Dave Says: Investing in Land

Dear Dave,

What do you think about land as an investment?

Tara

Dear Tara,

I'm okay with the idea of raw land as an investment. Someone has to buy the dirt that holds the earth together, right?

The only problem with this kind of investment is that it doesn't really create cash flow, unless it's farmland. In the real estate world, we call raw land an alligator because it eats. You have to pay taxes on it every year, plus you have upkeep and maintenance of some form or fashion, and it doesn't create an income. The only time it creates income is on the back end, when you sell the land.

It's not a terrible investment, Tara. But it's not a great one, either. I buy pieces of raw land here and there, every once in a while. But mainly I stick with income-producing investment properties.

—Dave