Just put in an offer on land in St. Pete. Due-dilligence advice?

[Brandon K.]

Hi all,

I'm a long time lurker on BP with a few multiplex properties under my belt (thanks to your help!), now looking to branch into small-scale development. I have an offer in on a piece of land in Tampa/St. Petersburg FL where the numbers work for building a single family home. However, I don't quite know what steps I need to do during the option period to make sure I've covered all the bases. The lot appears okay from a zoning and flood plain standpoint. My first step is to get a buildable lot letter, second step is to check with utilities to make sure they are available at the site... anything else? I assume there was a house on this lot previously; how does one determine where the utility hookups are on the site?

Thank you!