Section 01
The risks that actually reshape a deal
- Title surprises, easements, and legal access issues that affect control.
- Flood, drainage, slope, and soil conditions that inflate site work.
- Utility gaps that change timing, cost, or feasible use.
- Zoning, overlay, or entitlement hurdles that reduce certainty.
- Absorption, resale, or rent assumptions that were too generous for the submarket.
Section 02
Separate fatal flaws from pricing adjustments
Not every issue is a deal killer. Some are simply basis killers. That distinction matters because it changes your next step.
If the problem can be solved with money, time, or scope reduction, it belongs in pricing. If the problem makes the intended use unrealistic, it belongs in the red zone.
Section 03
A fast-screen workflow that holds up
- Flag the control issues first: parcel identity, access, and ownership facts.
- Review the physical constraints next because they often change cost fastest.
- Layer in land-use rules and utility timing before modeling the exit.
- Write the risks in plain language so a partner or buyer can react without redoing the whole file.
Section 04
Speed improves when the checklist stays consistent
The point of a checklist is not bureaucracy. It is memory. A stable workflow lets you move quickly without trusting mood or instinct to catch everything.
When the same risks are reviewed the same way every time, your pricing becomes more dependable and your passes become easier to defend.