Issuu

Homebuilder Development and Finance

www.hklaw.com

Holland & Knight advises homebuilders nationwide on the legal and business issues that shape residential communities from concept to completion. Our approach is practical and commercially focused, with an in-depth understanding of market cycles, regulatory environments and development risk. Drawing on one of the largest and most integrated real estate platforms in the country, our team of attorneys guides clients through every stage of the residential development process, including land acquisition, entitlement, development, financing, construction and home sales.

Key Practice Areas Property Acquisition, Development and Sales Negotiate, document and administer contracts for residential development, including coordination of due diligence and closing; prepare end-user sales contracts, disclosures, warranty documentation and closing documents and coordinate with title companies for homebuyer closings

Rankings and Recognition 2027 The Best Lawyers in America 156 real estate and land use and zoning lawyers recognized in the 2027 guide

Land Banking and Homebuilder Finance Represent private equity funds, institutional capital and leading homebuilders in off‑balance sheet land banking, joint venture and financing transactions for residential and commercial developments nationwide

Entitlements and Land Use Assist in obtaining zoning, land use and development approvals, economic development and incentive agreements, and other governmental authorizations

TOP TIER FIRM

U N I T E D S TAT E S

2026

2026 The Legal 500 United States Firm received top-tier ranking in the area of Real Estate – Land Use/ Zoning in the 2025 edition; Real Estate, Real Estate – Construction (including Construction Litigation) and Real Estate – Real Estate Finance were recommended

Financing Represent borrowers in connection with acquisition, development and construction loans, as well as credit facilities and other financing arrangements

Special Districts Guide clients through the formation and approval of special districts and improvement districts and similar entities for single-phase and multiphase developments

2026 Chambers USA Ranked in North Carolina for Real Estate: Finance; New York and Virginia for Real Estate: Zoning/ Land Use; New York for Real Estate: Mainly Dirt; and California, Florida, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia for Real Estate

Dispute Resolution and Litigation Advise and represent homebuilders in disputes with landowners, subcontractors, lenders, brokers and end users, including complex litigation and arbitration

Community Governance Prepare community governance structures, advise during developer control periods and provide guidance regarding covenants and association-related matters

2026 Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” National First-Tier Rankings: Land Use and Zoning Law, 2015-2026 guides, and Real Estate Law, 20142026 guides

Industry-Focused Experience Our Homebuilders and Residential Development team works closely with other Holland & Knight practices – including Construction, Land Use and Government, Environmental, Tax, Labor and Employment, Regulatory and Litigation – allowing us to provide seamless support throughout the development process. This multidisciplinary approach enables us to address transactional and dispute-related issues efficiently and effectively. When disputes arise, our attorneys represent homebuilders in negotiations, arbitration and litigation involving entitlement challenges, contract interpretation, warranty claims, construction defects, insurance issues and related matters. We also advise clients on emerging risks, including data privacy and security issues associated with smart home technologies and connected infrastructure. With deep industry knowledge and seamless cross-practice collaboration, we help homebuilders efficiently execute projects, proactively manage risk and achieve long-term business objectives.

Types of Assets

Single-family subdivisions

Condominium and townhome projects

Mixed-use residential communities

Legal Services for Homebuilders Industry Our team delivers integrated legal services tailored to the needs of the homebuilding industry. We work collaboratively across practices to support clients at every project stage, from pre-acquisition planning through disposition and post-sale matters: • negotiation, documentation and administration of acquisition contracts for residential development

• structuring and documenting joint ventures for residential, multifamily and mixed-use developments

• complex due diligence for single- or multi-property portfolios, including title, survey, governmental and plat issues

• end-user sales contracts, disclosures and warranty documentation

• land use, zoning and entitlement approvals, including representation before regulatory bodies and public hearings • negotiation and documentation of development, easement and related agreements for entitling and developing land • formation and administration of homeowner and community associations, including preparation of governing documents and ongoing advisory support

• agreements with subcontractors, brokers and other project participants • borrower-side representation in acquisition, development and construction financing, as well as refinancing transactions • regulatory compliance matters, including Federal Housing Authority and Federal National Mortgage Association requirements for attached and detached condominium developments

Contact Us Alexis Reeves Alonzo Partner | Century City and Los Angeles +1.310.201.8908 +1.213.896.2419 alexis.alonzo@hklaw.com

