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Exhibit 10 (j) - Incentive Compensation Agreement, Charles McNairy

                      AVATAR HOLDINGS INC.
                       255 Alhambra Circle
                  Coral Gables, Florida  33134



                                          As of September 9, 1993



Mr. Charles L. McNairy
c/o Avatar Holdings Inc.
255 Alhambra Circle
Coral Gables, FL  33134

Dear Charles:

     We are writing with respect to the following incentive

compensation  hereby  granted  to you  as an  employee of  Avatar

Holdings Inc. (the "Company"):

     1.   Incentive Compensation.
          (a)  Within 10 days following the fifth anniversary
hereof or, if earlier, the  Date of  Termination (as  hereinafter
defined), the Company shall  pay you,  as incentive  compensation
("Incentive Compensation"), a cash amount equal to the product of
(x) the number of shares of the Company's common stock, par value
$1.00 per share ("Common Stock"), in which you are vested (as the
same may be adjusted pursuant to paragraph 3(x) below), times (y)
the excess, if any, of the Final Value per share of Common  Stock
over $36.00 (the "Strike  Price") (as  the same  may be  adjusted
pursuant  to  paragraph  3(y)  below),  payable   on  the   fifth
anniversary of the date hereof  or, if  earlier, on  the Date  of
Termination (in either case, the "Determination  Date").   "Final
Value"  shall mean,  as of  any Determination  Date, the  average
Market  Value  (as defined  in paragraph  2 below)  per share  of
Common Stock  during the  twenty (20)  business days  immediately
preceding such Determination Date.

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          (b)  For the purposes of this paragraph 1, you will
vest in 3,000 shares of Common Stock on each of the first through
fifth anniversaries hereof provided that you  are still  employed
by the Company on such anniversary.  In the event that there is a
Date of Termination prior to the  fifth anniversary  hereof as  a
result of
               (i)  your death,
               (ii) your "permanent disability",
               (iii)  the Company's termination of your
                    employment without "cause", or
               (iv) your termination of your employment with the
                    Company for "good reason"  (each as  defined
                    in paragraph 2 below),
you shall immediately vest on the Date of Termination  in 50%  of
the remaining unvested shares and you shall forfeit any  unvested
shares.  In the event that there is a Date  of Termination  prior
to the  fifth anniversary  hereof as  a result  of the  Company's
termination of your employment for "cause", you shall forfeit the
remaining unvested shares.

     2.   Certain Definitions.
          (a)  For the purposes hereof, "permanent disability"
shall  be  defined  as  any  physical  or  mental  disability  or
incapacity which renders you  incapable of  fully performing  the
services required of you in your employment with the Company  for
a  period  of  120  consecutive  days  or  for  shorter   periods
aggregating 120 days during any period of twelve (12) consecutive
months.
          (b)  For the purposes hereof, termination for "cause"
shall mean termination after:

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               (i)  your commission of a material act of fraud
                    against the Company or its affiliates;
               (ii) your conviction of (or pleading by you of
                    nolo   contendere   to)   any  crime   which
                    constitutes  a  felony  in the  jurisdiction
                    involved; or
               (iii)  the willful, repeated and demonstrable
                    failure by you substantially to perform your
                    duties over  a period  of not  less than  30
                    days, other than any such failure  resulting
                    from  your  incapacity  due  to physical  or
                    mental illness, or material breach of any of
                    your obligations under  this Agreement,  and
                    your failure to cure such failure or  breach
                    within  30  days  after  receipt of  written
                    notice from  the Chairman  of the  Executive
                    Committee of the Board of  Directors of  the
                    Company.

          (c)  For the purposes hereof, "Date of Termination"
               shall mean
               (i)  if your employment is terminated by your
                    death, the date of your death, and
               (ii) if your employment is terminated for any
                    other  reason, the  date on  which a  notice
                    thereof is given.

          (d)  For the purposes hereof, "good reason" shall mean
the substantial reduction by the Company of  any material  duties
currently performed by you as Executive Vice President, Treasurer
and  Chief  Financial  Officer  of  the  Company  without  cause,
provided that you  first deliver  written notice  thereof to  the
Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board

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of Directors of the Company and the Company shall have failed  to
restore such duties within thirty (30) days after receipt of such
written notice.

