Early Consistent and Profitable Wins in Land (Podcast Ep#149)

In this episode, Kay Walker returns to share what’s been working in her land business, including why she ignored conventional wisdom and mailed straight through the holidays. The result? Nine signed purchase agreements in January. Kay breaks down the emotional roller coaster of running a lean solo operation, how she experiments with mail, and what’s helped her stay consistent and profitable.What you’ll learn:• Why Kay mailed during the holidays and got real results• Her exact volume and cost breakdown for mail• How she filters emotional decisions from her business• Why follow-up and consistency matter more than volume• What to track to find your own success pattern• Kay’s experiments with envelope design and creative messaging• How she thinks about hiring and staying lean• What it takes to stand out when everyone’s copying templates

Hunter and Kevin join Jessey to talk about what’s really working right now in land—from cold calling to custom mailers, market selection, follow-up, and why land investors’ "laziness" is your biggest competitive advantage.Both run separate land businesses but teamed up to create a community-focused course aimed at helping people scale smarter. In this episode, they break down the tools, tactics, and realities of growing a land business in 2025.What you’ll learn:• Why mailing is back and still performing• The ROI of custom mailers vs bulk volume• Cold calling and texting tips from a house-flipping background• Why most land investors don’t follow up (and how to win by doing it)• How to train VAs for market selection, data scrubbing, and pricing• Building a lean team with clear roles (Hunter’s setup)• How to find good realtors and build long-term relationships• The one thing they’d do differently if starting over today• A behind-the-scenes look at their Plot Profit Academy course

College dorm to full-time investor. Owen Scott shares how he built a lean virtual wholesaling business with consistent deal flow and low overhead. In this episode, he breaks down his cold calling process, AI trends, direct mail strategy, and how he’s stacking lists for high-response marketing while staying efficient with a small team.What you’ll learn:• How Owen closed 6 deals in 6 months, starting from his dorm room• Why he switched from mass cold calling to hyper-targeted lists• How he uses handwritten mail to get 6–7% response rates• Why local relationships still matter• The three exit strategies he's using now• Tips for staying efficient, scaling lean, and managing your time• How regulations in South Carolina are reshaping his approach

Young entrepreneur Vikram joins Jessey to share how he hit over $150K in land profit in just 7 months. From hiring early to dialing in high-volume texting and direct mail, Vikram breaks down his biggest wins, lessons, and the systems he’s building to scale his business the right way.What you’ll learn:• How Vikram hit 5 deals and $150K profit in under a year• Why he hired a full-time texter early (and how they qualify leads)• Lessons from launching 8+ businesses before land• Smarter strategies with SmarterContact vs LaunchControl• Why direct mail still pulls his highest-quality leads• The exact SOPs he gives his team• Mistakes with pricing and targeting (and how he fixed them)• His next marketing experiment

Scott Morongell returns for a candid look at what's really going on in the land space. From rising marketing costs to builder relationships and tighter deal margins, Scott breaks down how he’s adjusting in a market that rewards precision, not guesswork.This episode covers how to build trust with sellers, the risks of retrading contracts, and why working closely with buyers upfront matters more than ever. Scott also shares why he’s doubled down on what works instead of chasing trends, and how his approach to land has evolved in today’s shifting economy.What you’ll learn:Why the “spray and pray” approach is no longer workingHow to vet builders before locking up a dealWhat tighter inventory and rising rates mean for exit plansTips for pulling cleaner, more targeted land listsHow to keep direct mail simple and effectiveWays to hedge risk by working backward from your buyerHow to avoid retrades and protect seller relationshipsWhat’s inside Action Land Academy and who it’s forWhere to reach Scott / Learn more about Action Land Academy:🌐 https://actionlandacademy.com📸 Instagram: @scottmorongell

