The Big Issue Holding Back Residential Development

Oldham: “We loved what we were doing and wanted to keep doing it. The group and our team wanted to continue as well.”

IRVINE, CA—Impact fees can run developers upwards of $50,000 per lot in California, a fact that many home buyers don’t know, Developers Research principal Scot Oldham tells GlobeSt.com. After being employees of the firm for nearly 20 years, Scot and his wife Laura purchased the consulting firm—which evaluates risk associated with commercial and residential real estate acquisition, development and disposition—in August 2016 from its founder, Barry Gross, and have launched a new website to reflect the changes taking place there.

The Oldhams are responsible for running all facets of the business. In addition to acting as the voice of the company, Scot is responsible for heading up sales and marketing efforts and overseeing the work product of the team, while Laura handles day-to-day operations. We spoke with Scot about their decision to purchase the company, how it has changed since the purchase and his view on the real estate industry.