He Built a $250K Land Business While Working Full-Time
Joseph Stephanen, a Border Patrol agent with 20 years of service, built a $250,000 land investing business in his first year while working full-time by starting with direct mail marketing in Oklahoma and evolving into higher-value subdivision deals. He funds projects through joint venture agreements with investors, offering them 12% preferred returns, and is now expanding into land-home packages to create multiple value streams.
Summary
Joseph Stephanen shares his journey from reading Robert Kiyosaki's book about surveying property to building a six-figure land investing business while maintaining his full-time job as a Border Patrol agent. He began in April 2021 after failing to find affordable property in California, inspired by both Kiyosaki's concepts and observing a friend subdivide land on social media. After discovering the Land Portal and purchasing video training, Joseph committed to direct mail marketing, sending 1,000-1,500 pieces per week across Oklahoma counties for his first two months.
His first deal came within two months, closing in July 2021. He quickly accumulated multiple properties under contract, closing on four to five deals and becoming overwhelmed with the volume. His first property—a four-acre parcel next to a cemetery with a mobile home restriction—tested his problem-solving skills; he flew to Oklahoma on short notice and successfully obtained a variance from the county board, eventually selling the property in June after 10 months and three failed contracts.
Joseph's most significant deal came through a targeted mailing in Yuma, Arizona, where he purchased 10 acres for $400,000 from a prominent local businessman named Bob. By establishing himself as a local resident with family intentions rather than just another investor, he built sufficient trust for Bob to offer the property. Joseph navigated the rezoning process from RA-10 to SSB-2 zoning with the help of surveyor Raul, then sold the subdivided property under contract before closing.
His funding strategy is unconventional, drawing from his semi-professional poker background. He structures joint venture agreements where investors contribute minimum amounts ($10+) and receive profit splits based on a tiered structure that pays him more for faster closures, with a guaranteed 12% annualized preferred return. Across eight deals, only one required the preferred return payout, while he averaged 26-27% returns to investors.
Joseph is now shifting strategy from high-volume flipping ($15,000-$30,000 properties) to fewer, larger subdivision deals targeting $300,000+ properties. He's implementing more targeted marketing, seeking properties with specific characteristics (road frontage, favorable subdivision regulations) rather than broad lists. He's also expanding into land-home packages through partnership with an operator in Oklahoma, recognizing it as a way to create value twice—once through subdivision and again through home placement.
Looking ahead, Joseph has set a goal of $250,000 profit for the current year and plans to hire a virtual assistant for back-office tasks and county research. He's documenting his processes using ChatGPT to create Standard Operating Procedures for future employees. With five years until retirement from Border Patrol, he's building passive income through owner-financed notes to supplement his retirement income.
About this episode
<p><strong>Want to quit your job and build a real land investing business?</strong></p><p><strong>👉</strong><a href="https://landportal.com/subscriptions?a_aid=LandInvestingOnline&a_bid=9e9b000b" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Land Portal</strong></a> gives you access to the fastest-growing land software <em>plus</em> <a href="https://landportal.com/subscriptions?a_aid=LandInvestingOnline&a_bid=9e9b000b" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Land Portal University</strong></a>, where we walk you step-by-step through getting your first land deal.</p><p>🎯 Looking for <strong>1-on-1 Land Flipping or Subdividing coaching</strong>? Schedule a <a href="https://landinvestingonline.com/pages/consultation" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>FREE strategy call</strong></a> here.</p><p><br /></p><p>================================</p><p>In this episode, Dan sits down with Joseph Stefan, a full-time Border Patrol agent who built a successful land investing business on the side. Joseph shares how he went from his first deal in Arizona to multiple completed deals, why he shifted his focus toward larger subdivide opportunities, and how he uses owner financing to build long-term passive income. </p><p><br /></p><p>If you want to learn how to build a land investing business around a full-time job, this episode will be your guide to building long-term income!</p><p><br /></p><p>🌐Connect with Joseph Stefan by joining our <a href="https://landinvestingonline.com/pages/discord" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">discord</a></p><p><br /></p><p>================================</p><p>SOCIAL</p><p><strong>Ron's Instagram </strong>📸:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ronapke/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> <strong>https://www.instagram.com/ronapke/</strong></a></p><p><strong>Dan's Instagram </strong>📸:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielapke/?hl=en" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> <strong>https://www.instagram.com/danielapke/</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielapke/?hl=en" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a></p><p>================================</p><p><strong>TIMESTAMPS:</strong></p><p><strong>00:00</strong> – Intro</p><p><strong>00:13</strong> – Agent & land flipper</p><p><strong>04:37</strong> – Arizona & Oklahoma deals</p><p><strong>09:16</strong> – Building trust</p><p><strong>11:46</strong> – Deal balance</p><p><strong>16:45</strong> – Cemetery land</p><p><strong>22:33</strong> – Subdivide targeting</p><p><strong>25:36</strong> – Mobile home opportunity</p><p><strong>31:17</strong> – Owner financing potential</p><p><strong>34:09</strong> – Poker funding</p><p><strong>37:47</strong> – Outro </p>
Key Insights
- Joseph discovered land investing through a combination of reading Robert Kiyosaki's survey hack concept and observing a friend subdivide property on social media, which crystallized his strategy within a week
- His initial marketing volume of 1,000-1,500 pieces weekly for the first two months generated significant deal flow that overwhelmed him as a single operator with a full-time Border Patrol job
- Joseph obtained a county variance for a property with mobile home restrictions by flying to Oklahoma on short notice and speaking at a board meeting, demonstrating how personal commitment can overcome regulatory obstacles
- He built trust with a prominent Yuma landowner (Bob) by explicitly stating his personal/family intentions rather than positioning himself as purely a business investor, which led to an opportunity for a $400,000 deal
- Joseph's joint venture structure, adapted from poker tournament bankroll management, allows him to fund deals with multiple small investors ($10+ minimum) while maintaining control and offering tiered payouts based on sale speed plus a 12% preferred return
- He averaged 26-27% returns to joint venture investors across eight deals, with only one deal requiring the minimum 12% preferred return, indicating strong deal quality and execution
- Joseph is intentionally reducing deal volume from high-quantity flipping to fewer, larger subdivision projects because he wants to focus on three to five substantial deals rather than 20 deals per year
- He is now combining subdivision and land-home package strategies to create value twice on the same property—once through lot division and again through home placement—rather than accepting a single profit from land flipping
Topics
Transcript
All right, everybody, welcome back to the Real Estate Investing Podcast. Today we have Joseph Stephanen on the podcast. I'm excited to get to it today, Joseph, but welcome to the podcast, man. I appreciate it, Dan. Thanks for having me. And I want to start this just so everyone can get to know you. It's your first time on the podcast, but just give a little rundown. We'll start with more of the business side of things. You know, how long you've been in it, where you're located, where your deals, things like that. Okay. Yeah, I started last year sometime in April. So I've been at it maybe about a year and a half. I was originally from…
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