Before there's an office building, before there's a house, before there's even a street, there's the land. Van Metre prides itself on its ability to take raw dirt and envision and create a thriving development. It starts with Land Planning. Surely an art rather than a science. It evolves into a development plan, a budget and a financial projection. Over ensuing years, the company again creates an award-winning development, and profits for its partners and itself.

Van Metre has been developing master planned communities since before the phrase was commonplace. These developments include an array of residential offerings (both for-sale and rental) as well as commercial sites. Van Metre is adept at planning the overall mixed-use community, and then developing it, and then building the houses, building and managing the apartments, and building, managing and leasing the commercial buildings and retail spaces.

The Company also buys individual sites from other developers and owners. Possibilities include lots in another developer's planned community, a subdivision ready to go, and an individual land bay not yet entitled. Parcels in various stages of readiness for development are pursued. Unlike public builders which must satisfy Wall Street's demands for backlog and turnover, Van Metre can afford to buy ground before its time and create long term value before ever putting a shovel in the ground. Similarly, unlike public REITs that must report quarterly funds from operations, Van Metre can develop apartment and commercial projects from the ground up, rather than limit itself to acquisitions that have rent checks coming the following month.

By buying ground early, Van Metre can minimize the mistakes, control costs and maximize the profit potential. By holding income-producing projects for the long term, it can enjoy cash flow and market appreciation, in a tax sheltered structure.