Clay Hepler joins Jessey for a raw, no-fluff conversation about what land investors really need to scale. From knowing when (and who) to hire, to being brutally honest about what’s actually holding you back, Clay shares what it takes to stop building yourself a business prison and start building something that works.He also breaks down how to think about marketing ROI, what kind of return you should expect from direct mail, texting, and cold calling, and why the real key to growth is focusing on your unique ability.What you’ll learn:- Why most land investors try to scale too early and end up burned out- How to hire based on calendar and constraints, not emotions- What it means to reach escape velocity in your land business- Clay’s honest take on the state of the land industry right now- How to identify your “4 percent” and focus only on what moves the needle- The truth about gross profit vs net profit and what you should be chasing- Common marketing channel returns and what numbers to aim for

Air Force pilot turned land investor Josh Travis joins Jessey to talk about what it really takes to move from just doing deals to actually building a business that runs on its own. They dig into direct mail that feels human, why honesty in copy works, and how the Traction framework helped Josh scale his land business while still flying jets.What you’ll learn:Doing the business vs building the business (and why most people mix the two up) How Josh uses story-based direct mail that gets real responsesThe Traction system that helped him build better processesHow to test your copy, budget smarter, and still stay genuineTurning 2 acres into a solid subdivide deal (and what he’d do differently)Why slowing down and focusing on people beats chasing every dealHow Josh’s Air Force training shaped how he runs his business Where to reach Josh: https://bluebird.group/

Brandon Cobb started out flipping houses, but a few key deals shifted his focus toward land development. Now he spends his time on horizontal projects, getting lots approved, engineered, and pre-sold to national builders before a shovel ever hits the dirt. In this episode, Brandon shares how he reduces risk, manages timelines, and turns raw land into builder-ready communities.What you’ll learn:- Why pre-selling to national builders is a safer play than spec building- The step-by-step approval path from concept plan to grading permit- How per-pad pricing drives smarter deal analysis- The biggest mistakes new developers make with cities and engineersWhere to find Brandon Cobb:• Investor resources and ebook: https://hbgcap.net• Free course and community: https://learnlanddevelopment.comIn this episode, we cover:0:00 Introduction to Brandon and land development1:54 Transitioning from flips to development3:04 Losing a dream job and finding real estate7:10 Horizontal development explained9:58 Pre-selling lots and builder deposits11:12 How the entitlement process really works13:51 The role of the preliminary plat and city feedback15:16 Civil drawings and multi-department approvals16:28 SWPPP and grading permits16:58 Typical timelines for approvals17:44 Finding land deals and outreach strategies20:15 Building relationships with national builders21:48 Price discovery and negotiation tactics22:58 The hard parts: cities, delays, and red tape25:17 Developer vs. investor roles and cash flow realities27:58 Targeting markets by following builder activity29:17 74-lot case study with numbers and margins31:03 When a local builder clouded title and how it played out33:16 Who Brandon serves and how to connect35:20 Closing thoughtsShownotes:[https://www.linkedin.com/in/hbgcapital/](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.linkedin.com/in/hbgcapital/&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1755437108684007&usg=AOvVaw1QCch1ov1G40DroLB4BBiC)

What if the fastest way to bigger land profits was learning density, not swinging hammers?In this episode, Jessey sits down with Ricardo “Revenue Rick” Giles to unpack how he finds value in the dirt, not the structure. From zoning and residential density to when he chops a parcel and when he develops, Rick shares a clear playbook you can use in any market.You’ll hear how he vets counties by days on market, why 60 cents on the dollar is his current offer anchor, and the simple pre-development moves that make land fly off the market.In this episode:- Zoning and residential density as the real profit drivers- A simple county test using DOM and price bands- Subdivide or develop, how Rick decides deal by deal- Mobile home packages for affordable demand

What happens when a pro hockey player walks away from the rink and reinvents himself in real estate?In this episode, Jessey talks with Scott Morongell, who went from chasing pucks to chasing deals. After concussions cut his hockey career short, Scott dove headfirst into sales, multifamily syndications, and eventually found his stride in land investing.You’ll hear how Scott pivoted through multiple business cycles, why he doubled down on land, and the creative strategies that keep him winning no matter where the market moves.In this episode:From hockey injuries to building wealth through real estateWhy land deals can outperform houses in profit and simplicityThe marketing channel Scott trusts most in today’s marketHow to pivot, cut losses fast, and stay creative in business