Need help finding more deals or creating them creatively

[Ben Gradert]

Hey everyone,

I'm an investor and GC in the Charlotte area. The market here for good deals is extremely competitive—anything that pencils out seems to disappear within a day. What strategies are you all using to find and source better opportunities?

I have the capacity to do ground-up development and have been considering multi-family projects, but land is really tough to come by right now.

A few specific ideas I've been thinking about:

1. 1. Has anyone here had experience re-zoning single-family residential (SFR) properties to allow duplexes (or triplexes)? Is the process worth the time and effort in Charlotte's current market? (Especially with the recent UDO changes allowing more by-right duplexes in many areas.)
2. 2. Auctions—what's your experience been like in that space? Are they a viable and sustainable way to source deals long-term?
3. 3. Tracking down half-finished projects where the original owner/developer ran into GC issues, financing problems, or other roadblocks.

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on these three approaches (or any other creative ways you're finding deals in this hot market).

For context, I have cash on hand and the ability to execute most projects quickly.

Thanks in advance! Ben

[Bar Ben Abu]

Hey Ben,

The UDO changes have helped, but duplex-by-right still depends heavily on lot specs and timing. Auctions and stalled projects can work, but consistency is hit or miss. Most of the better opportunities I’m seeing are coming from off-market situations where speed and certainty matter.

Happy to connect and compare notes, and I can also help surface deals in the area if that’s useful.