Finding Land for your First Development

If you are about to begin your first real estate development project, you may feel bewildered by the land search. In more populated areas, land is hard to find—and when you do find it, there’s some sort of problem. It is common to be approached by a neighbor, who tells you that the land “won’t perk” or some other reason why it hasn’t sold.

So how do you find land to build on? 

Search the Internet. Are the ads that say “I have 78 mountainous acres that would provide excellent home sites……..” for real? Yes, they are –but you have to perform your own due diligence. Look online for your county, or search craigslist.org for listings.

Check all the local newspapers. When you do find land, be sure to call the owner. Even if it turns out their parcel is not what you’re looking for, explain what you are doing. If the owner is someone who buys and sells a lot of property, give him/her your phone number. Often people like this will keep you in mind for future deals.

Find a great real estate agent. A realtor will diligently seek out listings for you, especially if he/she knows that you are working exclusively (meaning you are not working with any other agent). Real estate agents usually check the local MLS daily for listings that match their clients.

Use the MLS yourself. Visit www.mls.com to search for listings. The site also offers links to foreclosure homes and for sale by owner listings.

Follow auctions. Most auction companies have an email sign-up list and will notify you in advance of their sales. Get to know the auction staff, and let them know that you are an aspiring real estate developer. They may notify you of upcoming properties. For listings all across the United States as well as online bidding, visit landauctionbid.com.

All articles copyright © Tanya R. Davis. Please do not copy, paraphrase, or quote from this site without express written permission.