Diligence
- Strong work ethic on every file
- Staff reachable to answer questions
- A streamlined research process built to hit your date
Established 2007
National Zoning Associates, LLC Nationwide zoning reports for commercial real estate
Zoning conformance analysis for lenders, borrowers, legal counsel and title companies. Prepared to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae guidelines. Typical delivery within two weeks.*
Services
Zoning reports and conformance analysis
Zoning laws differ in every municipal jurisdiction, and they dictate how a commercial site may be rebuilt after a casualty. Anyone refinancing, acquiring or selling a commercial building needs to know whether the asset lines up with current zoning regulations. That is what we determine.
What a full zoning compliance report covers
We compare the existing development, as shown on an as-built survey, against the current zoning code. Every report addresses and provides:
- Permitted use, building height and density
- Building, parking and landscaped setbacks
- Site area and off-street parking counts
- Right to rebuild provisions
- A zoning verification letter from the municipality
- Unresolved zoning and building code violations, or confirmation that none exist
- Fire code violations
- Certificates of occupancy, or municipal confirmation that none are available
- Approved site plans, variances, special exceptions, special use and conditional use permits
When no survey is available
For some transactions the survey requirement is waived. In those cases we build the report from whatever else exists, including appraisals, property condition reports and engineering reports.
Custom scope
Not every commercial real estate transaction requires a full zoning compliance report. We can supply zoning approval documents on their own, pull only the applicable code sections, or simply confirm whether a use is allowed in the district where the property sits.
Property types we handle
Apartment complexes, senior and student housing, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, office buildings, gas stations, shopping centers, manufactured home communities, golf courses, industrial buildings, cold storage warehouses, data centers.
National Zoning Associates carries $1,000,000 in errors and omissions insurance.
* Typical delivery is within two weeks. Actual turnaround depends on how quickly the municipality responds to records and verification requests, which varies considerably between jurisdictions. Rush service is available. We will tell you up front what is realistic for your closing date.
Approach
Depth is the foundation of our work
Client referrals are the primary source of our business. Specialized service and consistently reliable zoning analysis, delivered as quickly as the municipality allows, are what have grown our client base since 2000.
Experience
- 26 years working with municipalities nationwide
- Thousands of zoning codes, ALTA surveys and approval documents reviewed
- Compliance with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae guidelines, and those of other major lenders
Persistence
- Continuous follow up with municipalities on outstanding requests
- Nothing left unattended, and no surprises late in the deal
Thoroughness
- Conclusions supported by approval documentation and the code provisions themselves
- Transparency while supplying an entire zoning code section vs. an excerpt from a zoning code
- Complex development standards verified directly with the municipal planning division
Honesty
- Upfront about what is achievable against a short-fuse closing date
- Unbiased on whether a deficiency is a real problem or not
- Confidential with rent rolls, appraisals and surveys provided for review
About
Who prepares your report
National Zoning Associates LLC was founded in 2007. Maya Kravtsova has worked in zoning consulting since April 2000.
Maya knows every step of the process: research, analysis and project management. She has prepared reports for thousands of commercial buildings occupied by various uses in the United States. She has also reviewed zoning reports prepared by other analysts. As a hands-on owner she is involved in every report and takes responsibility for both the quality of the work and the deadline.
She advises clients on zoning issues and offers practical solutions, and has consulted with every party involved in a commercial real estate transaction: lender, borrower, seller, legal counsel, mortgage broker, title company and insurer.
Maya holds a Master's degree in Urban Affairs from the University of Central Oklahoma and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is a zoning report?
It is a comparison of an existing building to the following current zoning code requirements: use, height, setbacks, site area, density and off-street parking. The zoning report provides a rebuildability statement after a casualty.
How long does a zoning report take?
Typical delivery is within two weeks. The real variable is the municipality: some respond to records requests in days, others take weeks. Rush service is available, and we will be straight with you about what your jurisdiction is likely to do.
Are your reports compliant with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae guidelines?
Yes. Reports are prepared to comply with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae guidelines, along with the requirements of other major lenders.
What is the difference between conforming and legal nonconforming?
A conforming property meets the current code. A legal nonconforming property was lawful when it was built but no longer meets current standards. The distinction drives the right to rebuild after a casualty, which is why it matters for law and ordinance coverage on the insurance side.
Do you need an ALTA survey?
Not always. When the survey requirement is waived we prepare the report from other sources, such as appraisals, property condition reports or engineering reports.
What states do you cover?
All fifty. We have worked with municipalities nationwide since 2000.
Do you carry errors and omissions insurance?
Yes, $1,000,000 in errors and omissions coverage.
Contact
Start a zoning report
Tell us the property and your closing date, and we will tell you what is achievable before you commit.
- Telephone
- (405) 285-9359
- [email protected]
- Based in
- Edmond, Oklahoma
- Serving
- All fifty states