The REtipster Podcast | Land Investing & Real Estate Strategies · Seth Williams

The Hidden Land Risks You’re Overlooking w/ Don Healy

·41 min·2 clips

A seller’s disclosure said “no red flags,” but the tax assessor marked the property unbuildable and the title report tied it to a landslide.

1. The REtipster Podcast episode with Don Healy centers on hidden land risks in early-stage due diligence. 2. Don Healy is the guest, and he works in land-risk analysis after a career in new home construction and engineering. 3. The episode asks when a $500 site facts report is worth buying and when it is not. 4. Don says the report sits between quick apps and a full $5,000 to $10,000 due diligence package. 5. He explains that the report is built from federal, state, and jurisdictional data rather than a physical site visit. 6. Don describes a “virtual site walk” that can use street view, slope checks, transformers, and wetland indicators. 7. He says the report is meant for “risk understanding” and “initial decision-making.” 8. Don draws a line between his work and surveyors, geotechnical engineers, land use consultants, and legal professionals. 9. He says the report often highlights where those specialists should be hired next. 10. Don gives the example of erodible soils plus a 15% slope creating a geohazard overlay that is not obvious on a map. 11. He says the real problem is often buried in zoning code, not in GIS layers. 12. Don describes a property bordered by resource zone land where 100-foot setbacks on three sides made it nearly unbuildable. 13. He says the report is most useful when a buyer is selling to someone who plans to build on the parcel. 14. Don says the best timing is during a 30-day due diligence period. 15. He notes that Site Score covers zoning, floodplains, wetlands, access, and slope for a quick five-point check. 16. Don says the sweet spot for the full report is often one to 40 acres for single-family use and sub-five-acre development parcels. 17. The conversation stays practical and detailed, with Seth and Don trading examples about listings, zoning language, and due diligence mistakes. 18. Don sounds measured and technical, while Seth keeps pressing for real-world thresholds like price, timing, and deal size. 19. People buying land for homes, infill lots, or resale to builders would get the most value from this episode. 20. Buyers of tiny cheap desert lots or listeners who dislike due diligence details will likely skip it.

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