His First 22-Acre Land Deal Made $104,000

John Duong began his land investing career in 2019 while working in timeshare resales, choosing land over house wholesaling because it allowed him to work virtually. He experienced significant analysis paralysis for 4-5 months before taking action, finally sending his first batch of mailers to infill lots in Florida in 2020. His first year yielded only $3,000 in profit, but he persevered through 2020 without a job, learning as he went. His breakthrough came with his second deal, a non-conforming lot in Edgewater, Florida, where meeting a probate attorney led to splitting the property and earning $43,000 instead of the anticipated $20,000. This success marked a turning point, though he struggled initially with financial intelligence, spending money carelessly after closing deals. By 2022, John hired his first VA and began hitting six-figure years; 2023 brought $500,000 in revenue, and 2024 marked his first seven-figure year. His growth strategy combined two approaches: infill lot volume plays with national builders like Dr. Horton (averaging $10-15K per deal) and higher-value "sniper plays" targeting acre-plus lots without HOAs selling for $150-200K. A key breakthrough was understanding that builders would pay premium prices for lots with completed due diligence (wetlands reports, surveys), allowing him to capture additional profit by paying for reports upfront. Recently, John completed his first major acreage deal—a 22-acre parcel that he assigned for $104,000. Regarding business ethics, John emphasized transparency with sellers, pre-qualifying deals with end buyers to avoid overpromising, and being willing to take deals down and list them on the market if circumstances change. He acknowledged that sellers in the market have often been misled by wholesalers and appreciates when he can restore confidence through honest communication. On the evolution of land investing, John noted that seven years ago there was far less content and fewer competitors, which he views as both an advantage (less information overload) and a challenge (less guidance available). Today's market requires more creativity, but technology tools like LandPortal have streamlined due diligence processes that previously required 20+ open tabs. John's spiritual journey paralleled his business growth—he picked up the Bible during his darkest financial period and credits faith with helping him maintain emotional stability through business cycles. He adopted a mindset of focusing only on inputs (work) while surrendering outputs (results) to God's will, which reduced his emotional volatility from deal closures and cancellations. This perspective also transformed his relationship with money: after losing profits early on, he educated himself on financial systems and the Federal Reserve, which helped him detach from the love of money and see it purely as a tool for calculated risk-taking. He now evaluates returns as percentages rather than absolute dollar amounts, making him comfortable deploying $100K to generate 10-20% returns. Regarding social media and materialism, John acknowledged falling victim to comparison culture early on but has since become detached from material possessions, viewing experiences and relationships as more valuable than status symbols. He founded a Facebook community to share his journey and recently created the High Value Circle for group coaching, as he prefers collaborative learning environments over one-on-one mentoring. He advises aspiring land investors to prioritize faith, build financial intelligence, take swift action despite information overload, cultivate community support, and practice patience—noting that many people quit after six months when the business is simple but not easy.