The process
Nine steps, in order, with the part nobody tells you at each one. This is the whole process from the first phone call to the day your tenant moves in.
Start at step oneStep 01
Free, no obligation. We map your goal, your budget and which loan path fits — FHA, VA or conventional. If the honest answer is "not yet," we say that, and we tell you what would have to change.
Step 02
Before the lot, before the plan. Everything downstream depends on what a lender will actually do for you. No bank? We have connections with several and we will connect you — we are not the lender and we receive no compensation for the introduction.
Step 03
Zoning that permits two units, size and setbacks that fit the building, flood zone pulled, utilities and site conditions priced. We find it if you do not have one. A lot that fails any of those is not a bargain at any price.
Step 04
The floor plan is the same. The elevation is yours. The five models are here. The lot sometimes rules one out, which is why this comes after the lot and not before it.
Step 05
Scope, price, selections, milestones and timeline, in writing, signed by both of us. Nothing before this point is binding on either side — and a price that is not in a signed agreement is not a price.
Step 06
We adapt the plan to your lot, order the survey, and file with whichever office has jurisdiction — City of New Orleans, Jefferson Parish, Kenner, Gretna, Slidell or St. Tammany. They do not move at the same speed, and we tell you which one you are in before you buy the lot.
Step 07
Ground-up, to modern code and today's wind ratings. You get milestones, not silence. This is the stage where most people's horror stories come from, and it is the stage a proven plan protects you through: the trades have built this building before.
Step 08
A licensed appraiser determines value — not us, not your lender, and not a calculator on a website. Then you close.
Step 09
You move into one side, or you rent both. We refer trusted local property managers if you want one, and investors building to ten or more doors with us can apply for in-house management. More on that here.
Longer than buying a resale. A build is months, not weeks, and the permit stage varies by jurisdiction. You will need somewhere to live in the meantime and we will say so at step one, not step six. What we will not do is give you a timeline we do not believe.
1. Buying the lot first. The single most expensive mistake. Zoning, flood zone and setbacks decide everything, and they are checkable before you spend a dollar.
2. Skipping pre-approval. Every plan built on a loan you have not confirmed is a guess.
3. Believing a number that is not in writing. Ours or anybody's.
It costs nothing, commits you to nothing, and you will leave it knowing whether this works for you. That is the entire point of it.
Book the consultation(504) 407-3199 · [email protected]
Investment Property Builders is a home builder — not a lender, a mortgage broker, or a financial advisor. This page describes our general process; your project's steps, timeline and requirements depend on your lot, your lender and the authority with jurisdiction, and all of those change. Nothing here is a quote, a timeline commitment, or a guarantee. A price becomes binding only in a written agreement signed by both parties. Appraised value is determined by a licensed appraiser.
Operated by DuCar Construction, LLC — Louisiana Residential License No. 883334, Commercial License No. 63084. 638 Papworth Ave., Suite 100, Metairie, LA 70005. Equal Housing Opportunity.
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