Mar 28, 2024  
2021-2022 Undergraduate Academic Catalog 
    
2021-2022 Undergraduate Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

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AE 4412 - Engineering and Building Investment Economics

4 lecture hours 0 lab hours 4 credits
Course Description
This course provides financial and economic concepts that confront the building construction, engineer, and design professional. The student is taught their role in pre-development analysis along with the basic principles of real estate investment. An insight is gained on the economic factors that motivate the client to build. Topics include financing the construction project, interest rates, economic decision making, life cycle costs, rate of return analysis, depreciation, income taxes, budgeting, financial statement evaluations, professional liability, investment analysis, value engineering and sustainable design calculations, cash flow analysis, engineering economics, appreciation, tax shelter, development history, zoning, tax laws, equity investments, LEED/sustainable development, and appraisal techniques. Emphasis is placed on the application of economic analysis to the senior design projects. The instructor may arrange guest lectures and tours throughout the quarter. (prereq: senior standing)
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  • Determine the requirements necessary to finance a construction project from a lender’s perspective
  • Relate relevant historical real estate development precedents to current situations
  • Describe and solve financial measuring tools such as rate of return, discounted cash flow, and debt service coverage
  • Calculate basic compounding and discounting measures
  • Demonstrate the concept of depreciation
  • Describe various contractual relationships and corporate organizational structures
  • Organize, formulate, and present independent research on your proposed development
  • Prepare preliminary building design alternatives, with construction and development cost estimates
  • Structure financial alternatives needed to enhance a project feasibility
  • Summarize the various roles that government plays in the building process
  • Apply engineering economics formulas
  • Structure a financial analysis (case study) of a potential real estate development with an understanding of all the components that make up this analysis
  • Use various quantitative real estate development tools necessary to evaluate alternatives, determine Life Cycle Cost (LCC) alternatives, and become a thoughtful decision maker
  • Identify various sources for real estate financing and equity investments
  • Differentiate and summarize various property types, local economic business cycles, architectural designs, construction variables, governmental roles, community interactions, and personal motivations that are integral in every real estate project
  • Organize working in a multi-disciplined team approach

Prerequisites by Topic
  • None

Course Topics
  • Fundamentals of real estate development (2 classes)
  • Real estate development history (2 classes)
  • Entrepreneurship (1 class)
  • Current real estate topics-new urbanism (2 classes)
  • Real estate development partners and organizational structures (2 classes)
  • Engineering economics (3 classes)
  • Current real estate development financial issues (2 classes)
  • Building investment pro forma analysis/spread sheet formulation (3 classes)
  • Site selection and analysis (1 class)
  • Public sector roles/community issues (1 class)
  • Pre-development analysis-preliminary design, construction estimates, preliminary financing, and market conditions (3 classes)
  • Contract negotiation/development completion (2 classes)
  • Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis and determinations (3 classes)
  • Property management (1 class)
  • Real estate development team presentations (3 classes)

Coordinator
Dr. Christopher Raebel



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