When I bought my first parcel, I was drawn to the simplicity of land investing. No tenants. No renovations. No unexpected plumbing disasters. It seemed like a clean asset class: buy low, wait patiently, and sell high. But what I quickly learned is that “simple” doesn’t always mean “easy.”
In the years since that first purchase, I’ve built a system—now called Plotfolio—to help investors avoid the common mistakes I made early on. Whether you’re a flipper looking for margin, a long-term holder betting on growth, or someone building a portfolio of off-grid retreats, I’ve come to believe that the first land deal should be treated with the same rigor as any other investment. Here's what I wish I had known from the beginning.
1. Not All Cheap Land Is Undervalued
My first buy was driven almost entirely by price. The parcel was cheap, and the county showed strong transaction volume. What I failed to do was consider why it was so cheap: poor access, a seasonal flood risk, and neighbors that included an abandoned RV park and a salvage yard.
Price matters, but value is relative. Without context—what's nearby, how other investors are pricing similar assets, whether there’s buildability or demand—you’re flying blind.
2. Your Buyer Strategy Should Shape Your Buying Criteria
At the time, I didn’t really know who my end buyer would be. Was I targeting another investor? A homesteader? A developer? Without clarity, I wasn’t filtering parcels effectively.
Now, I break counties down by strategy. Flipper-friendly areas have recent comps and wide spreads. Off-grid zones attract lifestyle buyers but require unique marketing. Buy-and-hold areas hinge on population growth and future development. Starting with the exit plan helps define what kind of land is actually worth pursuing.
3. The Map Is Not the Starting Point
Most investors zoom in on a GIS map before they’ve built any kind of filtering logic. That was me. I’d scroll around aimlessly, trying to guess which parcel looked promising.
Today, I start with the data. I use spreadsheets to isolate parcels that match my criteria—zoning, acreage, last sale date, assessed value, and more. Only then do I pull up the map to confirm what I’m seeing makes sense. The map validates, it doesn’t lead.
4. GIS Data Is Powerful but Inconsistent
One of the biggest surprises was how different GIS systems are from county to county. Some offer detailed zoning overlays and downloadable data. Others are outdated or flat-out broken. Expecting consistency across counties is a mistake. Knowing how to extract what’s useful—and when to move on—is part of the learning curve.
5. There’s No Competitive Advantage Without Process
When I started, I assumed the game was about hustle. Send mailers. Make offers. Repeat. But every serious land investor I’ve met operates from a clear, repeatable process. That includes sourcing, analyzing, marketing, and closing.
That’s ultimately why I built Plotfolio. I needed a better starting point. A way to identify the right counties, understand buyer demand, and sort parcels by investor type—all before spending time on outreach. It wasn’t about replacing tools like GIS maps or Landglide. It was about using them more strategically.
Final Thought
Buying land is not about gambling on growth or guessing where the next boom will happen. It’s about clarity. The clearer you are on your goals, your process, and your filters, the faster you move from guessing to executing.
That first deal taught me a lot. But I’ve since learned that land investing, done right, rewards structure over instinct. If you’re just starting out, take the time to build your system before you build your portfolio.