Barton W. Morrison Partner | Orlando +1.407.244.1131 barton.morrison@hklaw.com

Representative Experience Real Estate Transactional • Represented a housing fund in the structuring of two funds totaling approximately $200 million to finance low- to middle-income housing, including a $99 million fund with grant equity and senior and junior lending, focused on “missing middle” housing needs segment between traditional affordable housing and conventional homebuilder lending • Assisted investors in the sale of more than $800 million in apartment projects, including several deals in excess of $100 million • Represented a national homebuilding leader in all aspects of hundreds of acquisitions and dispositions of land throughout South Florida, ultimately leading to the construction of thousands of homes of all product types in the tri-county area • Represented a nationally prominent high-end residential community developer in establishing and administering multiple "builder programs" in luxury communities in South Florida and handling sales of multimillion-dollar, build-to-suit custom home lot conveyances in such communities • Represented a nationally prominent owner with a multibillion-dollar portfolio of thousands of parcels of distressed real estate owned (REO) properties located throughout the U.S. in the sale, leasing and management of such properties • Represented the nation's largest homebuilder in processing approvals for the development of more than 1,300 homes and related amenities, including a new clubhouse and golf course, in Homestead, Florida; phase represents the final portion of a nearly 10,000unit master planned community known as Keys Gate that has been under development for over 30 years

Land Banking • Representing a private equity fund in more than $5 billion of residential development land banking transactions throughout the U.S. for top public and private homebuilders • Representing a private equity fund in the negotiation of a bespoke platform land banking facility, representing $550 million of committed capital, for a top public homebuilder • Representing a best‑in‑class private homebuilder in the land banking of approximately 330 lots for residential development in Flagler County, Florida • Representing a California-based investment management firm in providing approximately $240 million in land banking financing for the development of 2,000 homes for national homebuilders, as well as in obtaining a $75 million credit facility for the platform • Representing multiple joint ventures between an institutional real estate investor and various land bankers in more than 60 residential finished-lot and development land banking transactions throughout the U.S. for top public and private homebuilders • Representing a public homebuilder in the land banking of a townhouse development in Southern California • Representing a joint venture in obtaining revolving line of credit facilities for the joint venture's various land banking platforms • Representing an institutional real estate investor in the formation, negotiation and documentation of multiple joint ventures with land bankers focused on the acquisition, land banking and financing of land for residential development throughout the U.S.

Mergers and Acquisitions • Represented a national homebuilder in acquisitions of several dozen homebuilders throughout the U.S. • Represented a Fortune 500 and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)-listed homebuilder as lead counsel in the acquisition of substantially all assets and operations of Thrive Residential, a homebuilder specializing in urban in-fill neighborhoods in Atlanta and Nashville • Represented a national homebuilder as lead counsel in the acquisition of substantially all assets and operations of Sabal Homes, which expanded the homebuilder's operations into Charleston, Greenville and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina • Represented a national homebuilder in negotiations with the City of Kyle, Texas, regarding a development and annexation agreement for a single-family community inclusive of improvements to be partially funded via a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone

Joint Ventures • Represented a national homebuilder in the formation of an equity fund/joint venture, sponsored and managed by the homebuilder with global sovereign and institutional investors, with aggregate equity commitments of $2.2 billion to develop and own Class A multifamily communities in 25 target markets throughout the U.S. • Represented a public company in multiple joint ventures and related financing transactions valued in the billions of dollars in connection with the restructuring and redeveloping of Candlestick Park and neighboring Hunters Point in San Francisco • Represented a national homebuilder in a joint venture with an affiliate of the California Public Employees' Retirement System, valued at approximately $2 billion, to acquire and develop land into residential home sites in Los Angeles County, Arizona, Florida, New Jersey and Texas, including 15,000 acres in the Santa Clarita Valley 30 miles north of Los Angeles • Represented a joint venture of two national homebuilders in obtaining a $200 million loan for acquiring and developing 840 home sites in Irvine, California • Represented a nationally prominent owner with a multibillion-dollar portfolio of thousands of parcels of distressed REO properties in providing equity financing to developers of such properties through the creation of joint ventures and other financing mechanisms

Litigation • Successfully defended a $66 million design and construction defect claim related to a mixed-use development project • Secured a complete dismissal for a national homebuilder's mortgage affiliate, prevailing on all claims in federal court through a strategic mid-litigation takeover that resulted in summary judgment on every issue just weeks before trial • Represented a national homebuilder in securing a $14.65 million Colorado jury verdict after two years of litigation and a two-week trial, arising from defective I-joists that caused construction delays and lost profits on 35 Denver homes

Land Use and Zoning • Representing a national homebuilder in the entitlement process, including rezoning, site plan and concurrency approvals, for more than 3,000 residences in Hialeah, Florida • Obtained approval to redevelop an office complex into a mixed-use development with more than 78,000 square feet of commercial space and 350 multifamily units • Obtained approval for a $99 million project consisting of 373 multifamily residential units in the City of North Miami Beach • Representing a national homebuilder in connection with the procurement of rezoning and site plan approvals for a master-planned 1,300-unit residential subdivision encompassing single-family homes, townhomes, villas and multifamily units in Hialeah, Florida • Representing a national homebuilder in connection with Development of Regional Impact modifications and site plan, subdivision and variance approvals for a master-planned development encompassing 770 residential units • Representing a national homebuilder in connection with the procurement of rezoning and site plan approvals for a masterplanned 992-unit, mixed-use development consisting of single-family homes, townhomes and villas, as well as a publicly accessible clubhouse component along a major transit corridor in Miami-Dade County, Florida