Learn how you can become a player in the hot market for new housing. You don't need a fortune or years of real estate experience to become a successful residential land developer. This shrewd, up-to-the-minute guide shows you how to find and acquire prime properties that are true diamonds in the rough. You'll learn the factors that determine whether you've got a good deal: engineering surveys, grading, water availability and drainage, utilities, traffic, and more. And once you've chosen your land, you'll discover what you need to do at every stage to make your project succeed.With the step-by-step advice of real estate expert and contractor R. Dodge Woodson's failure-proof primer, anyone can learn to exploit the opportunities in land development. Reflecting today's advantageous financial land development climate, "Be a Successful Residential Land Developer" shows you how to: tie up and control land with very little cash and plenty of escape clauses; tap into conventional and creative financing sources; apply powerful Internet tools to leverage information; get favorable bids from subcontractors; deal with zoning, environmental, and code enforcement issues; reduce neighborhood resistance and handle boards of appeal; put together a professional team and direct the project; develop a marketing and sales plan for your new home(s); and, much, much more.This title covers topics such as: 'Why should I get into land development'?; 'Can I really do it'?; the development team and selecting the viable project; finding hidden treasure; tying up land without a full commitment; having your experts do preliminary checks; going over the ground from top to bottom; planning on paper; storm water drainage; deciphering the dirt; water requirements; land lost and cost for roads; flood zones; location, location, location; plans and specifications; getting development bids; sales projections; financing; zoning; closing your land deal; insurance and subcontractor needs; rolling out the big rigs and site supervision; keeping your project on time and on budget; a marketing plan and sales team; and, new projects.