I currently put contingencies on the following milestones:Contingencies (able to achieve the following milestones)Site PlanningBase MapSite Plan (End of 2021)Conceptual Site Plan (Beginning 2022)ArchitectureFeasibility Design (End of 2021)Conceptual Design (March 2022)Entitlements & PermitsPre-Application (Beginning 2022)Application (mid-late 2022)**Buyer Submits Refundable DepositBuilding Permit and Inspections (End of 2022)Final Approval to Build for purposes of a banquet hall (End of 2022)**Funding Land Acquisition General ContractorSite and Civil Work (End of 2022)Certificate of Occupancy (Late 2023)Is this the correct approach or is there a better way to structure this offer to take on the least amount of risk?

I suggest this approach because she MAY pay …instead of her leaving and then trying to get her to pay or collect after the fact, which is always more difficult.

My company has been doing residential Spec builds in Austin for the past 6 years or so and recently got into doing Custom builds, an architect we have worked with in the past approached us and basically he wants us to build a house he's already designed for his clients, (we are still in the process of meeting with them and doing estimates etc.), we verbally agreed on a 20% GC fee over construction costs, but I have a feeling he will want to split this 20% fee with us somehow as he tried to do something similar a few years ago in a project that didnt end up happening (he wanted to split the 20% in half between us) which we didnt think that agreement was fair at the time.

Our goal was to grow our own healthy food in harmony with the land as well as build within 5 years.

Approach the tenant with a form of value. 

I believe this approach will enable you to make the right decisions today....Eric

I like Jerry Nortan's approach on multiple fronts. #1 getting deals is about making lots of offers and its a numbers game and offers have contingecies.

I found mine and then applied the cookie cutter approach.  

What is the best approach to maximize future cash flow while minimizing income taxes.Where Is the Best Place to Invest?

It ends up just being an extra step in the loan approval process but we are good customers with a healthy deposit relationship.