How New Construction Investing Works in Charlotte, NC: A Guide

How New Construction Investing Works in Charlotte, NC: A Step-by-Step Guide for Investors

If you're a real estate investor or landowner looking to build new construction in the greater Charlotte, NC region, you've probably run into the same problem everyone does: too many moving parts, and no single person who owns the whole process. You talk to a builder about the house. You talk to someone else about the land. You talk to a third person about financing. Nobody has the full picture, and you're stuck connecting the dots yourself.

I'm John Lambert, and at PRESPRO Homes, we built our new construction process specifically to solve that problem. We've been building in the greater Charlotte area for more than sixteen years, and we work directly with investors and landowners from the very first conversation through a finished, rent-ready or sale-ready home. As a senior leader at PRESPRO, I'm your single point of contact the entire way — not a rotating cast of project managers and subcontractors you've never met.

Here's exactly how the process works, start to finish, so you know what to expect before you ever sign anything.

Where we build

We're based in Concord, NC, and we typically build within about a 1.2-hour drive of Charlotte in any direction — from Statesville to Rock Hill, Gastonia to Albemarle, and everywhere in between. If you're not sure whether your lot falls inside that range, just ask. We build in more places than you'd think.

Step 1: Choose your plan

Every project starts with a plan. We publish transparent, fixed wholesale pricing for investors at charlotteinvest.com/plans, so there are no surprises on build cost later. Every plan comes standard with our Essentials package, and upgrades are available if you want them. The "essentials" includes nice finishes like granite countertops, Delta faucets, luxury vinyl plank flooring as well as landscaping and driveway.

If nothing on the site fits what you're building, tell me. I often have additional plans available that aren't published yet.

Step 2: Lock down your numbers

Once you have land under contract — or already own it — we send our land development team out for an in-person lot review. This is where we nail down clearing, grading, tap fees, and permit costs specific to your lot. It takes a very small deposit, which is fully credited back to your project once you sign a contract.

This step matters more than people expect. Land costs are the single biggest variable in any new construction budget, and guessing at them instead of measuring them is how investors get burned.

Step 3: Review your budget, then sign

Once the lot review is complete, we build a full investor budget for you to review line by line. Once you approve it, we move to contract and collect the initial deposit — either electronically or in person at our Concord office. No pressure to sign before you're ready to see real numbers.

Step 4: Build — typically 90 days

Once permits are pulled and footings are poured, construction is usually 90 days or less for most plans. Permitting timelines vary by municipality and are outside our control, but once we're out of the ground, we move fast and stay on schedule.

What's actually included in the fixed price

Our build price covers everything needed to construct the home itself. The only costs that vary are the ones tied specifically to your lot and location, which is exactly why the lot review in Step 2 exists. Those variable items are:

• Land cost
• Clearing
• Grading
• Tap fees
• Permit fees
• Well and septic (if needed)
• Crawl space or basement (if needed)

Everything else is locked in from day one.

Funding your build

If you're funding the project yourself, you're ready to go as soon as your budget is approved. If you need financing, I can connect you with lenders who specialize in investor new construction. They typically fund 65–75% of land cost at closing and up to 100% of construction costs, and you can often close on the land and the loan the same day — which minimizes what you need out of pocket up front. Or if you are not an investor and will live in the home, we have options for that as well. Ask me for our lenders info sheet if you want to see the numbers.

How draws work

After the contract is signed, we take a deposit to begin permitting. From there, we request draws as a percentage of the contract as work progresses, until the final draw closes out the project.

A word on due diligence

We're your builder and your guide through this process, but the investment decision is always yours. If you're putting land under contract, we recommend negotiating 10-21 days for due diligence and a 30–45 day close. That window gives you time to confirm the lot is actually buildable before you're locked in.

If a perk test is needed for septic, we have trusted people for that. We can also coordinate surveying or subdividing a lot if your project needs it.

Getting started

The fastest way into the process is to order a lot review. Send me the address or parcel ID and county, and I'll take a quick first look for any obvious red flags. If it looks good, we'll send a link to make the deposit, and our land development team will schedule a full site visit to give you a solid, specific quote on what it will take to get the land build-ready and permitted, usually within 2-3 days or less.

Haven't found land yet? Tell me where you're looking and what you have in mind. I'll add you to our off-market land network, where we share land opportunities that come to us before they hit the open market. It's one of the bigger advantages of building with us — you may get access to inventory other investors never see.

Ready to talk through your project? Book a call with me directly by hitting the link at the top right corner of www.charlotteinvest.com. I look forward to ensuring you have my full attention. I believe you will find that we are easy to talk to and even easier to work with. 

Your GC Partner,

John Lambert

PRESPRO · charlotteinvest.com