Real Estate Development and Land Buying: Key Insights

Introduction

• Importance of due diligence in land buying and real estate development.
• Lack of resources and knowledge can lead to financial risks and delays.
• Aim is to demystify and provide a systematic approach to real estate due diligence.

Presenter

• Matt Marsh, founder of Martian Partners, a development and consulting firm.

Due Diligence in Real Estate

• Residential vs. Commercial Property:
  • Residential: Straightforward steps such as title work, inspection, survey, and appraisal.
  • Commercial: Additional steps like lease research and environmental assessments.
• Land Entitlement and Development:
  • Tasks often compound and require sequential investigation.

Free Resources for Investigating Property

• GIS Tool: For property ownership, legal info, topography, utilities access, zoning.
• Google Earth: For physical site characteristics.
• Tax and Deed Records: For ownership and sales history.
• Future Land Use Maps: For municipal vision.
• Wetlands and Flood Maps: For soil composition and buildable areas.

Structuring Contracts and Sequencing Tasks

• Importance of structuring contracts to allow time for due diligence.
• Be aware of milestones before breaking ground.
• Martian Partners offers a checklist for land acquisition and site selection.

Critical Steps in Due Diligence

• Rural Land for Residential Development:
  • Title work, soil analysis, utility capacity checks, stream and wetland determination.
• Infill Property for Urban Development:
  • Quick engagement of civil engineer for site layout and zoning concerns.

Land Entitlement Process

• Series of steps for legal development approval.
• Sequence depends on property type and proposed use.
  • Rezoning, use permits, site plan reviews.
• Understand the need for all permits and approvals before development.

Conclusion

• Determine critical due diligence items early based on intended use.
• Understanding the development process helps mitigate risks.
• Additional resources are available for deeper insights.

Additional Resources

• Check out Marsh Partners' website for more insights and educational content.
• View other videos on structuring contracts and detailed process overviews.
• Reach out to Matt Marsh for direct consultation or queries.

Call to Action

• Like, subscribe, and comment on the channel for more content.
• Visit MarshPartners.com for further information.