In a recent survey on happiness people ranked a sense of control above money and prestige in their jobs. Well, why would so many investors buy stocks, bonds, or mutual funds, etc. when in reality they have absolutely no control over so many different factors of the investment. They can’t control management, can’t control the products or services offered, and certainly can’t control the market in general. It’s a completely passive investment where you are at the mercy of hundreds of different factors that may or may not make your investment lucrative. Raw land is completely the opposite. You have almost complete control. You research and pick out the desired location, how large the parcel, you can choose or not choose to make improvements, you can talk to the County officials about companies that may be looking to grow out your way, etc. In essence before you buy raw land you have the complete picture on the investment. Of course, you can always live on it, camp on it, use it recreationally as well and you still have complete control. The new equation is land + research= control. I think there is room for people to invest money in the stock market, but they should at least be aware of how much control they are giving up prior to making that investment.
