DCG Blog

Dutra-Cerro-Graden and Northern California Community Development team to provide affordable housing

2010-05-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

PITTSBURG, Calif. (May 19, 2010) – Northern California Community Development (NCCD), a non-profit headed by Bishop Jerry Macklin of Glad Tidings Church in Hayward, CA and focused on providing affordable housing alternatives for struggling communities in the San Francisco Bay Area, has successfully closed its first transaction under its new affordable homes initiative. Partnering with Chase Bank, NCCD rolled out a full-service program where qualified low-income home buyers can purchase affordable homes throughout the Bay Area.

Read the entire press release

Dutra Cerro Graden introduces church lending division

2010-05-10T11:35:00.000-07:00

HAYWARD, Calif. (May 6, 2010) – Dutra-Cerro-Graden, Inc. (DCG), the Bay Area's leading Church Real Estate Development & Broker, has expanded its services by introducing a church lending division. DCG principals Dominic Dutra, Alan Cerro and Landis Graden recognized that churches need more than just brokerage and development expertise. The new division, Church Loans, is led by seasoned loan specialists and offers churches, religious institutions, non-profits, schools and other mission-based organizations full service financing options and support.

Read the entire press release.

The “Brave New World” of Commercial Lending

2010-03-03T14:24:00.000-08:00

Today, investors large and small are looking to purchase real estate at discounted rates (especially compared to the last decade). As people and businesses continue to struggle while defaulting and leaving their properties, investors are presented with buying opportunities that will be looked back upon with either regret or as a stroke of genius.

Because banks have an increased ownership of real property (also known as Real Estate Owned, or REO), due to foreclosures, their lending guidelineshave become somewhat subjective and lack uniformity. In today’s uncertain environment, investors seeking financing for income producing properties can expect to pay at least 20% of the purchase price towards a down payment. Banks are often requiring down payments of 30% to 40%. Typically, banks will require a larger down payment when the borrower has unfavorable credit scores, unverifiable sources of income or high debt. Increasing the down payment requirement is advantageous for banks because it hedges their loan from market fluctuations and reduces the likelihood of foreclosing in the future.

Engaging in the lending process early is a smart strategy for investors seeking financing. Investors can gain a clearer understanding of their purchasing power after meeting with a lender. Investors that know their price point are better equipped when searching for properties because they know how much building they can buy, how much cash they need to have for a down payment, and provides their real estate broker with realistic search parameters.

Despite banks changing guidelines and increased REO inventory, investors are still able to obtain favorable financing for income properties. Whether you are a seasoned investor or new to the arena,working with knowledgable lending and brokerage professionals will provide you with reliable information upon which you can base your investment decisions.

Land Entitlements

2010-02-03T14:01:00.000-08:00

Real Estate Dictionary

Entitlement--The right to develop land with government approvals for Zoning density, utility installations, occupancy permits, use permits, and streets.

In essence, Land Entitlement is what happens with a project before a shovel of dirt is turned.

Entitlements are the backbone of any development. Entitlements dictate “what, where and how much” can be built on a particular property. The “what, where and how much”—have a lot to do with determining the value of a property. A property that has a large number of uses is typically more valuable than the same property with a very limited use.

Entitlements are a legal agreement with the governing jurisdiction to allow a certain development to occur on the site. Entitlements outline the density, function and setback requirements allowed for the property.

Typically, developments can only be financially viable if they can obtain a certain density or usage. Entitlements are the key to legally securing this right from the governing jurisdiction.

When reviewing a development application, a jurisdiction will consider potential impacts such as traffic and environmental risks as well as community acceptance of the proposed development. They will likely require studies from the owner as well as proposed conceptual designs of the project.

Applying for entitlements is a challenging process. Depending on the size of the project and intended use, entitlements can take from a few months to many years to obtain. This is in large part based on the complexity of the project and public acceptance of it.

Sisters seek partner to preserve historic property

2009-10-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

The Sisters of the Holy Family, a community of Roman Catholic Sisters who reside at 159 Washington Blvd. in the Mission San Jose area of Fremont, commonly known as Palmdale, recently decided to seek out proposals for the preservation of approximately 9.16 acres of their 14.82 acre grounds.

In making the recent announcement, Gladys Guenther, President of the Sisters of the Holy Family, made clear that while the Sisters are open to looking at all options, they are resolute in their desire to preserve the land, vegetation, historic buildings and shrines/grottos in as close as possible to their current serene state.

