Jeff Bezos, John Malone and Ted Turner are commonly associated with the technology and media industries, but a closer look at their investment portfolios exposes a penchant for land ownership. Statistics reported by USA Today highlight these billionaire investors as some of the biggest landowning families in the USA, and this hints at the inherent value in purchasing land. America remains packed with open and relatively easily purchasable land, but many of the families on USA Today’s list have, of late, tended towards first investing in huge land tracts of the Lone Star State.
Texan land
Interest in Texas’ abundant spaces has increased over the past year, and Forbes now notes the selling of some of its biggest ranches by cowboys looking to turn a pretty profit. As a result, Texas acres are in huge demand as people look to get in on the scene. Texan land is a solid investment because of the range of uses you can find for it. Ranches are the obvious use, and with more people able to work remotely, the pull of country living is becoming more and more apparent. However, with the right development, land can easily be converted for use in agriculture, energy development, and more uses. Particular focus on green energy is being highlighted in Texas, where wind and solar are making big inroads; however, that green power focus has a national appeal too.
The green challenge
According to climate advocates Nature.org, there is more than enough land to meet global renewable infrastructure challenges – 17 times the amount needed in the USA alone. It highlights, as a result of this, the subsidies and impetus being put into green energy land purchases across America. Purchasing land in green energy hotspots, or up-and-coming zones, can therefore be beneficial. That can mean areas of land with high sun days, high average winds, or even water resources that could be tapped. Once again, the southern states feature heavily in suitability.
Expanding need
Aside from recent trends, there is an ever-increasing need for residential property. From immigration and new births, the US population continues to swell at 0.5% every year, according to the World Bank. A small percentage, that is, nevertheless, a further 1.6 million new people every year. With that comes housing demand, and that demand will never fall too far as long as old housing stock is used up and new people are born and immigrate to the USA. Land in population centers and new conurbations is always valuable, then, and having a keen eye for the growth of metropolitan areas and housing trends means you’ll always be able to turn land into a profit without necessarily ever improving it.
Land is a great investment that almost always holds value. With improvements, it can skyrocket, especially if you have in-demand land in areas such as those suitable for renewable energy generation. Look for good deals today – you might just have a nest egg for tomorrow.
Veeramachineni Lalitha
I am Finance Content Writer. I write Personal Finance, banking, investment, and insurance related content for top clients including Kotak Mahindra Bank, Edelweiss, ICICI BANK and IDFC FIRST Bank. My experience details : Linkedin