           (e)  For the purpose hereof, "Market Value" as of any
date shall mean the closing  price (or,  if there  is no  closing
price on such date, then  the mean  between the  closing bid  and
asked prices) per share of Common Stock on such date as  reported
in the trading reports of  the principal  securities exchange  in
the United States  on which  such stock  is listed,  or, if  such
stock  is  not  listed  on a  securities exchange  in the  United
States, as  reported by  the National  Association of  Securities
Dealers  Automated  Quotation  System   ("NASDAQ")  or   NASDAQ's
successor, or if not reported on  NASDAQ, the  fair market  value
per share of such stock as determined by the  Board of  Directors
in good faith.

     3.   Adjustments.  In the event the Company shall at any
time after the date hereof (A) declare or pay any dividend on the
Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (B) subdivide  or
split the  outstanding   shares of  Common Stock  into a  greater
number of shares or (C)  combine or  consolidate the  outstanding
shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares or  effect
a reverse split of the outstanding shares of  Common Stock,  then
and in each such event (x) the number of shares  of Common  Stock
on  the  basis  of  which  the  Incentive Compensation  is to  be
calculated shall be adjusted by  multiplying (a)  such number  of
shares as determined immediately  prior to  such event  by (b)  a
fraction (the "Adjustment Fraction"), the numerator  of which  is
the  number  of shares  of Common  Stock outstanding  immediately
after such event and the denominator of  which is  the number  of
shares  of  Common Stock  outstanding immediately  prior to  such
event and (y) the Strike Price shall be  adjusted by  multiplying

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(a)  the Strike  Price as  determined immediately  prior to  such
event by (b) the reciprocal of the Adjustment Fraction.

     In addition, in the event the Company shall at any time
after the  date hereof  make any  distribution on  the shares  of
Common Stock, whether by way of a dividend or a  reclassification
of  stock,  a  recapitalization, a  spin-off of  interests in  an
affiliated entity, a reorganization of the Company or  otherwise,
in cash or any debt security, debt instrument,  real or  personal
property or any other property (other than any  shares of  Common
Stock  or  other  capital  stock of  the Company),  then for  the
purpose of calculating the Incentive Compensation to  be paid  to
you, the Final Value of the Common Stock  of the  Company on  the
Determination  Date  shall be  increased in  accordance with  the
remaining provisions of this paragraph 3.  In the case of a  cash
dividend, the Final Value per share of  the Common  Stock on  the
Determination Date shall be increased by an amount  equal to  the
per share cash amount of such dividend.  In all other cases,  the
Final Value per share of the  Common Stock  on the  Determination
Date shall be increased by an amount equal to the  excess of  (A)
the average Market Value per share of  the Common  Stock for  the
five (5) business days immediately preceding the ex-dividend date
for a dividend  or distribution  on such  stock or  the five  (5)
business  days  immediately  preceding  the effective  date of  a
reclassification, recapitalization or other transaction involving
such stock over (B) the  average Market  Value per  share of  the
Common Stock of the Company for the five (5)  business days  next
succeeding such ex-dividend date or effective date,  as the  case
may  be;  provided,  however,  that  if  the  Company's Board  of
Directors,  in  good  faith,  believes  that  the adjustment,  as
determined by the preceding formula, is  insufficient to  reflect

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the per share reduction in value of the  Company as  a result  of
such transaction,  in addition  to the  adjustment determined  by
such formula the Board of Directors may increase the Final  Value
per share of the Common Stock on the Determination  Date by  such
amount as the Board of Directors determines, in good faith, to be
appropriate to reflect such per share reduction in  value of  the
Company.  In addition  to the  adjustments specifically  provided
for in this paragraph 3, the manner of determining the  Incentive
Compensation due to you shall be further modified  or amended  as
mutually determined  by you  and the  Board of  Directors of  the
Company (acting in its good faith judgment) to equitably  account
for any extraordinary transaction or occurrence not  specifically
described in this paragraph 3 and which would by itself adversely
affect the value of the Common Stock  or the  computation of  the
Incentive Compensation due and owing to you.

     4.   No Obligation as to Employment.  Nothing contained
herein shall be deemed to obligate the Company  to continue  your
employment  or to  obligate you  to remain  within the  Company's
employment for any period of time hereafter.

