With the rampant development happening in most parts of the country, the purchase of land is becoming more and more secure in terms of investment. Have you ever wandered around the undeveloped areas in your town or city and wondered who owns them? Or maybe you have seen the "land for sale" signs on open lots and fields. Well, people are making great money on selling land for new developments and sub-divisions. Who owns that land? It could be you.
Investing in land is something that takes a bit of research, timing, and some risk but it can be extremely rewarding if done properly. The first thing you need to wonder about when considering a certain piece of land is the zoning of that land. This is probably the most important factor in land purchases. If the land is not zoned for residential, the getting the zoning changed for sale to a development company interested in sub-divisions could be kind of tricky. The same can be said for land that is not zoned for commercial purposes. So do your homework when looking at different land parcels. Make sure that the zoning is appropriate for you and who you want to sell to at the end.
If you are thinking large scale when doing this, prepare to spend a fair chunk of cash. These days land is not too cheap. But in comparison to what you can expect as a ROI in a few years it is well worth the time and money. If you live in an expanding area where housing is at a premium then buying land is a fantastic idea. It should only be a matter of time until the developers come knocking. Or, if you are so inclined, sub-divide your land yourself. The process does have some merit as a great profit can be realized from the sale of single home lots. When you get down to brass tacks, investing in land is a great way to make some profit and increase your wealth exponentially.
By: Simon Conway