Deal resources · Educational
What a land-contribution JV typically includes
A neutral checklist of the documents and steps that show up in most land-contribution joint ventures. Use it to organize conversations with your own attorney — not as a substitute for one.
Letter of intent (LOI)
A short, usually non-binding outline of the proposed deal: who contributes what, rough ownership split, and timeline. It aligns expectations before anyone spends real money on lawyers.
Appraisal of the contributed land
An independent valuation that sets the land's contribution value — the number that determines the landowner's stake. Both parties should be comfortable with who performs it and how it's dated.
Title work & survey
Confirms clean ownership, reveals liens, easements, and boundary issues. Most deals can't close a financing round without it. An existing recent survey speeds everything up.
Deal LLC formation
A new limited-liability company created for this one project. The landowner contributes the parcel, the builder contributes capital and expertise, and both become members. Keeping it single-purpose isolates risk.
Operating agreement
The heart of the deal. Defines each member's percentage, who manages the project, how and when distributions happen, what happens on cost overruns, delays, or a member exit. This is the document your attorney should spend the most time on.
Construction financing disclosures
If the project uses a construction loan, understand what's pledged as collateral (often the land), what guarantees the builder signs, and where the landowner sits in the payout order.
Insurance certificates
General liability and builder's risk coverage naming the deal entity. Confirm coverage is active before ground breaks.
Distribution & exit terms
When homes sell (or the project refinances), the waterfall in the operating agreement controls who gets paid, in what order, and when. Make sure the landowner's share and timing are explicit, not implied.
Remember: LandStake connects parties only. All partnership agreements are negotiated independently between the parties with their own attorneys. LandStake is not a real estate broker, agent, dealer, or party to any transaction, and provides no legal, tax, or investment advice. This page is education, not legal advice — every deal should be papered by attorneys representing each party.