PlotSlate articles
Plain-English explainers from the PlotSlate team.
How the real estate entitlement process works
The real estate entitlement process: the approvals a project needs, how long each type tends to take, and why the phase runs on other people's calendars.
September 8, 2026
The construction change order process
The construction change order process from the owner's side: how a change becomes an executed change order, what AIA G701 does, and when the budget moves.
August 30, 2026
How a construction draw schedule works
How a construction draw schedule works: the request and its backup, the lender's inspection, lien waivers, and why draws follow the schedule of values.
August 30, 2026
Construction contingency in a development budget
What construction contingency is for, the published industry range and the base it is measured against, and the drawdown log that makes the buffer real.
August 30, 2026
Hard costs vs soft costs in development
Hard costs vs soft costs in a development budget: where the industry draws the line, the items that genuinely straddle it, and why the lender settles it.
August 30, 2026
Real estate development costs: the five buckets
Real estate development costs bucket by bucket: land and acquisition, hard costs, soft costs, financing costs, and contingency, and what belongs in each one.
August 30, 2026
The real estate development pro forma, after closing
What a real estate development pro forma contains, and what happens to it after closing, when it becomes the frozen baseline that variance is measured from.
August 30, 2026
Dealpath alternatives for CRE deal management
Alternatives to Dealpath for CRE teams: MotionCRE's published seat tiers, Northspyre and Rabbet for delivery, and spreadsheets. Verified August 2026 pricing.
August 20, 2026
Northspyre alternatives for development teams
Alternatives to Northspyre for real estate development management: Rabbet, Dealpath, spreadsheets, and what each is known to cost as of August 2026.
August 20, 2026
Rabbet alternatives for development finance
Alternatives to Rabbet for developers: Northspyre, Dealpath, and the spreadsheet, compared on scope, meter, and what is actually known about cost. August 2026.
August 20, 2026
How to track a real estate development budget
How to track a real estate development budget: original budget, approved changes, committed costs, and forecast at completion, so drift surfaces early.
August 7, 2026
Real estate development milestones to track
The real estate development milestones that carry consequences: closings, approvals, permits, and draws, and how to track them across a whole portfolio.
August 7, 2026
Development tracking spreadsheets: the limits
How to structure a real estate development tracking spreadsheet: the portfolio tab, per-project tabs, and budget columns, plus the three ways it breaks.
August 7, 2026
The phases of real estate development, explained
The phases of real estate development, from sourcing and feasibility through entitlement, preconstruction, and construction to closeout, and what each changes.
August 7, 2026
Real estate development pipeline management
Real estate development pipeline management: every active project's phase, budget health, and next decision in one view, plus the cadence that keeps it honest.
August 7, 2026
How to track real estate development projects
How to track real estate development projects from the owner's side: phase, budget health, and the next consequential milestone for every active deal.
August 7, 2026