Help w/ buying a large lot, permitting, building SFHs, potential sub-division

[Gabriel Fung]

I am looking to moving to the East Seattle area, specifically Redmond, Sammamish, and Issaquah over the next few years.

The plan is to purchase a large lot and develop multiple single-family homes. One for my primary residence, and the others to either rent, or potentially subdivide and sell. 

I am lost on where to start and would like expert help with the process.
- How do I know/confirm how much of the lot can be developed (i.e. sometimes the lots are steep slopes or swamp lands)
- How do I develop with the potential to subdivide to separate single family home lots?
- Which permits will I need and what is the process to follow?
- Any construction companies and project managers that frequently do this type of work in this area? 
... Many other blind spots that I recognize I haven't figured out yet.

For context, I currently live in California (Bay Area) and plan to sell my home here, as well as my investment property in Dallas, TX to fund the purchase of the land and all costs associated with building out a multiple homes in the area above. 

Any advice and connections anyone can provide? Please and thank you :)

Sincerely,

Gabe

[Jamie Hora]

An experienced Civil Engineer can help navigate those initial questions for you if you are unfamiliar with the process. 

The answers to the questions you listed can vary depending on the land that you are looking at. One site may be affected by floodplain and topography challenges, while another site may not.  Some pieces of land may need rezoning and others not. 

Getting in touch with someone that has local experience would be my strong recommendation. Different areas can have different jurisdictional approval processes and having someone who knows this will help on your permitting timeline. 

If you have your eyes set within Seattle City limits, beginning to understand the planning & zoning code is a good place to start and learn things like lot/building requirements.  Having a phone call with someone from the City is also very helpful, and just ask them to explain the process to you starting from scratch.