course is designed to give you techniques to more effectively communicate with, qualify, handle objections from and close sales with your potential active adult home buyers.

Green buildings have emerged as one of the largest growth areas targeted for energy efficiency and sustainability improvement. With 38% of the total carbon emissions in the United States tied directly to buildings it is little wonder that the green building market has experienced double-digit growth in recent years. This rapid growth has more recently been spurred by energy legislation, corporate social responsibility, government incentives, innovative technologies and increased commercialization. This class will analyze best practices in green building that directly benefit both the environment and the bottom line, identify the roles of renewable solar energy and water conservation in green buildings, and apply solid business decisions to retrofit and accelerate the trend of efficient, energy-wise buildings that meet federal, state and local green standards.

What new skills and knowledge do you need to understand and apply the principles of sustainable development and green design/construction in a residential and community development project? This course gives you insight into the underlying principles of sustainable development, the practical application of green building practices, including LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and their relevance to residential developments and communities. You will learn how to identify, assess, rate and rank green building practices and elements based on their return on investment and customer satisfaction. The U.S. Green Building Council's new LEED programs for new residential construction will be explained and their applications examined through case studies and local site visits of award winning projects. Guest speakers will provide their perspectives gained from practical experience in relevant sustainable design and construction elements. Gain the foundation of knowledge you need to integrate sustainable design practices into company structures and organization, enhance site and marketing analysis, and integrate into project planning and costing, financial considerations, construction operations, and implementing a green marketing plan. Learn the fundamentals of reducing the environmental footprint of residential buildings and developments.