     5.   Deductions and Withholdings.  The Company shall be
entitled to withhold any amounts payable under this Agreement  on
account of payroll taxes and similar matters as  are required  by
applicable law, rule  or regulation  of appropriate  governmental
authorities.

     6.   Successors; Binding Agreement.  (a)  The Company will
require any successor (whether direct or  indirect, by  purchase,
merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all  or substantially  all
of the business and/or  assets of  the Company,  by agreement  in
form and substance reasonably satisfactory to  you, to  expressly
assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and

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to the same extent that the Company would be required to  perform
it if no such succession had taken place.  Failure of the Company
to obtain such agreement prior to the effectiveness  of any  such
succession shall be a breach of this Agreement and shall  entitle
you to Incentive Compensation from the Company in the same amount
and on the same terms as you would  be entitled  to hereunder  if
your employment was terminated  other than  for cause  or as  the
result of a  permanent disability,  except that  for purposes  of
implementing the foregoing, the date on which any such succession
becomes effective shall be deemed the  Date of  Termination.   As
used in this Agreement, "Company" shall include any successor  to
the Company's business and/or assets as aforesaid which  executes
and delivers the agreement provided for  in this  paragraph 6  or
which otherwise becomes bound by all the terms and provisions  of
this Agreement by operation of law.

          (b)  This Agreement and all your rights hereunder shall
inure to the benefit of and be  enforceable by  your personal  or
legal  representatives,  executors,  administrators,  successors,
heirs,  distributees, devisees  and legatees.   Your  obligations
hereunder may not be delegated and except  as otherwise  provided
herein relating to the designation of a devisee, legatee or other
designee,  you  may  not  assign,  transfer,  pledge,   encumber,
hypothecate or otherwise dispose of this Agreement or any of your
rights   hereunder,  and   any  such   attempted  delegation   or
disposition shall be null and void and without effect.

     7.   Notice.  For the purposes of this Agreement, notices
and all other communications provided for shall be in writing and
shall be deemed to have been duly given when delivered or  mailed
by United  States registered  or certified  mail, return  receipt
requested, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:

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          If to you:

          Mr. Charles L. McNairy
          c/o Avatar Holdings Inc.
          255 Alhambra Circle
          Coral Gables, Florida  33134

          If to the Company:

          Avatar Holdings Inc.
          255 Alhambra Circle
          Coral Gables, Florida  33134
          Attention:  Chairman of the Executive Committee



or to such other address as any party may have  furnished to  the
other in writing in accordance herewith, except  that notices  of
change of address shall be effective only upon receipt.

     8.   Miscellaneous.  No provisions of this Agreement may be
modified, waived or discharged unless  such waiver,  modification
or discharge is agreed to in  writing signed  by you  and by  the
Company.  No waiver by either  party hereto  at any  time of  any
breach by  the other  party hereto  of, or  compliance with,  any
condition or provision of this Agreement to be performed by  such
other party shall be  deemed a  waiver of  similar or  dissimilar
provisions  or  conditions  at  the  same  or  at  any  prior  or
subsequent  time.    This  Agreement  constitutes  the   complete
understanding between the parties with respect to your employment
and no agreements or representations, oral or otherwise,  express
or implied, with respect to the subject matter  hereof have  been
made by either party which are not  set forth  expressly in  this
Agreement.    The  validity,  interpretation,  construction   and
performance of this Agreement shall be  governed by  the laws  of
the State of Florida.

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     9.   Validity.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
provision or provisions of this  Agreement shall  not affect  the
validity  or  enforceability  of  any  other  provision  of  this
Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect.

     10.  Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in one or
more  counterparts,  each  of  which  shall  be deemed  to be  an
original but all of which together  will constitute  one and  the
same instrument.

     If the foregoing is satisfactory, would you please so
indicate by signing  and returning  to the  Company the  enclosed
copy of this letter whereupon this will constitute our  agreement
on the subject.



                              AVATAR HOLDINGS INC.
                              By:  /s/ Edwin Jacobson
                                   Edwin Jacobson
                                   Chairman of the Executive
                                   Committee


ACCEPTED AND AGREED TO:


/s/ Charles L. McNairy
Charles L. McNairy

Sept. 24, 1993
Date

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