[sdduuuude]

I see a few ways: 1) time it right 2) buy big chunks, cut it up, and sell the pieces, and 3) Identify land that is in the growth path of development, but is not recognized as such by others.

My parents purchased some land together with two other families back in the early 80’s. This was on the outskirts of Tucson. When they bought, it was a long way from anytyhing but Tucson grew right past it and it ended up being a nice part of the suburbs so they did well. I’m not seeing opportunities like that anywhere right now.

I also feel, as a guy who likes to build stuff, that there is a chance to save money on your primary residence by buying a lot and building a home on it – to live in. In a way, that is a land investment as it allows you to avoid developer-markup on both land and structure.

Buying a chunk of land in a fairly well-populated area just doesn’t seem like a good investment. It will be priced to the market and the only way to make money is for the market to go up.

But if you see some compelling reason why you think a piece of land will appreciate when a whole lot of real-estate is languishing, then do it.

If you feel that real-estate is a growth investment, it it makes sense. However, regarding items 1, 2, and 3 above – I just don’t see the economic climate supporting any of them for several years.

[sdduuuude]

I see a few ways: 1) time it right 2) buy big chunks, cut it up, and sell the pieces, and 3) Identify land that is in the growth path of development, but is not recognized as such by others.

My parents purchased some land together with two other families back in the early 80’s. This was on the outskirts of Tucson. When they bought, it was a long way from anytyhing but Tucson grew right past it and it ended up being a nice part of the suburbs so they did well. I’m not seeing opportunities like that anywhere right now.

I also feel, as a guy who likes to build stuff, that there is a chance to save money on your primary residence by buying a lot and building a home on it – to live in. In a way, that is a land investment as it allows you to avoid developer-markup on both land and structure.

Buying a chunk of land in a fairly well-populated area just doesn’t seem like a good investment. It will be priced to the market and the only way to make money is for the market to go up.

But if you see some compelling reason why you think a piece of land will appreciate when a whole lot of real-estate is languishing, then do it.

If you feel that real-estate is a growth investment, it it makes sense. However, regarding items 1, 2, and 3 above – I just don’t see the economic climate supporting any of them for several years.

[sdduuuude]

I see a few ways: 1) time it right 2) buy big chunks, cut it up, and sell the pieces, and 3) Identify land that is in the growth path of development, but is not recognized as such by others.

My parents purchased some land together with two other families back in the early 80’s. This was on the outskirts of Tucson. When they bought, it was a long way from anytyhing but Tucson grew right past it and it ended up being a nice part of the suburbs so they did well. I’m not seeing opportunities like that anywhere right now.

I also feel, as a guy who likes to build stuff, that there is a chance to save money on your primary residence by buying a lot and building a home on it – to live in. In a way, that is a land investment as it allows you to avoid developer-markup on both land and structure.

Buying a chunk of land in a fairly well-populated area just doesn’t seem like a good investment. It will be priced to the market and the only way to make money is for the market to go up.

But if you see some compelling reason why you think a piece of land will appreciate when a whole lot of real-estate is languishing, then do it.

If you feel that real-estate is a growth investment, it it makes sense. However, regarding items 1, 2, and 3 above – I just don’t see the economic climate supporting any of them for several years.

[sdduuuude]

I see a few ways: 1) time it right 2) buy big chunks, cut it up, and sell the pieces, and 3) Identify land that is in the growth path of development, but is not recognized as such by others.

My parents purchased some land together with two other families back in the early 80’s. This was on the outskirts of Tucson. When they bought, it was a long way from anytyhing but Tucson grew right past it and it ended up being a nice part of the suburbs so they did well. I’m not seeing opportunities like that anywhere right now.

I also feel, as a guy who likes to build stuff, that there is a chance to save money on your primary residence by buying a lot and building a home on it – to live in. In a way, that is a land investment as it allows you to avoid developer-markup on both land and structure.

Buying a chunk of land in a fairly well-populated area just doesn’t seem like a good investment. It will be priced to the market and the only way to make money is for the market to go up.

But if you see some compelling reason why you think a piece of land will appreciate when a whole lot of real-estate is languishing, then do it.

If you feel that real-estate is a growth investment, it it makes sense. However, regarding items 1, 2, and 3 above – I just don’t see the economic climate supporting any of them for several years.

[sdduuuude]

This thread is one massive troll buffet line. All you can eat.

[sdduuuude]

This thread is one massive troll buffet line. All you can eat.

[sdduuuude]

This thread is one massive troll buffet line. All you can eat.

[sdduuuude]

This thread is one massive troll buffet line. All you can eat.

[sdduuuude]

This thread is one massive troll buffet line. All you can eat.

[sdduuuude]

[quote=XBoxBoy]Sorry to come to this debate a bit late… but might I offer the suggestion that yeah big govt. vs boo big govt is about as meaningless at dem vs rep. or liberal vs conservative.

