Episode
The $100K Property Mistake (and How to Avoid It) with Don Healy
- Published
- Feb 14, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3351
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Summary
Property due diligence for home building is the single most important step that protects your investment—yet most homeowners skip it entirely. The cost? $80,000 to $150,000+ in devastating surprises that turn dream projects into nightmares. In this episode, I'm joined by Don Healy, founder of Sand and Sage Solutions and creator of Parcel Reports. With over 20 years of experience in construction operations, engineering, and site development, Don has made it his mission to help homeowners make informed decisions before building or buying property. After completing our intensive 10-episode Understanding Design Limitations Series, I knew homeowners needed a practical solution for all that research. Don's expertise provides exactly that—comprehensive property evaluation that uncovers hidden risks before you're financially committed. The biggest knowledge gap Don sees? Homeowners who buy based on emotion rather than facts. You walk onto a gently sloping lot with stunning views, fall in love, and make an offer under pressure to close quickly. Nobody mentions that the slope will cost $80,000 in grading and foundation work. Nobody discusses the utility extensions needed. And that lot priced $20,000 under market? There's always a reason—Don regularly sees buyers "save" $20K only to rack up $100K-$120K in development costs to mitigate whatever issue made that lot cheaper. This conversation unpacks what comprehensive property due diligence for home building actually covers: zoning regulations and dimensional requirements that limit your design, utility access and infrastructure costs that blindside budgets, topography and grading impacts that multiply foundation expenses, environmental constraints like wetlands and flood zones that can halt projects, easements and rights-of-way th…