How to find the perfect lot in Rochester

THE VISION OF A BRAND-NEW CUSTOM HOME HAS LIKELY DANCED AROUND YOUR HEAD FOR A WHILE, BUT WHAT DOES IT INCLUDE? DOES IT INCLUDE EVERYTHING? WE WANT TO MAKE SURE YOUR VISION COVERS THE ENTIRE PROJECT – BECAUSE THE FIRST (AND POSSIBLY THE MOST IMPORTANT) PART OF THE PROCESS IS ALL ABOUT FINDING THE LAND YOUR HOME WILL SIT ON.

Right now, with demand for new homes far outpacing supply, we’ve found the process is harder than most people realize.

“It’s probably the hardest part of the whole [home-building] process,” says Drew Fleming, the Engel & Völkers team lead. “It’s hard to find a lot that works with budgets, because prices are going higher and higher, and it’s also hard to find the lots that people want. Everyone wants a wooded lot, but those are in even higher demand.”

Finding a lot can be a complicated process, and isn’t always the most transparent one either: in addition to land on the public market, there’s also land that stays in private hands. Finding the right lot can simply come down to who you know… so it’s a good thing we know lots of people.

It really is a complicated process that’s typically not very transparent: in addition to the land on the public market, there’s land that stays in private hands through the whole process. Finding the right lot can simply come down to who you know… so it’s a good thing we know lots of people.

This is where Engel & Völkers’s partnership with R. Fleming Construction can pay dividends for our clients. We build in different developments all over the city, so we know about many (or – forgive us – lots of) lots that will never hit the open market. If you come to us, we can point you in the right direction to a lot you may have never known about.

“We’re unique because we specialize in new construction, so we know about new land,” Drew says. “You’ll have agents at other agencies that specialize in new development, but they might only know about ‘their’ dirt.”

TO SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATE ROCHESTER’S LAND OF LOTS, HERE’S FOUR TIPS FROM DREW:

1. Know your budget up front. “If your budget is $500,000, don’t spend six figures on a lot. You won’t be able to build a house if you do that. You’ve got to know what your all-in budget is before you sign anything.”

2. Know who you’re working with. “I would recommend working with someone who specializes in new construction, because not all agents will know the right questions to ask and how best to guide you.”

3. Be realistic. “Those two-acre lots, on a lake, with golf views? They’re not the lots you’ll find for $50,000. That’s the tough part about it.”

4. Expand your horizons. “There’s lots in Mantorville, Pine Island, you name it, everywhere around the area. We like to keep tabs on what’s going on all around the area – just so we know.”

If you’re having trouble finding a lot, just reach out to the team. We’ll go through our directory of lots (public and private, in R. Fleming developments and elsewhere) and help you create a list of options that’ll work for you.

Finding the perfect lot is an art: a little bit of networking, a little bit of inside knowledge, and a lot of travel — picking up on where the next developments will go.

“It’s important you know about the land that’s upcoming, otherwise you’ll never be told,” says Jason Halverson, our architectural draftsman. “Drew literally drives around and looks at dirt.”