Seems to me that whether govt control of things is better than corporate control of things hinges on which offers less corruption, fraud and misallocation of resources. In the end it doesn’t matter whether it’s govt sponsored corruption or corporate sponsored corruption, it’s how wisely the resources are applied to improve our lot.

Given the recent history of govt and corporate collusion, I think this whole debate is a side show. The debate shouldn’t be yeah govt. or yeah corporations/free market, it should be how the heck do we control corruption, fraud, theft, and misallocation of resources?

XBoxBoy[/quote]

That is a thread-ending post, right there, X-Box.

[sdduuuude]

[quote=XBoxBoy]Sorry to come to this debate a bit late… but might I offer the suggestion that yeah big govt. vs boo big govt is about as meaningless at dem vs rep. or liberal vs conservative.

Seems to me that whether govt control of things is better than corporate control of things hinges on which offers less corruption, fraud and misallocation of resources. In the end it doesn’t matter whether it’s govt sponsored corruption or corporate sponsored corruption, it’s how wisely the resources are applied to improve our lot.

Given the recent history of govt and corporate collusion, I think this whole debate is a side show. The debate shouldn’t be yeah govt. or yeah corporations/free market, it should be how the heck do we control corruption, fraud, theft, and misallocation of resources?

XBoxBoy[/quote]

That is a thread-ending post, right there, X-Box.

[sdduuuude]

[quote=XBoxBoy]Sorry to come to this debate a bit late… but might I offer the suggestion that yeah big govt. vs boo big govt is about as meaningless at dem vs rep. or liberal vs conservative.

Seems to me that whether govt control of things is better than corporate control of things hinges on which offers less corruption, fraud and misallocation of resources. In the end it doesn’t matter whether it’s govt sponsored corruption or corporate sponsored corruption, it’s how wisely the resources are applied to improve our lot.

Given the recent history of govt and corporate collusion, I think this whole debate is a side show. The debate shouldn’t be yeah govt. or yeah corporations/free market, it should be how the heck do we control corruption, fraud, theft, and misallocation of resources?

XBoxBoy[/quote]

That is a thread-ending post, right there, X-Box.

[sdduuuude]

[quote=XBoxBoy]Sorry to come to this debate a bit late… but might I offer the suggestion that yeah big govt. vs boo big govt is about as meaningless at dem vs rep. or liberal vs conservative.

Seems to me that whether govt control of things is better than corporate control of things hinges on which offers less corruption, fraud and misallocation of resources. In the end it doesn’t matter whether it’s govt sponsored corruption or corporate sponsored corruption, it’s how wisely the resources are applied to improve our lot.

Given the recent history of govt and corporate collusion, I think this whole debate is a side show. The debate shouldn’t be yeah govt. or yeah corporations/free market, it should be how the heck do we control corruption, fraud, theft, and misallocation of resources?

XBoxBoy[/quote]

That is a thread-ending post, right there, X-Box.

[sdduuuude]

[quote=XBoxBoy]Sorry to come to this debate a bit late… but might I offer the suggestion that yeah big govt. vs boo big govt is about as meaningless at dem vs rep. or liberal vs conservative.

Seems to me that whether govt control of things is better than corporate control of things hinges on which offers less corruption, fraud and misallocation of resources. In the end it doesn’t matter whether it’s govt sponsored corruption or corporate sponsored corruption, it’s how wisely the resources are applied to improve our lot.

Given the recent history of govt and corporate collusion, I think this whole debate is a side show. The debate shouldn’t be yeah govt. or yeah corporations/free market, it should be how the heck do we control corruption, fraud, theft, and misallocation of resources?

XBoxBoy[/quote]

That is a thread-ending post, right there, X-Box.

[sdduuuude]

FYI – I built a garage on a slope on the back of our lot in 2007, with the front of the garage at grade, and the back of the garage on a footing 11 feet below grade.

This was an engineered, permitted project. The footings were 3′ wide and had to be buried up to 8 feet deep to meet the “7-feet-to-daylight” requirement.

This was a 500 sq. ft. (although there is a huge crawl space underneath – about 6′ tall at the back – that I use for storage.) structure with minor plumbing and drywall interior Not a nice, finished interior, to say the least – just fire-taped – you know, a garage.

It cost roughly $50K. A flat garage without all the footing work would have been about $25K, I’m told – which works out about right – the footing job was $25K. Framing labor was $7K. Lumber was $11K (lumber was expensive then). Electrical quote was $4,700, but my dad did that. $3K for concrete work other than footings, $2K for drywall. $7K for stucco.

Need to make sure any lot you buy is not considered an environmentally sensitive hillside. There are ways around it, but it’s a pain.

[Author]

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