FAQ

Determining how much a piece of land is worth depends on many factors including but not limited to buildable acreage, location, soil composition, amenities, access to city utilities, etc. When we vet a property for acquisition, we always start by identifying the highest and best use for the property (i.e. what is the best thing to build on the land and how many of that thing can we build). Once we know that we can estimate income, and in turn can estimate the cost to develop and build that plan and the estimated profit it will provide. There is a minimum profit number required for us to take on the work and risk of developing a project. If we can’t put enough of the right building on the parcel, or it costs too much to develop, then we won’t take on the project. Backing into the profit calculation in this way allows us to understand what the highest amount we can pay for the land is, which we gladly offer to the land seller regardless of list price. We pride ourselves in being transparent in our math and fair with our sellers.

Our primary focus is on small to medium residential developments. We do have commercial projects in the pipeline. We particularly like developments that have an amenity such as a lake, overlook, golf course, or trail system because this provides even more value for our end buyers. We prefer creating communities, not just homesites and we care about what the development will look like and feel like years down the line, not just when it’s brand new.

If you’re ready to sell and want to reach out to us, we typically ask some basic questions about the parcel you own, then come out for a site walk. If upon initial walk-through we have interest, we will run soft numbers to determine potential end value, costs to get to end value, and the potential land price/terms we can offer.

If everything checks out, we will sign a Letter of Intent (L.O.I.) which gives us typically 14-45 days to do some further investigating before entering into a formal Purchase Agreement. Once we have a signed purchase agreement we will begin a feasibility period where we will (typically at our expense) perform tests on the parcel which may include a wet land delineation, soil borings, meetings with the city, etc.

Once all the vetting is complete we start the entitlement process with the city/municipality to work toward a final plat approving us to build what we want on the site. This process typically costs $25,000-$100,000 (of our money), and can take anywhere from 3-12 months, depending on the property, time of year, availability of contractors, and city timelines. Once we’re approved and have purchased the land, development work starts!

The decision of what will be built on a parcel of land is up to many people. The city/municipality has zoning and density requirements that need to be adhered to. The market determines what type of Design & Lot Type will be the most profitable for you and the developer, and the land characteristics dictate how many lots can go on the site.

The entitlement process considers all of these inputs as well as what is best for the community.

A new interest today is land owners who desire to have an environmentally responsible product on their land. We respect this and have home builder partners that build green/solar/efficient homes.

We are developers so we purchase the land, determine a plan for the site, entitle it with the city/municipality, develop the site into finished and buildable lots.

Our development process includes almost 75 different events and operations, in an orderly fashion, and might typically involve as many as 40-50 different companies or individuals.

As developers, we typically sell lots only to previously-vetted builders, rather than direct to buyers. However, because we are also licensed Realtors, we take great pride in representing our builders’ homes, and overseeing the build-out all the way to end buyers moving in.

We believe that the key to a successful neighborhood is finding people who want to belong to a neighborhood. Constant contact with our end customers helps us better understand their desires and needs, which in turn helps keep our offerings in line with what people want. Listening to the market is key! We believe no one can sell the community better than the ones who built it, thought out each and every detail, and can speak to every aspect. We also provide this aspect as a service to ur builder partners. It takes a load of them when we staff the open houses, handle marketing, and facilitate a smooth transaction. Additionally, we do this work because it helps provide another source of revenue for our company, which allows us the ability to take on smaller or more difficult projects that may not have quite the right amount of profit we like to see. In short, it makes us better at our jobs, and more flexible in the marketplace.

You can find all our available homes Here {LINK to Listings page}. Our staff can help you with any questions you have about purchasing in our neighborhoods (or another home), funding a new home build, coordinating the sale of your existing home, etc.

We believe there’s a way to develop land with full disclosure and so we don’t do it any other way. We help sellers make good educated decisions about their land, and get buyers into quality homes in excellent communities. We develop without taking advantage and without being secretive.

We believe in the projects we take on and we believe in doing good work, supporting the local community, and creating a legacy everyone is proud of for years to come. If we take on a project, we finish it, and we make it as perfect as we know how to. We encourage you to ask around and check out our projects.

The is absolutely something we can help with. We offer fee-for-service entitlement services if you want to keep your land but develop it yourself. Let’s chat about it.

Our group is very unique in that not only do we purchase land to develop, but we also allow sellers the opportunity to participate in the development project and share in the profit. Typically this is done by sellers holding onto the land through the end of the project at which point the we buy the land in full and add a chunk of profit for taking on the risk with us. There is a lot of opportunity to super charge returns here and we’re happy to provide this option to sellers who are interested. You would become one of our investors and be treated as a valued member of investor group. It’s a pretty easy (and fun) way to make some additional money on your sale if you have the appetite for it.

Entitlement is the process of working with an engineer, title company, surveyor, watershed, county, MPCA, MN DOT, MN DNR, and the City to create a plan for the development of the property while working within the city’s zoning requirements.

This process includes many drawings; civil engineering, water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, impervious surface, landscape plans for the proposed development. There may also be required studies up front, all that incur a fee; Sewer Study, Traffic Study, Environmental Assessment Worksheet, Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan. Then, there are multiple applications, public notices and public hearings, fees, and multiple levels of reviews before an approval.

Once you have an approved plan you are able to sign a Development Agreement, Conditional Use Permit, Planned Unit Development Agreement with the city and start moving dirt. The entitlement process can take 3-9 months depending on time of year, city timelines, among other things.

This process typically costs around $25,000-$100,000 of the developer’s money so entering into this phase is a big commitment.

A Plat is the scale drawing of the development site and its improvements (buildings, roads, etc). It is the working document that is created through the entitlement process. The city approves a Final Plat, the County records the plat, and usually your plat will need to be subordinated to a lender who funds the improvements.

Build-ability depends on many factors. The more high ground (not wet), the less steep grade changes, the more accessible the property is, the better.

Build-ability is also tied to what the zoning allows. Often times a property is zoned in on class, guided for another, and the Comprehensive Plan plans for yet a third type. Like most things in land development the answer is nuanced.

However the best way to determine this is to have us come out and take a look.

The city or municipality your parcel resides in is a great resource for this kind of information. That said, they do make mistakes, or at least may give a partial answer. We know how to ask the “right questions” to ascertain the current status of available utilities. Another resource for this kind of information is on the city’s comprehensive plan, which are typically published every ten years. Finally, if your land is in the Metropolitan Urban Services Area (MUSA) this appointed body has vast powers over extensions of public utilities.

This is the case quite often. A good land surveyor and title company help sort this out - and we have established relationships in this arena. Let’s chat about your specific situation.

No problem, we work with all kinds of situations like this. Let’s chat about your specific situation.

We use a Letter of Intent (LOI) to enter into an agreement with land sellers when we think the land has potential. The LOI gives us a little time (typically 14-45 days) to begin doing some vetting of the property without the property being sold while we’re investigating. The vetting process has direct expenses and we cannot go ahead spending $$ in due diligence if the property is still on the open market.

If everything checks out, the parties agree to move to a formal Purchase Agreement.