Visit http://palmdale.dcgdev.com for more details.

Strategic Alliances - Pursuing a Common Goal

2009-10-01T17:17:00.000-07:00

A Strategic Alliance is defined as “a formal relationship between two or more parties to pursue a set of agreed upon goals or to meet a critical business need.”

This has special resonance for me and my new company, Dutra Cerro Graden, because after spending over 10 years at Dutra Realty, where we rose to become the top ranked residential real estate firm in the East Bay before selling to Prudential California Realty, I never thought I would start another company. And yet here I am, having formed a relationship between myself, Alan Cerro and Landis Graden to pursue a “set of agreed upon goals” in order “to meet a critical business need.” For us, this need is defined in our Mission Statement.

We’ve now been together for almost four years and our business is flourishing in the midst of an unprecedented economic downturn.

So what has made this Strategic Alliance so successful?

One reason for our success is that we hold a shared vision to which we are deeply committed to “Create Communities of Value™.” We believe that non-profit social service agencies, cultural institutions, religious organizations, schools, cities and other “mission-based” entities form the very foundation of our society. We are convinced that we can bring real property services to these clients to help them flourish in their respective missions and, in doing so, assure that we continue to have true Communities of Value.

I am convinced that for any strategic alliance to be successful, it must create a vision and a culture that inspires people and is shared by the members of the alliance. This is true whether the alliance is between partners in a company or between multiple organizations, businesses, and agencies.

The second reason for our success is that the desire to “Create Communities of Value™” extends to the very culture of our company. Throughout my career I've found that truly successful people and companies are those that understand the importance of what I call the two "C's” - competence and conscientiousness. We believe in each other’s competence and we care about each other’s success. We don’t want to let each other down.

So, as we seek to build Strategic Alliances with other related entities such as architects, engineers and general contractors, our FIRST order of business is to ensure that they share our commitment to making our communities a better place to live. And while we are certainly cognizant of our need to meet our financial obligations – and we do - we measure success by the extent to which we succeed in our vision of “Creating Communities of Value™."

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Benefits

2009-08-21T15:04:00.000-07:00

Conservation easements are one of the least known and most powerful conservation and charitable planning tools available to California landowners. A conservation easement is a permanent legal agreement by which a property owner voluntarily donates, or sells, his or her development rights to a qualified conservation organization, otherwise known as a Land Trust.

The landowners and the land trust work together to develop the conservation easement language that will accomplish the landowner’s goals and satisfy the requirements of the IRS. There can also be flexibility within the document to provide the landowner with specific rights. For example, a landowner can reserve the right to construct homes, or commercial buildings, on a certain part of the land. Or a portion of the land could simply not be subject to the easement. Of course, these decisions impact the value of the easement.

The value of the easement is determined by a qualified appraiser who appraises the property before and after the proposed donation, or sale, of the conservation easement. The difference between the two appraisals is the value of the easement. It is, in essence, the value attached to the loss of the right to develop on the property. The more rights, to the property, that are given up the more valuable the easement. For example, assume that the fair market value of a property, without a conservation easement, is $2 million to a developer who would subdivide the land and sell lots or completed homes. If the property were subject to a conservation easement, that prohibited residential construction, the value might drop to $1 million. The value of the conservation easement in this example would be $1 million. This is also the amount from which income tax, and estate tax, deductions would be based.

When the conservation easement language and the value are established, the transfer of the easement progresses as a typical transfer of real property interest. After the transaction, the landowner maintains all other rights to the property and may sell, bequest or encumber the property subject to the easement.Conservation easements are used by landowners interested in the stewardship of open space. Every easement is a unique, and tailored, agreement between the landowner and a qualified conservation organization that serves the dual purpose of preserving land as well as providing attractive income tax and estate planning benefits to the landowner. Additional tax savings can be realized if the landowner donates the land itself to a charitable organization. In some cases, depending on the landowners’ income and estate tax bracket, these tax advantages can equal the value of the conservation easement that is “given up.”

Please view a few hypothetical examples (PDF download) of the income and estate tax benefits that could potentially be derived from a conservation easement. Any interested party should seek their own tax and legal counsel and should NOT base their decision upon the information enclosed or attached. The examples are for illustrative purposes only.

Our firm is currently marketing for sale a large open space property on Hecker Pass Road just outside of Watsonville CA. The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County has confirmed their willingness to sponsor Hecker Pass Road for the donation of a conservation easement.

