The Land Vetting Checklist: 15 Checks Before You Offer on a Lot

This checklist is for aspiring developers and new-construction investors who are staring at a vacant lot or a rundown house and don't know whether it's a deal or an expensive mistake. Most beginners focus on the build. But two people can build side by side at the same construction cost, and one walks away with a great margin while the other has no profit left. The difference is almost always the land. Inside you'll get 15 checks, in the order you would actually run them. You'll start with how to find off-market land through driving for dollars and skip tracing, so you face less competition and can negotiate flexible terms. Then you'll learn to pull the right comparables: new construction from the last five years, matched on bedrooms and bathrooms first. From those you'll work out a maximum allowable offer with the Rule of 20, and then test it against real ROI. Finally, you'll confirm the things that can quietly kill a lot: sewer, water, power, zoning and setbacks. Each item explains why it matters and exactly how to do it, so you can use it on your next lot. It comes from Arthur Ryapolov, a developer and investor who built and sold $85M of real estate in six years. About 80% of his deals are found off-market. He applies the same land criteria to his own projects and to the builds his community is putting together across the country, many by people with no contractor license and no prior experience. This is the process he uses before he buys land, written as a checklist you can follow.