Be a Successful Residential Land Developer
Veteran construction contractor, and building trades authority, R. Dodge Woodson shows how to profitably transform raw land into housing. This practical guide covers every phase of the land development process as well as essential business practice fundamentals.\ NEW TO THIS EDITION: finding and selling property via the Internet, more information on finance and insurance issues, the latest in land ordinances and runoff issues and EPA requirements\ Contents: Why Should I Get Into Land...
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Learn how YOU can become a player in the hot market for new housingYou don't need a fortune or years of real estate experience to become a successful residential land developer. This shrewd, up-to-the-minute guide shows you how to find and acquire prime properties that are true diamonds in the rough. You'll learn the factors that determine whether you've got a good deal: engineering surveys, grading, water availability and drainage, utilities, traffic, and more. And once you've chosen your land, you'll discover what you need to do at every stage to make your project succeed.With the step-by-step advice of real estate expert and contractor R. Dodge Woodson's failure-proof primer, anyone can learn to exploit the opportunities in land development.Reflecting today's advantageous financial land development climate, Be a Successful Residential Land Developer shows you how to:* Tie up and control land with very little cash and plenty of escape clauses * Tap into conventional and creative financing sources* Apply powerful Internet tools to leverage information* Get favorable bids from subcontractors* Deal with zoning, environmental, and code enforcement issues* Reduce neighborhood resistance and handle boards of appeal* Put together a professional team and direct the project* Develop a marketing and sales plan for your new home(s)* Much, much moreINSIDE RESIDENTIAL LAND DEVELOPMENT SUCCESSWhy Should I Get into Land Development? • Can I Really Do It? • The Development Team and Selecting the Viable Project • Finding Hidden Treasure • Tying Up Land without a Full Commitment • Having Your Experts Do Preliminary Checks • Going over the Ground from Top to Bottom • Planning on Paper • Storm Water Drainage • Deciphering the Dirt • Water Requirements • Land Lost and Cost for Roads • Flood Zones • Location, Location, Location • Plans and Specifications • Getting Development Bids • Sales Projections • Financing • Zoning • Closing Your Land Deal • Insurance and Subcontractor Needs • Rolling Out the Big Rigs and Site Supervision • Keeping Your Project on Time and on Budget • A Marketing Plan and Sales Team • New ProjectsR. Dodge Woodson (Brunswick, Maine) holds the real estate license of Designated Broker. This is the highest classification of professional real licensure available. Woodson is the president and owner of Expert Realty Services, Inc., in Brunswick Maine. He bought his first piece of speculative land in 1974 and has been a progressive land developer in Virginia and Maine for the last 29 years. He has succeeded with both individual plots and large parcels that he subdivided. With nearly 30 years of experience as a residential land developer, Mr. Woodson has developed a process that makes failure virtually impossible.
Ch. 1Why should I get into land development?1Ch. 2A development team9Ch. 3Finding land23Ch. 4Finding hidden treasure41Ch. 5Tying up land without a full commitment47Ch. 6Expert advice55Ch. 7Site assessment77Ch. 8The written plan85Ch. 9Storm-water drainage101Ch. 10Deciphering the dirt113Ch. 11Water requirements121Ch. 12Land loss and road costs129Ch. 13Flood zones, wetlands, and other deal-stoppers135Ch. 14Location, location, location157Ch. 15Plans and specifications167Ch. 16Development bids205Ch. 17Predicting sales217Ch. 18Financing223Ch. 19Zoning243Ch. 20Closing your land deal261Ch. 21Insurance and subcontractor needs269Ch. 22Breaking ground285Ch. 23Keeping your project on time and on budget299Ch. 24Marketing and sales311Ch. 25New projects319
