A practical A-to-Z checklist for moving an owned Charlotte parcel from idea to city feasibility, partner conversations, funding package, and decision gate.
Engage the City of Charlotte early, identify approval issues, and get enough technical feedback to confidently pitch a partner or lender.
Prepare a clean deal package that shows ownership, zoning path, rough design, projected costs, projected sales, risks, and requested partner/funding structure.
| Done | Major Milestone | Explicit Direction | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm parcel control | Save deed, tax card, and proof that you own/control the property. | ||
| Prepare feasibility package | Build one clean folder containing property docs, concept plan, budget, and partner summary. | ||
| Engage city | Ask for pre-submittal/development guidance before submitting full permits. | ||
| Secure funding path | Speak with lenders, builders, and JV partners using the same deal package. |
Create this exact folder structure in Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive.
| Done | Folder | What Goes Inside |
|---|---|---|
| 01 Property Documents | Deed, tax card, Polaris report, photos, payoff info, old surveys. | |
| 02 Zoning & City Review | UDO notes, zoning screenshots, city emails, department comments. | |
| 03 Concept Site Plan | Sketches, building envelope, rough site layouts, driveway options. | |
| 04 Budget & Pro Forma | Cost estimates, ARV comps, profit analysis, funding scenarios. | |
| 05 Funding Package | One-page summary, investor deck, lender package, deal terms. | |
| 06 Partner Outreach | Contact list, call notes, emails, follow-up tracker. | |
| 07 City Comments | All City responses, issues, required revisions, decisions. | |
| 08 Final Permits | Permits, approved plans, inspection documents, COs. |
Before you talk to the City or a serious partner, gather the basic property facts.
| Done | Document | Where to Get It | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deed | Mecklenburg Register of Deeds / closing file | Proves ownership and title chain. | |
| Tax Card | Mecklenburg County property records | Shows parcel ID, assessed value, basic property data. | |
| Polaris Parcel Map | Mecklenburg Polaris GIS | Shows parcel shape, zoning, approximate dimensions. | |
| Existing Survey | Closing package or prior owner | May show easements, building lines, utilities. | |
| Photos/Video | Take current photos yourself | Needed for lenders, partners, builders, and demo estimates. | |
| Mortgage/Payoff Info | Lender statement | Needed to calculate real equity and funding gap. | |
| Utility Location Notes | Charlotte Water / surveyor / site inspection | Determines water, sewer, and tap cost risk. |
Use this message:
| Done | Question | Department | Answer / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is four attached fee-simple townhome development allowed on this parcel? | Planning/Zoning | ||
| Does N1-C permit this configuration by right? | Planning/Zoning | ||
| Is subdivision required, and what plat process applies? | Subdivision Review | ||
| Can all four units use front-load garages and individual driveways? | CDOT | ||
| Are there driveway spacing, curb cut, or sidewalk conflicts? | CDOT | ||
| What stormwater review is triggered? | Stormwater/Land Development | ||
| Are water/sewer upgrades or new taps required? | Charlotte Water | ||
| Are tree-save or urban forestry requirements triggered? | Urban Forestry | ||
| What documents should be submitted first? | Development Center | ||
| What would make the project non-approvable? | All Departments |
Your funding package needs to make the deal easy to understand in five minutes.
| Done | Package Item | Explicit Direction | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-page deal summary | Summarize property, ownership, concept, unit count, size, exit, funding need. | ||
| Property proof | Attach deed, tax card, and parcel screenshot. | ||
| Concept site plan | Show rough layout; label setbacks, footprint, driveways, parking, utilities. | ||
| Preliminary budget | Include acquisition basis, demo, soft costs, hard costs, financing, sales costs, contingency. | ||
| Comparable sales | Find new/recent townhome sales nearby and calculate likely sales price per unit. | ||
| Funding ask | State exactly how much money is needed and what structure you are offering. | ||
| Risk page | List zoning, driveway, stormwater, utility, cost, appraisal, and sales risks. |
Partner contributes capital. You contribute parcel/control. Profit split after repayment.
Lender funds soft costs and construction. You keep ownership and pay interest/points.
Builder reduces cash need by building at cost plus fee or profit share.
Experienced developer manages entitlement/design/buildout. You contribute land and share upside.
Send a short, clear message. Do not over-explain before you know they are interested.
| Done | Contact | Type | Date Contacted | Response | Next Step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Use conservative numbers until real bids come in.
| Line Item | Estimated Cost | Notes / Source |
|---|---|---|
| Land Basis / Existing Debt | ||
| Survey | ||
| Demo | ||
| Architecture | ||
| Civil Engineering | ||
| Permits / Fees | ||
| Utility Taps / Upgrades | ||
| Construction | ||
| Financing Cost | ||
| Sales / Realtor / Closing | ||
| Contingency |
City says concept is likely approvable.
Survey shows no fatal easement or dimension problem.
Driveways and parking are workable.
Stormwater/utility costs do not kill the deal.
Partner/lender interest is real.
Profit margin justifies risk.
City rejects four-unit concept.
Driveways/frontage do not work.
Utility upgrades are too expensive.
Construction cost exceeds sales support.
Partner terms give away too much upside.
Financing creates too much personal risk.
| Done | Day | Action | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Create folders and gather deed, tax card, Polaris map, photos, payoff info. | Organized project folder | |
| Day 2 | Contact three surveyors for boundary + topo quotes. | Survey quotes | |
| Day 3 | Create rough concept sketch and one-page deal summary. | Concept + summary | |
| Day 4 | Contact City for preliminary development guidance. | City contact/email sent | |
| Day 5 | Build preliminary budget and funding ask. | Draft pro forma | |
| Day 6 | Identify 20 partners/lenders/builders. | Outreach list | |
| Day 7 | Send first 10 outreach messages and log responses. | Partner tracker updated |
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