How we source land for builders
Builders buy land on a schedule, and the schedule is set by absorption, entitlement timing and the cost to deliver lots. We source residential land and finished lots for national and regional homebuilders and for the developers who supply them — from raw acreage with a path to entitlement, to platted, finished lots ready for permits.
Drake Dickerson joined the brokerage in February 2024 after land-acquisition roles at Richmond American Homes, Taylor Morrison and Meritage Homes. That background shapes the work: we present land the way a land committee wants to read it, and we know which questions will be asked before an offer is approved.
Who we represent
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Homebuilders
Division land teams looking for lot positions in Volusia, Flagler and the Orlando metro: finished lots, paper lots under an option or takedown, and raw land with a clear path to entitlement.
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Land developers and investors
Groups that entitle and develop lots for sale to builders, or that hold land for a future phase and want a builder partner under contract before they commit to horizontal development.
What we source
- Finished lots and lot takedowns — platted, developed lots delivered in phases under a takedown schedule.
- Entitled and paper lots — approved projects where the buyer takes on or funds horizontal development.
- Raw residential land — acreage with the zoning, future land use and utilities to support a subdivision, bought outright or under an option while entitlements are pursued.
- Attached and build-to-rent sites — townhome, duplex and single-family rental sites for the operators who buy them.
How we work
- Requirement Product type, lot size and count, price band, geography, timing, and how much entitlement risk you are prepared to carry.
- Sourcing Listed land, off-market owners, and developers with upcoming phases. We track who owns what along the corridors builders are buying on, and where entitlements are in process.
- Underwriting support Comparable lot sales, absorption, development-cost inputs, utility and impact fees — the inputs to a residual land value, prepared so your land committee can check the math rather than take our word for it.
- Offer and contract Letter of intent, contract structure (fee-simple purchase, option, or phased takedown), deposits, contingencies and escalation, negotiated with your counsel.
- Due diligence to closing Coordinating survey, environmental, geotechnical, title and entitlement review through the inspection period, and each takedown closing after it.
What we analyze
- Zoning, future land use and the approvals still required
- Utility capacity, connection fees and offsite extensions
- Wetlands, soils, flood zones and stormwater volume
- Access, frontage and required road improvements
- Concurrency, school capacity and impact fees
- Comparable lot and land sales, and absorption by product
- Lot yield under the applicable code and the site’s constraints
- Schedule risk: entitlement, permitting and horizontal construction
Pipeline awareness
Volusia and Flagler are adding large master-planned communities and the roads that serve them, while permit volumes have slowed from their recent peak. Both matter when you price a lot position. A few of the facts we watch:
Central Florida context
Verified public sources, with dates. Market data is believed reliable but not guaranteed and is provided for general information only.
- Avalon Park Daytona was approved in May 2026: 2,760 acres, 8,818 homes and about 1.09 million SF of commercial space west of I-95, built out over 20 to 25 years. Source: Ormond Beach Observer, May 23, 2026
- Ormond Crossings broke ground on January 12, 2026; Meritage Homes bought Phase 1, about 450 lots, for $15.54 million. Source: Ormond Beach Observer, January 12, 2026
- Deering Park in Edgewater broke ground on April 11, 2025, with 1,747 homes in its first phase. Source: Hometown News Volusia, April 17, 2025
- Flagler County’s population grew 22.0% and Volusia’s 9.2% between the 2020 Census and April 1, 2025. Source: University of Florida BEBR, Florida Estimates of Population 2025
- Volusia issued 582 residential permits in Q2 2026 ($232.8 million), down from 819 ($306.5 million) in Q2 2025. Source: Volusia County Economic Development, Q2 2026 Q Book, August 2026
Frequently asked questions
What is a lot takedown?
A takedown contract lets a builder control a whole project while paying for it in phases. The builder closes on a first group of lots, then on further groups on a schedule, usually with a price escalation between phases and a deposit or fee to the seller for holding the balance. It spreads the builder’s capital over the life of the community and gives the developer a committed buyer for each phase.
Do you work with off-market land?
Yes. Many of the parcels builders want are not listed. We approach owners directly on behalf of a builder with a defined requirement, and we keep the builder’s identity confidential until the owner is ready to engage.
Can you help us underwrite a site?
We supply the market inputs — comparable lot and land sales, absorption, utility and impact fees, entitlement status and the likely schedule — in the format a land committee expects. Your internal underwriting and your engineer’s cost estimate remain yours; our job is to make sure the inputs are current and sourced.
How is the brokerage paid on a land purchase?
In most transactions the seller pays a commission at closing, and a buyer’s agent is paid out of it. Where a builder engages us to source land that is not listed, compensation is agreed in writing before the search begins. Either way, the arrangement is disclosed to everyone at the table.