The secret to buying rural land or "young land" in a rural community is to focus on price and terms, not location. The old adage of "location, location, location" easily applies to urban neighborhoods. Even the open land in highly developed areas, no matter how well-located, can be adversely affected by unpredictable factors from growth patterns to rezoning.
Undeveloped rural land historically increases in value for several basic reasons: the population continues to grow, the supply of land is limited, and demand is constantly on the rise. More than 100 million additional people will be living in the United States by middle of the 21st century, but not one acre of new land will have been created.
The inevitability of inflation will always positively impact the value of affordable rural acreage-especially when the price has not ballooned with interest payments! Unlike the stock market, land never "goes out of business" or becomes outdated by new technology. Many stocks that were excellent investments 50 years ago no longer exist. On the other hand, land that might have been overpriced 50 years ago is still here - and probably a bargain based on its original value! That's why price and terms mean everything when buying rural acreage. Imagine the gain over time if you had been able to purchase that same land at low "young property" prices and zero interest.
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