By moving from raw land to rental construction you're probably increasing cash flow significantly. 

Real estate is one of the most popular alternative investment types; in addition to rental properties, you can invest in commercial, residential, or raw and improved land with your IRA.It is a shame that your current company does not have a match policy for your contributions, but it is great that you are considering your options for savings now while you're young. 

Any recommendations on where to find a good contract to use in California when buying raw land on owner financing?

So, if the land is in close proximity to other developed land, you can begin to get a idea based on the value of the surrounding plots.As far as how much it takes to bring utilities to a piece of raw land, it is entirely dependent on the area you're in and the distance from the last point of active utility to where you need the utilities to terminate on the land. 

Not sure where to go with this one.  I handle acquisitions for a developer in Denver. Have a unique situation where the property owner would like to exchange/swap their vacant lot for one of the future developed units...

The kind that you can fix and flip, or raw land.

I have recipients which document all of this.Considering I have had 4 incidences in less than 12 months, it's safe to say that the previous owner had at least 12 similar incidences during the 3 years he owned it.Upon questioning the tenants who were living in the building at the time I bought it, I've been informed that there were multiple plumbing problems which were severe and ongoing including regular sewage back ups and raw sewage running from the building.

While I can agree with all of this, at this point I would much rather be a small investor who does his own thing.I'm a junior in college with limited funds -- if you haven't picked up that vibe already.The idea of investing in raw land or in a mobile home interests me the most but it seems like there isn't much money to be made in that field due to the costs of maintenance, development, etc.

Granted, I have usually dealt with infill lots and not raw land, so the infrastructure was in place.If this was me, I would drive around and see what other new construction has happened or is happening there.

How much did you pay for the raw land?