Building Construction Student Wins Team Real Estate Competition

Chris Lomaka, a junior double majoring in Building Construction and Real Estate, was part of a team of students who won first place in the second annual Meritage Homes Residential Real Estate Challenge hosted by the University of Arizona's Eller College of Management. This is the second win for a Virginia Tech team in this competition.

"The Meritage Residential Real Estate Challenge was a great opportunity, as it furthered my knowledge of the built environment outside the classroom."

Lomaka continous, "Our task was to examine the impact of student loans on first-time homebuyers. Specifically, I conducted secondary research on the construction impact on first time homebuyers. I also examined the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and was able to make connections about the impact it had on student loans and the housing market."

When asked how he sees this accomplishment furthering his career in Building Construction, Lomaka stated, "The Meritage Residential Real Estate Challenge combined with a Real Estate double major has served as a great foundation for my career aspirations. With desires to be an executive in the commercial construction industry, I have learned many things that tie into Building Construction. For example, with the Real Estate major and this challenge I have learned about land development, liens, deeds, and tax implications. These elements are not learned exclusively in Building Construction, so the Real Estate major paired with the outside work of this case study has allowed me to develop a more holistic perspective about the built environment. Combining formal education in Real Estate and outside work with this Meritage Case Study Challenge, will be of great importance when I begin my building construction career. By that time I will have developed further knowledge about the real estate industry which I hope to use and catapult myself up the ranks in the construction industry. It was an honor to participate in this challenge and I know that it will help substantially as I continue my construction education and begin to work in the industry."