Is your loan being noticed or sitting somewhere on the floor of the lender?
Whether seeking debt or equity financing for your project it is important to have a basic understanding of the factors private investors and investment firms use to evaluate risk.
There are many viable projects that never close or fund because the project is simply not presented correctly. In many cases time simply runs out on the would be developer because the seller or the project/land simply moves on to other buyers. Time runs out because of poor planning by the investor or the investor and mortgage broker did not understand how to present the project to the lender. Funding institutions are presented may projects daily. Guess which ones close and are evaluated the quickest. The ones with well written and concise executive summaries.
Below is summary of what the capital source may use to judge the viability of your land development project and what should be included in your summary.
Below I will describe what information should be in the summary and how to get attention.
LOAN REQUEST: ex: We are requesting 3 million for the land acquisition and development of 100 acres of commercial land. purchase price of land is 3 million and development will cost 2 million. We are injecting 2 million cash into the project. Projected value is 9 million of developed land. Our exit strategy is to sell residential lots and commercial lots. Our time frame for completing the project and repaying the loan is 18 months. (be detailed on use of funds)
After writing a clear summary include
1. Principals requesting loan. (include all information so that a LOI (letter of interest can be addressed to appropriate parties. Include resume and any examples of past projects. Complete financials with tax returns and personal financial statements of those standing for the loan.
2. Information about the land should include.
current value, proposed value, current zoning
If land is already owned, be detailed on purchase date and original cost. Include all monies already injected into the project. (very key)
Location is one of the greatest indicators of a property's value and development potential. Most development deals that require funding originate out of rapid-growth markets or areas of transition.
Physical characteristics and topography are also important. A review of engineering reports is another important step in assessing the property. These reports may reveal a situation that must be mitigated or that might increase the land development cost. For example, if the topography is especially steep, land development may be reduced. This could increase the cost to improve the lots or to build the homes. Engineering reports also can determine if a property is in a flood plain.
3. Current executed contract (how much time and flexibility is needed)
4. surveys, plats, topo maps, environmental reports.
5. current appraisal if there is one.
By understanding your deal you should be able to construct clear summaries and be pleasantly surprised by how quickly funders will make decisions. You will start to see that many deals are simply not viable projects. Most deals are turned down due to lack of equity. 100% financing is usually not doable unless the lender takes a very significant equity position.
