A little while ago I mentioned that I was preparing to write a book. As I said, I’ve always wanted to be an author, but I never could find a topic to which I felt knowledgeable enough to write a book. Eventually, my plan is for this entire blog to become a book so that others might enjoy (or laugh at) some of the experiences we’ve had in building our homestead. Then I had a thought.
The biggest obstacle to building a homestead is buying land. I’m fairly certain that everyone is aware of that. Having recently gone through the process and with my background as a zoning administrator, it occurred to me that I have unique insight into how to help people. And this became the theme for a book I’m about to write.
I’m posting this for two reasons. First, I wanted to show you that I am making progress and this whole dream isn’t just residing in my head. Secondly, I need your help.
As the process of buying land appeals to more people other than just homesteaders, I’ve attempted to outline the book in that breadth. While outlining the book, I realized that there was just way too much information to be contained in one book. In order to provide the best quality, as well as making it easier to read and retain, I’ve decided to split the book into three separate books – each with a different, associated theme:
- Book One: Buying Cheap Land
- Book Two: Making Your Land Pay for Itself
- Book Three: Selling your Land
Please realize, these aren’t titles but themes, so it’s still a work in progress.
Book One: Buying Cheap Land
Throughout the history of this blog I’ve attempted to share some of the knowledge I have in buying land. I think that buying land is one of the greatest investments a person will ever make. Whether you’re looking to build a land investment business, build a homestead, or just want to invest in a tangible product, I believe that investing in land is one of the wisest options.
That’s because of a simple phrase my dad told me long ago. “They’re just not making any more of it.” You’ve probably heard this phrase too, and it’s true. As our population grows and people spread outward, more and more land is being developed. That means that there is less and less vacant property available. As the supply goes down, demand goes up. This is one of the reasons that land valuations have consistently increased historically.
You’ve probably heard of people who flip houses for a living. While this can also be a lucrative business, I think that investing in land is still a better option. You don’t have to deal with expenses of fixing a house and you don’t have to worry about whether it will sell. Also, land prices are generally cheaper than houses, and they’re not as dependent upon the housing market fluctuations.
If you’re looking for land to buy to build a homestead, the cheaper you can get it the better off you’ll be. By having extra capital initially, this will give you a chance to establish your homestead in quick succession instead of spreading it out through time. While that’s certainly not a bad option by any means, if you can save money on the land initially, you’ll have more up front to help you out.
25 years ago my dad bought 40 acres for $12,000. Now that very same land is worth upwards of $120,000. Not only does that demonstrate the valuation for land has increased dramatically, but it also shows that he got a screaming deal, even at that time.
By showing you the technique my father taught me to buy cheap land, I believe that I can help you attain similar “good deals.” Furthermore, my background as a zoning administrator has taught me resources and tools to help you identify target parcels to invest in. By combining his technique with a streamlined workflow, my goal is to help you find the right land to buy, and to buy it cheap.
Book Two: Making Your Land Pay for Itself
Now that you’ve purchased the land (at a good price!) how do you go about paying for it? That is the topic for book two. By utilizing the land itself to generate revenue, it will give you an option of making extra payments on your land to pay it off sooner.
Again, the sooner you can pay off the land the quicker you’re able to build on it, flip it for a profit, or just enjoy it. Every cent that you pay off now is one extra cent that you’ve gained in equity. It’s imperative that you pay it off as soon as possible to avoid paying unnecessary interest.
Other than getting a raise at working or taking on a second job, how else can you afford to make extra payments? By understanding that your land is an ASSET, you can learn to generate extra revenue from the land itself. By putting this towards your principal, in addition to the payments you’re already making, you can see how quickly it can add up.
I’ve already utilized one of the methods I’m going to share with you, and that one simple means has provided us the revenue to help pay for our property taxes annually. By utilizing multiple methods, you’ll be able to see how quickly you can generate additional revenue.
Book Three: Selling Your Land
Book three is kind of the inverse of book one. Since you’ve already read that book and learned the resources that I’ve identified, you’ve got a leg up on the competition when it comes to selling your land (if you choose to do so).
Now, I don’t want to give away too much information about this book at this time, but I’ll be able to share with you how to instantly GUARANTEE how to make an additional 6% off your sale. I don’t use guarantees lightly; that’s how confident I am that this method will work.
So if you’re interested in building a homestead, perhaps only books one and two will apply to you, but I can still show you how to buy land cheap and use it to pay off the mortgage. If you’d like to establish a (profitable) land flipping business, then I truly think all three books will help you streamline a process to generate the most profit possible.
Here’s Where I Need Your Help
Honestly, I truly do need your help. The fact is that while all of this information is in my head, it’s going to take a lot of time and effort to write these three books. I have a two-part question for you, and I’d really love to hear your response. First, do these topics entice you, as a reader – or better yet as a prospective land buyer. If you’re not considering buying land, consider it from that prospective. I realize that the information that I provided is just a teaser, but in all honesty I don’t want to undertake such massive effort if there’s no audience for it.
Secondly, and this is just kind of a follow-up question. If any or all of these books could save you thousands of dollars, how much would you be willing to pay for it? I haven’t even begun to think about what I’d like to charge for them (if anything), so I thought the best way would be to ask you directly.
Again, please consider both questions, and if you’d like to help me out I’d love to hear your responses in the comments below. Thanks!