I do not think he showed any real knowledge about real estates other than selling the products and if you do not, it is all gloom and doom for your future.

If I have a trust with someone I can be paid in advance and they know the job will get done or I can do the job and get the money in the future whenever it is convenient for my client.

Should that property be sold again in the future, the property owner would convey all rights to the buyer EXCEPT the oil rights that were no longer the landowner's to sell.

Use these insights to refine your approach for future deals.

Nobody has a crystal ball or knows what the future holds.

Further, a paid off purchase does not preclude me from refinancing in the future.

I point this out not to denigrate Ray, but to illustrate how so often it's very difficult to predict the future of real estate.

As others noted, most municipalities issue future zoning maps which indicate the direction the local planning commission or equivalent wants to take their zoning and if your plans are consistent, that's generally a good indication as well. 

I would prefer to pay the capital gains today as based on how we spend money as a country, that capital gains rate most likely is going to be heading up in the future not down.

Given your focus on equity and scaling for future development, targeting properties where you can force appreciation through value add renovations seems like a natural fit.