I have seen pumpkin sales, Christmas tree sales, fruit stand, boiled peanuts, eyeglasses stand, carpet truck sales, landscaping storage,etc.If you put temporary things on the land to offset taxes then make sure it is not things that could environmentally contaminate the land such as a used car lot etc.

Leverage is what juices cash-on-cash returns in real estate....without leverage, the returns often aren't that appealing.    

This is not an easy business, and the low hanging fruit has been taken, so you have to have the commitment to stick with it.

And I am also guessing, from your statements, that the current owner was not a stickler for maintenance and may have squeezed all the juice from the lemon (leaving you many of the the major and minor component to upgrade). 

I've bought fruit, tamales, rugs, honey and all sorts of things out there and when she tags along... again, nothing.Regardless, there's an oversupply of land for sale which is going to keep vacant land relatively stable in value, but improved land is going up quite well.

I have been to their offices on many occasions.. they also run the back end of the likes of Tony Robbins  Zig Zeigler and many other motivational speakers and many other subjects Real Estate is just one.. and your right its a HUGE money business.So if we focus on Real Estate ,, Real Estate is Real Estate.. it does not matter where you learn whatever you think you need to know.. only 10% or so that try it in any shape form or fashion will be doing it for a living 2 years or 3 years from now.. that includes RE agents.. but those that do succeed go on to have long and fruitful careers..

They are out there, and that's what I call "The low hanging fruit"  Most people stay away from these properties.  

Thank you .You know to the original questioner there is a price to pay to become successful like moving into places to reduce capitol gains taxes ,like having to put up with tenants that damage your rentals , like the risk that a place is empty for a month or twoand so on but that being said ,it is great to reap the fruits of paying the price .I love people that make things happen ,...

@David AlvaradoI always hear from the pros "the low hanging fruit is not there anymore"  I need to remind everyone the low hanging fruit was around when financing was difficult, occupancy rates were in the toilet and the economy was terrible.

Then the low hanging fruit i.e. smallest loan balances this is so you can free up credit (this allowed me to purchase what was probably my best investment when I wasn't really looking because I had the flexibility to move fast on it) If I had not done this I would not have qualified due to too many loans at one time, I choose not to do non standard loans.