Entries by Spencer Burton

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Case Study #6 – Hamilton Park Phase VIII (Case + Solution, Updated June 2024)

This is the six in a series of commercial real estate case studies shared by A.CRE. These case studies are meant to help you practice mastering real estate financial modeling. Hamilton Park VIII puts you in the role of a development associate at an international industrial development firm, tasked with assessing the fair value of […]

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Using Generative AI to Outperform Humans at Financial Statement Analysis

Researchers at the University of Chicago recently released the results of an important study that evaluated GPT-4’s financial analysis capabilities by predicting future earnings from financial statements. By using Chain-of-Thought (CoT) reasoning, the AI model (i.e. in this case a GPT-4 powered custom GPT) not only was capable of analyzing financial data, but also actually […]

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A.CRE 101: How to Use the Income Capitalization Approach to Value Income-Producing Property (Updated May 2024)

In commercial real estate, there are a few generally accepted methods for appraising (or valuing) real property. The three most common are the Cost Approach, the Sales Comparison Method, and the Income Approach. The Income Approach includes two methods, the simpler of the two is the Direct Capitalization method, which this post will cover. The […]

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Quick Thoughts on Evaluating Real Estate Investments Without Opening Excel

In our industry (commercial real estate), the ability to quickly evaluate investment opportunities is crucial for staying competitive. I know I’ve found in my professional career, that having a clear framework for evaluating – and then either passing or spending more time on – investments is crucial to managing an efficient pipeline. Thus, being able […]

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Ground Lease Valuation Model (Updated May 2024)

The topic of ground leases has come up several times in the past few weeks. Numerous A.CRE readers have emailed to ask for a purpose-built Ground Lease Valuation Model. And I’m in the process of creating an Advanced Concepts Module for our real estate financial modeling Accelerator program covering the mechanics of modeling ground leases. […]

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Forecasting After-Tax Cash Flow in Real Estate Analysis (Updated May 2024)

When modeling real estate investments, industry practice is generally to stop at before-tax cash flow, rather than after-tax cash flow. And this makes sense in most instances. No two owners of real estate have the exact same tax situation and no two properties necessarily have the exact same tax treatment. So comparing the projected returns […]

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Single Tenant Net Lease Valuation Model – Custom GPT by A.CRE

At A.CRE, we’ve built dozens of custom GPTs for internal and external purposes. Some of the GPTs have general application, while others are custom GPTs specifically for commercial real estate. And among those custom GPTs specifically for CRE, we’re working to build the world’s largest library of real estate analyst GPTs. A few weeks ago, […]

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Advanced Mortgage Amortization Module (Updated May 2024)

In recent months, I’ve been working on an advanced real estate investment amortization table with interest-only capability, fixed and variable interest rates, multiple interest calculation methods (i.e. 30/360, Actual/Actual, Actual/365, Actual/360), monthly and annual periods, duration calculation, lender yield calculation, average life calculation, static and dynamic debt service payments, loan assumptions, and more. This module […]

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What are Custom GPTs? Plus a few examples we’ve built. (Updated May 2024)

In the fast-moving world of generative AI (gen AI), staying up to date on the latest advancements in AI is crucial for professionals in every field, but especially in commercial real estate. At A.CRE, we’re committed to sharing what we view as the critical developments in AI and their practical applications to CRE. One such […]

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Single Tenant NNN Lease Valuation Model (Updated May 2024)

I originally built this single tenant net lease (NNN) valuation Excel model back in 2016. Based on some feedback from a few of our readers, I’ve since made quite a few updates (see v2.0 updates video below). This model is an attempt to re-think how the industry underwrites single-tenant net lease investments. The model is […]

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Entry-Level Position in Real Estate: Breaking Through the No Experience Barrier

Recruiting for an entry-level position in real estate can be daunting, particularly for those entering this highly competitive field where experience is often prized above all. How does one ‘break through’ when traditional pathways seem blocked by the requirement of prior experience? In this article, we’ll explore practical tips and real-world advice on overcoming the […]

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Case Study #2 – Renovo Tower Office Acquisition (Case + Solution, Updated May 2024)

This is the second in a series of commercial real estate case studies shared by A.CRE. These case studies are meant to help you practice to master real estate financial modeling. The Renovo Tower Office Acquisition Case Study puts you in the role of an acquisitions professional needing to assess the viability of a value-add […]