About the company
A repeatable finished-lot platform for Kern County
JP Land Development LLC is a residential land-development company owned 50/50 by Russell Johnson and Greg Petrini, formed in October 2023 as the continuation of Deertrail Development LLC.
Our story
The structures JP Land uses today were built on the builder side first. As a land acquisition consultant to D.R. Horton’s Central Valley division from 2016 to 2021, Russ negotiated off-balance-sheet finished-lot contracts — lots delivered in 20- to 50-lot phases, with options held across many phases and at-risk deposits sized so the land stayed off the builder’s balance sheet.
In 2021 he formed Deertrail Development LLC to execute that model as an owner. Since March 2022, Deertrail has closed 813 finished lots to D.R. Horton across nine Bakersfield tracts — Abbey Court, Villages at Gosford and Brooke Pointe — with four tracts sold out, two complete and selling, and three in development.
In October 2023 Russ and Greg formed JP Land Development to carry the model forward with a broader builder base. The first JP Land program, Sterling Manor II, was delivered and closed to D.R. Horton in three phases within 21 months of construction start.
At a glance
| Formed | October 2023, as the continuation of Deertrail Development LLC |
|---|---|
| Ownership | 50/50 — Russell G. Johnson and Gregory L. Petrini |
| Market | Bakersfield and Kern County, California |
| Product | Finished single-family lots for national homebuilders |
| Builder relationships | D.R. Horton, K. Hovnanian and others active in the market |
| Construction | Self-performed under the principals’ general building contractor licenses |
What sets us apart
Built on relationships and execution
Relationship-sourced land
Roughly 90% of the Company’s transactions come through direct relationships with landowners and agricultural families rather than marketed processes — in most cases without a broker on our side.
Entitled, vested maps
We focus on land that already carries an approved vesting tentative tract map. Where older vested maps carry a lower impact-fee structure, those savings pass through to the builder.
Owner-builder delivery
Both principals are licensed general building contractors. With McIntosh & Associates as our civil engineer and a trade base that has built our tracts on repeat for years, we develop our own lots without a general-contractor markup.
Pre-sold, phased takedowns
Lots are contracted to a builder before development and taken down in phases or on monthly schedules, backed by builder deposits.
Local standing
Decades of direct work with City of Bakersfield and Kern County planning, engineering and inspection staff — and Greg’s role as President of the Home Builders Association of Kern County.
One market focus
Bakersfield is a relationship market: land is held by a small number of families, entitlements run through one City and one County, and the same engineers and trades build nearly every tract.
Civil engineering partner
McIntosh & Associates
McIntosh & Associates (New Gen Engineering Group, Inc.) is a Bakersfield civil engineering and land-surveying firm that has served Central and Southern California since 1980. Their practice centers on site planning, subdivision design, infrastructure, and surveying for residential and commercial land development.
JP Land works with McIntosh as our site/civil partner — design, plan check, and field staking that turn entitled land into finished lots ready for national homebuilders.
mcintoshassoc.com · 10800 Stockdale Hwy, Suite 103, Bakersfield
What they bring
- Civil engineering for private developments — grading, drainage, streets, and utilities
- Subdivision design and public-works infrastructure
- Land surveying, construction staking, and related field services
- Deep familiarity with City of Bakersfield and Kern County standards
Talk with the principals
Landowners, homebuilders and capital partners — reach Russ or Greg directly.