A new way to search for land is here - Tycoon

With Tycoon you can:

1. Get an overview of the regulatory environment in each covered county with links to local land development code, regulatory agencies and general statistics.
2. Search for land based on criteria such as size, percent wetland coverage, zoning and current & future land use. We are not a listing service. We allow you to find land that meets your criteria—listed or not. You can save your favorite properties.
3. Locate local development experts from engineers and planners to attorneys, lenders and contractors. Tycoon will help you find the team you need to do the deal.

All of this is available to you for free(1). We’d love to hear your thoughts on the struggles you face in getting solid land and regulatory information.

(1) internet charges may apply

If you could assemble your project team for your next land development project from your desktop, would you? In my previous post, I introduced the ability to search for land through our new service Tycoon (www.beaTycoon.com). Not only will Tycoon allow you to search for property, but it will also provide decision critical information.

So what is the information? Tycoon provides searches to find land, links to get the local scoop and land development professionals to get the deal done!  We have already discussed how to search for land, but how can the rest of the site be used?

The biggest obstacle to a deal’s success is the ability to convert property from its current use to a new more profitable use. That means zoning and land use issues. Tycoon links to key regulatory sites in each county we cover.

We’ve taken the guess work out of finding experienced professionals. In each county, we’ve enlisted a select group of service providers. Our expert providers have specific experience in land development and investing. They cover all of the disciplines needed–real estate brokerage, finance, land planning, engineering, land surveying, title and many more.

Our vision is to become the leading source of information for land development.

Introducing Tycoon, the free site that allows users to search for land based on criteria such as parcel size, wetlands, current or future land use and zoning.

In my previous post, So you want to develop land?, I introduced how GIS can help search for land. Since we are so crazy about GIS and the wonderful things it can do, we decided to create a website that helps developers and investors find land.

Tycoon is still in development, but will be available in October. To stay updated on the latest developments, sign-up at www.BeaTycoon.com.

Where do you begin? If you are new to development or new to a geographic area it can be a daunting task to find property.

In the past, developers or investors have found property through brokers, colleagues or by driving.  Advancements in technology, GIS (geographic information systems) combined with aerial photography, allow developers to search for land from their computer. 

How is this possible?  To make a long story short, many government agencies have moved their information on-line.  Everything from court records to property records.  The information is great, but searching the information can be difficult.  The only available search options are by parcel number, owner name or address.  Most often, when looking for a property, I would only know the characteristics I am looking for in a property: size (acres); general location (city) and zoning.

So, how can GIS help me find land?  GIS is an excellent tool for inputting criteria and obtaining results.  I could do the same thing in a spreadsheet document, but viewing data on a map is much easier.  To find the land I need, I would enter my search criteria in the area I want to search, say Polk County, and view my results either in tabular format or on a map. The map is important because now I can see what other buildings, subdivisions or roads are near the parcel.  Before GIS and aerial photography this was only accomplished by taking a trip to the location.  Think of the time saving potential!