Church Building Conferences in CA | 127one

2009-08-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

Flory Construction and a team of trusted professionals, 127one, have been traveling the State of California informing Churches and Religious Institutions about where, when and how to start building a church or new facility. Because building a church can be very complex, David Flory, Owner of Flory Construction, is traveling the state with 127one to help churches make good decisions about their future building plans.

127one is dedicated to help educate churches and religious institutions on the entire process of building a new church facility. To learn more about the upcoming Church Building Conferences, please visit 127one.com or contact us to setup a personal meeting for you and your key stakeholders.

5 Common Mistakes Churches Make When Buying or Leasing Property

2009-07-31T13:12:00.000-07:00

Churches today are faced with many obstacles when trying to support their congregation. An important one to note is that Pastors and churches often times make mistakes when negotiating a sale, purchase or lease of a new facility. Most often, these mistakes are made with the best intentions. Unfortunately, good intentions do not always lead to good accomplishments. The next time you, your church, or friend is thinking of buying, selling, or leasing property, remember these five most common mistakes. Knowing these common mistakes ahead of time can lead to better success for you and your church.

Working with an Unqualified Agent

I have rescued countless transactions on the verge of collapse due to churches working with inexperienced or unqualified agents. In almost every case, the church hired a member of the local congregation or was referred to a broker by a member of the local congregation. Typically, these agents are experienced residential practitioners, but have little to no commercial experience. The hiring decisions were mainly based on trust, but not on qualifications.

Now in every case I’ve been involved in, the agent should have known better… but it’s hard to walk away from a potentially lucrative commission. They figure, they will learn as they go and wing it. In every case, winging it turned out to be tanking it, which eventually led to a call for me to help.

The worst case I’ve handled was for a church that needed to sell the building they recently purchased because the cost to convert the building to a church from an office was too costly. They hired a residential agent to help them find a new place to relocate their church. They found a building, bought it “all cash” and proceeded to convert it to a church. Several hundred thousand dollars later, they realized that their dream of converting this property to a church was now a nightmare and they needed to liquidate in order to salvage their investment.

Due to the agent’s inexperience, they not only overpaid for this property by a couple hundred thousand dollars, but since they weren’t properly advised, they spent an additional few hundred thousand dollars trying to convert the property to a church.

All in all they lost close to a half million dollars. All of this could have been prevented if they were represented by a qualified commercial broker. A qualified commercial broker would have not let their client close escrow without making sure they had the necessary permits to use the property as a church and that the risk and investment necessary for the conversion were understood and doable.

Representing Themselves

The second most common mistake churches make when buying or leasing a property is trying to represent themselves. Throughout my career, Pastors have approached me after they have signed leases but wanted my opinion of the quality of their legally binding contract. In most cases, the Pastors were under the assumption that they would get a better deal if they negotiated directly with the landlord due to the fact that the landlord wouldn’t have to pay broker commissions. The Pastors perceived that the savings would be passed onto them in the form of lower rent. Unfortunately, their perception was incorrect.

When landlords purchase buildings, future lease commissions are usually factored into the purchase price as a result of the financial analysis they most likely developed to come up with a purchase price. In other words, lease commissions have already been included in a tenant’s monthly rent (regardless). So when a church thinks they are getting a better deal by trying to save the landlord a broker commission, all they have done is helped the landlord make more profit and usually at the detriment of the church. Upon reviewing these already signed leases, I almost always found missed opportunities for the church which would have included lease commissions.

Closing Escrow or Signing a Lease Without Proper Due-Diligence

If there is one mistake that is the worst of them all, due diligence may be it. Imagine closing escrow on a site with the plan of constructing a new building only to find out later that there are underground petroleum tanks. Imagine closing escrow on a building only to be denied the proper permits to use the converted warehouse as a church. These are a couple of examples of what has happened to countless churches and the sad part about it is that once escrow closes, there are no refunds. Always, always, always allow for and conduct adequate due-diligence which can be negotiated as part of the purchase agreement. An experienced commercial broker will be a major asset when performing and negotiating time and for proper due diligence.

Letting Emotions Rule

Getting emotional about a deal, building, or piece of land can become a problem if the emotion overrules logic. I’ve seen Pastors get sidetracked by their vision and lose sight of the practical aspects of their real estate project. In my 20+ years of real estate experience, I have witnessed plenty of Pastors and clients let their emotions make decisions; and believe it or not, sometimes with happy endings.

