How do I become a Land Developer?

Answer 1

Well a land developer is different from a contractor and builder. I develop land and never build anything. I don't want the legal hassles of building. I find a great piece of property, one that can gain value by changing the zoning and density. I then go to the city and see what they have in mind for the area and what they will allow. Now while you have the property in escrow, you have to come up with the $$ to purchase the land. You have to know people with $$ and lots of $$. The entitlement process is very expensive. If you find some great land that is in an area that is just about to turn into a booming area, that is where you want to be. We have had great success developing land in the riverside area of California. We had to find an area that we felt was growing and then we had to get ahead of the market and buy just ahead of the demand curve. You have to get a small partnership going so the work can be divided up. It is interesting and the$$ is great.

Answer 2

Buy an undeveloped piece of land and build something on it (a house, apartments, office building). Sell that property and buy another. Voila, you are a land developer. In the process you will learn about buying and selling property, zoning laws and the construction process. It's called on-the-job learning.