All Forum Posts by: Jamie Hora

I would say in general there are 3 main aspects for new development, each with lots of detail. You have the land acquisition/entitlements, project financing, and the physical development part. 

For the actual developing aspect, I second what @Jay Hinrichs said, where you should begin with a planner and civil engineer.  When evaluating a piece of land, you should always begin by researching planning codes of the jurisdiction to see the size/magnitude of what you can build and if the land fits your goals.  I would also recommend having then a civil engineer further evaluate the site for water, wastewater, roads (if needed), drainage requirements, geotechnical conditions, etc. This stage will help estimate the development costs and let you know if the project has viability for you to pursue further.  

My advice is to make sure you are doing your research when looking at potential lots before purchasing.  Things that need to be checked are zoning, and the applicable zoning codes. The land may need to get rezoned, which can be difficult depending on zoning of the surrounding lots.  Then, within the zoning, make sure you are understanding what you can build based on lot setback requirements, max building height, max SF on lot, etc, since this directly relates to your building cost and also your projected income.  

Was not aware of this! But I would be interested in hearing what others have to say of their experiences if they have taken the courses.  Following

I have experience on the engineering side of things, and my first recommendation is to become familiar with the zoning and planning codes. When looking at potential sites, you need to know what you will be able to build there.  The restrictions that will be most applicable are units/acre, max building height, max building area, minimum front/back/side yard setbacks.  Depending on what you want, you may need to rezone. When looking at the zoning map, pay attention to the zoning of lots around you, and that will have a large determination on if the City will consider rezoning (if necessary for you plan). I would also recommend beginning to develop a relationship with someone in the municipality planning & development department to help walk through questions with you along the way.  My expertise is less on the financial side, so I wont comment on that aspect.  But good luck on the project!

I perform civil engineering for developers, and I have clients starting to build out phases of subdivisions from 15 - 50 acre sites right now. I do not get familiar with their building costs, but in Texas metro cities, I believe these costs right now are being offset by the housing prices, caused by an extreme shortage in availability. 

Sending a connection request your way!

I agree with @Brenden Mitchum that speaking with the City is the best place to start.  

When dividing the lot you'll need to ensure that each of the lots maintain all the minimum requirements for the zoning that they fall into.  Depending on where the home sits and the dimensions/configuration of the full parcel, sometimes the "road frontage" is most restrictive requirement.  In most cities that I have worked with in Texas, assuming the dimensions can all be met, this would require a licensed surveyor doing a plat.

Wow, what a fantastic breakdown @Barry Ruby!  

I dont think I have anything that I can really add, but I will second what he said.  My experience is on the engineering/implementation part of the projects, not the financing, but wholeheartedly believe an Engineer is a necessary place to start and put in some minor upfront cost to begin shaping the project.  And as others have said, nothing can be as valuable as building a team that has similar (size, location) type experience!

You're talking about the 2 lots facing Knight Drive?  So that ROW has been platted, but the road has not been built?  If you purchase the property facing Robinhood Drive, you could place a shared access easement & driveway on it.  The shared driveway can go to the lots in the back, then split into their respective properties.  That easement/driveway would be shared by owners of each lot. (Probably needs to be min 20' wide esmt). 

However, is Knight Drive planning to be constructed?  If so, you would probably want to have those homes/lots designed for a future driveway to come off that street.  I dont think the jurisdiction would want the shared driveway coming from the back permanently if the road is planned to be developed.

Just  my thoughts!

Hi Raj.  Sorry I do not have any contacts to provide you for Lenders. You may also try posting in the "Private Lending" forum page.

I did want to just mention that I perform Civil Engineering services for developers throughout Texas & have done work on RV Parks before as well as work in Round Rock (different projects). If you'd like assistance on the civil engineering for the site, feel free to send me a message!