In one case a Pastor was working with a developer who wanted to build affordable housing on the church’s property. The developer was trying to move fast and made many promises. I have to admit the vision was nice. However, the Pastor was referred to me for advice and counsel and I talked him into not signing the development agreement because I had serious reservations about the integrity of the developer. As I suspected the developer was less than honest and many of the promises he made to the pastor turned out to be false. After I read the financial documents, the developer was actually paying the church $1 (ONE DOLLAR) for their land. Imagine the shock on the Pastor’s face when I brought that fact to the surface. In this case, there was a happy ending.

Another church I was referred to was not as fortunate. The church actually proceeded forward with an entity and the Pastor was so motivated by his vision and emotion that he ignored or was blinded to all the red flags that popped up along the way. To fast forward to the end, they are now in financial ruin. The building project never got completed and the church is now near collapse.

Not Assembling a Qualified Team

In order to achieve the results you want for your church, putting together a qualified team is crucial. This is especially true for building projects, but it is also important for lease and purchases of existing buildings to put together a qualified team of professionals to assist with due-diligence. It is wise to identify and engage a general contractor and/or architect to help estimate and walkthrough the necessary improvements. This provides the church with much needed data to make budgetary decisions prior to escrow closing so that the church can plan accordingly.

Do not close escrow without first understanding the total financial investment required or risk not having appropriate resources to complete the project and be stuck with a building that cannot be given back. Taking the time to interview and select the appropriate members of team in advance should allow for an efficient due-diligence period and a smooth transaction. Waiting to the last minute to select team members can place the church under the gun which can lead to a less than quality project.

These are a few of the common mistakes that I have seen churches make when buying or leasing a property. I cannot underscore how vitally important it is to hire wise, competent, experienced counsel. Hire brokers who you can trust and who know their stuff… you won’t regret it.

Finding Balance In Life

2009-07-20T14:06:00.001-07:00

Is it truly possible to "have it all?"

Finding an appropriate balance between one’s career and family is a very real challenge in our frenetic, fast paced society. Finding this balance was made only too real for me by my recent decision to leave the Fremont City Council in favor of spending more time with my family.

For most of us, the first sign of the challenge of finding “balance” comes when we realize that being a modern day Renaissance man, or woman, may not be so easy. We strive to be the picture of physical health, reach the heights of our professional careers, and have relationships that are rivaled only by Ozzy and Harriet. In our effort to “have it all,” we struggle with the realization that we may not be “doing it all” very well. Something has to give. It is at this pivotal juncture in life that one must define for themselves what “having it all” really means, and then make appropriate adjustments in life. How one answers this question have profound consequences not only for their life, but for those they love.

In 1418 Thomas Kempis said that “Wise and blessed is he who, during life, strives to be what he would like to be when death finds him.” Steven Covey calls this, “living with the end in mind.” Ultimately, I decided that I wanted to be known as a good husband and father first, and had faith that by arranging my life priorities accordingly, everything else would take care of itself. So I decided to leave the City Council. Was it an easy decision to leave? No. Balancing career and family priorities is never “easy.” You are constantly struggling to determine the “right” thing to do. In making my decision, it crossed my mind more than once that many people in public service sacrifice their time with their family to selflessly serve others. Why should I be so selfish to think that my family is more important than theirs?

I would also be lying if I said that I didn’t believe that I could bring something to my service on the city council that others could not. But you are quickly brought back to reality when you realize that you are not as important as you thought you were and that the city will do just fine without you. More profoundly, you recognize that while you can be replaced on the City Council, the one place in life where you are truly irreplaceable is in your role as a husband and a father.

Molly Carnes, MD, in her article entitled Balancing Family and Career: Advice from the Trenches, is right on target when she states that: “You must establish priorities in your life…I have never heard one of my terminally ill patients say they wished they had attended that meeting, served on the committee, or made that grant deadline. I have, however, heard many of them express regrets about the amount of time they spent with their children and family. After all, very few of us will be remembered for our professional accomplishments. It is far more likely that we will be remembered as someone’s daughter, son, mother, spouse, or brother.”

Now…does this mean that I’ve forsaken my personal, professional or public service goals? Absolutely not! I still get up at 4:45am to work out, pray and study the Bible. My development business is flourishing and I’m sure that I’ll find some capacity to serve others. I’ve simply realized that “There is an appointed time for everything…and a time for everything under the sun.” Right now, my focus and priority is meeting the needs of my wife and children. And the funny thing is, I’ve found that in doing so, I myself have found true fulfillment. In finding this balance, I think I may have stumbled upon the true definition of “having it all.”

Dominic Dutra served on the Fremont City Council from 2002-2006 and currently is the President and CEO of Dutra-Cerro-Graden, a commercial real estate and land development company based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Modesto Church Building Conference: July 22nd

2009-07-14T13:51:00.000-07:00

Last month, Dominic Dutra of Dutra-Cerro-Graden was invited to speak at Flory Construction's Church Building Conference in San Ramon. Much to our surprise, Flory has invited us to be a part of their traveling conference throughout the State of California.

On July 22nd (next week), Dutra-Cerro-Graden will share their knowledge with local and regional religious institutions in the Modesto, CA area. The event is scheduled from 1pm to 5pm at the Shelter Cove Church in Modesto, CA.

The Church Conference is free to attend and anyone is welcome. Please RSVP below or contact us for more information about this event.

For more information, please visit the Church Building Conference event page or simply call Dutra-Cerro-Graden at 510-881-2510.

Coming Full Circle

2009-07-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

I now have enough years under my belt that I have begun to experience situations when I feel that I have “come full circle” in certain areas, and aspects, of my life. As I continue this blog I plan to share a number of these experiences, but the one I will share here was the most recent one to occur. My company works with “Mission-Based” organizations to help them analyze, and best utilize, their real property assets in pursuit of their goals. A few weeks back we were giving a presentation to a large group of Nuns. We were sharing with them the findings of a comprehensive land use analysis we recently conducted on their property. After the presentation they asked us to stay and join them for lunch. I randomly chose a table, of these women who had “sworn their vows," and sat down in their midst to break bread. It was more like an inquisition than a conversation because they all wanted to know everything about me.

This of course included my religious upbringing. Well I was glad to report that I had been raised Catholic and had even been confirmed at a local parish. This was all well and good until one of them asked "What parish do you attend now?" I knew I was in trouble and began having flashbacks of being led to Mother Superior’s office (which is the Catholic equivalent of the Principal but much scarier) at St. Matthew’s school in the fifth grade. Gaining my composure I described, with a certain degree of awkwardness, the non-denominational Church that I presently attend. As they all stared at me, with noticeable scrutiny, I couldn’t help feeling I had jumped ship and abandoned the REAL Church. The silence was broken by the only one of them that had been silent until now. The words sounded as if they had come straight down from heaven as she said "I’m sure that is a very fine Church and I’m glad you still know our Father in heaven." Talk about being saved by the cavalry…. I could have kissed her!

As the lunch conversation continued, one of the Sisters asked for my business card. I handed it to her and as she read it her eyes lit up. She said that she knew a woman in Pleasanton whose maiden name was Cerro. This Sister was 85 years old but she had a memory like a steel trap. Not only did she know my Aunt in Pleasanton, but my other two Aunts in San Mateo as well. She went on to share the story of her good friend Sister Rita who passed away many years ago but spent the last years of her life at the very facility in which we were sitting. Sister Rita spent the majority of her life reaching out to children, in rural areas, who were unable to attend church. It turns out that Sister Rita spent a great deal of time with my Aunts, as well as my Father, on the farm they grew up on in Redding, CA. She took the time to drive out to the farm each week and teach them about God and having faith and a moral compass. She became very close to my family and was especially important in helping them grieve the loss of friends and loved ones during World War II.

All joking aside, these Sisters were some of the most delightful and charming women I have ever met. Selflessness and devotion to a higher cause display themselves clearly in the lives of these women. It was much more than a coincidence that I had found myself back in the presence of this amazing force of unconditional love. I came away from that experience with an immense appreciation for the institution that is the Catholic Church. All scandals aside, I am truly thankful to have had a foundation of faith, and morality, instilled in me at an early age.

I have “come full circle” in that I feel a sense of completion in being of assistance (in the workplace) to an institution that has had such an important influence on my family heritage which, in turn, has had a positive impact on me to a degree that is difficult to measure. This provides me a sense of value that transcends anything that can be described in financial terms.

What Makes a Great Company? Vision & Culture

2009-07-08T14:09:00.000-07:00

I have always believed that to enjoy the fruits of a truly great company you must create both a Vision and a Culture that inspires people. A company’s Vision and Culture should inspire people to understand that their interest is ALWAYS best served when they place the interests of others above their own. A great company’s Vision and Culture should aspire to serve a purpose greater than them. To rest in the reality that, as I’ve said for over 20 years, “Do this, and the money will take care of itself.”

Dutra Cerro Graden’s Vision is to “Create Communities of Value.”
After spending two decades in the real estate and development business, I became convinced that simply converting underutilized real property to a higher form of development, while positive for a community, did not necessarily optimize its value. Instead, it was during my four-year term on the Fremont City Council (2002-2006) and extensive experience with religious institutions, non-profit cultural and social service entities, and school and college districts that convinced me there were valuable institutions that had historically provided incredible value to communities. Unfortunately, these organizations very existence was progressively being challenged with severe economic and financial challenges.

Despite economic challenges, these same institutions were often blessed with significant real property assets that could be used to revitalize or realign their Mission. Sadly, these organizations lacked the expertise to know how to utilize their assets in pursuit of their mission. My dream – or Vision – was to create a company that would bring commercial real estate and development expertise to partner with these entities. In doing so, they might be able to use their key assets to more efficiently and effectively further their Missions. My Vision was for them to flourish in their respective Missions to bring revitalization, education, hope, healing, enlightenment and prosperity to those they served. I wanted to help financially challenged organizations “Create Communities of Value” in a way that other’s were not.

My desire to “Create Communities of Value” extends to the very Culture of our company.
Throughout my real estate and development career I've found that truly successful people are those who understand the importance of what I call the two "C's."

Competence & Conscientiousness
Competence is important to a company’s Vision and Culture because people with whom they work must be convinced that they know what they are doing. Conversely, competence is not enough because people want to know not only that you are well versed and experienced in what you do, but that you truly care about who they are as people and what they are trying to achieve. This is what I call conscientiousness (the second “C”).

People who are conscientiousness understand that you must first care about the people you work both with and for, and secondly are committed to seeing that they are well served…even if it means the loss of some short term financial objective.

Care about people and the money will take care of itself.

BUT...conscientiousness alone is not enough because as much as people may like and trust you, they must also feel confident that you are competent enough to get the job done. This is a reasonable expectation and one for which people should rightly be held accountable.

When you find people who are both Competent and Conscientiousness, they are UNSTOPPABLE. These are the people we hire at Dutra Cerro Graden. And while many aspire, only a few are chosen!

At Dutra Cerro Graden, we are committed to our Vision and Culture. We are similarly committed to partner with individuals and organizations that have dedicated their lives to making our communities a better place to live. And while we are certainly cognizant of our need to meet our financial obligations – and we do (frankly speaking) - if our efforts only lead to “Creating Communities of Value”…than we are convinced that we will have achieved true “success” at a level that others only dream of.

Church Building Conference June 26th

2009-06-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

Dominic Dutra, President and CEO of Dutra-Cerro-Graden, has been invited to speak at a Church Conference that focuses on Church Building Projects. It will be held this Thursday (June 26, 2009) from 1pm - 5pm at the Illum Church in San Ramon.

The same conference is planned to be held in Modesto on July 22, 2009.

Despite the short notice, you still have time to register for this event. The event is free and anyone is welcome to attend.

To learn more about this event, follow this link: http://www.floryconstruction.com/conferences/

If you have any questions about this conference, please contact Dutra-Cerro-Graden.

Welcome to the DCG Blog!

2009-06-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

Dutra-Cerro-Graden would like to welcome you to their company blog!

Dutra-Cerro-Graden is new to blogging, but we are not new to real estate. Dutra-Cerro-Graden offers over 40 years combined real estate and development experience to their clients....and now to you through their very own blog!

While reading the soon to come blog posts, readers are encouraged to interact with the authors, Dominic Dutra, Alan Cerro, and Landis Graden, provide meaningful and insightful feedback, and most importantly....ask questions.

Company founders (Dutra, Cerro and Graden) are eager to start writing articles and posts that will make you think, encourage you to learn, and take action. Dutra-Cerro-Graden is an inspiring company to work with, and through time you will learn the same through their experience, expertise, and shared views on real property issues in today's world.

Dutra-Cerro-Graden looks forward to providing you with useful news, fun stories and encounters, opinions, as well as real estate market updates.

To learn more about Dutra-Cerro-Graden, visit their website at http://www.dcgdev.com/.