Discover A Dirty Low-Risk Business That Could Make You Thousands A Month

You want financial freedom but I have also found that several people that want financial freedom often also dream of bugging out, getting off-grid or just being away from the craziness of life. Well lucky for you we are gonna talk about how you can get a piece of land completely away from it all, only yours, so when the world gets crazy, you have someplace to be. Contrary to popular belief, owning a piece of land away from everything doesn’t have to cost hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. It's possible to own land that gives us personal bug out for just thousands of dollars, and maybe even have other people pay for it.

In this edition of the TradeOff, I will share an inspiring story of how a plot of land turned into a low maintenance, low cost, low risk business, with the potential of making tens of thousands of dollars a month. Kate Hancock bought a plot of land for ten thousand dollars outside of Joshua Tree, and in her first 90 days, she made fifteen hundred dollars a month. Now, she is making much more than that. She was even featured in an article in Forbes about her investment.

Or if you are thinking a little bigger the Jaymie and Shelby "the Friesen Brothers". They bought a 100 acres in British Columbia and now are living off-grid and hosting yoga retreats and making over $30k/mn in rental income.

If you really want to grab life big you can buy 6500 acres in Texas and turn it into an the Merus adventure park like my friend Dirk Van Reenen did. You can listen to his story on my podcast here Passive Wealth Principles Dirk Van Reenen | Nourishing An Adventurous Spirit 

A Personal Journey

During 2020 when the world of travel got a little crazy I took a trip to Utah, with my wife and kids. The plan was to camp at some campsites and visit several of the National Parks. Well, long story short I realized all the national park campsites were completely taken. Booked out months in advance. I had no idea that you had to book these things so far in advance. I was used to just booking a hotel in whatever location I wanted pretty much anytime. As I scrambled I eventually had to abandon my plans and instead of camping we ended up hitting up a bunch of hotels and motels. Frustrated from having this image of family camping I was annoyed that everything was booked up. I remember seeing the Forbes article and even hearing Codie Sanchez talk about it at an event we were at. So I started doing a little research and well guess what. They are not the only ones that noticed this same trend. What I found is that there are ranches, winery owners, and several other savvy folks that are renting out private campsites for $75-100 dollars per night.

Even one of the ranch hands mentioned that the rancher made more money from the campsites than from the cattle, while also benefiting from agricultural tax credits by keeping cows on site. Especially important in places like Texas with ultra high property taxes. This revelation led to a bit more of a deep dive about buying land, setting up a campsite, and generating cash flow with other people's money.

The Opportunity

The concept revolves around 'boujee camping', or some people call Glamping which involves turning a plot of land near a national park or major tourist destination into a campground. National parks attract millions of visitors annually, and most public campsites are fully booked, with waitlists for months. During a recession, the demand for affordable, close-to-home vacations increases, presenting an opportunity to make money by bringing people together on a piece of dirt.

Kate managed to buy three acres near a national park for $10K, checked the zoning to ensure camp permits were allowed, and then listed the campsite on Hipcamp, a website that lists private campsites and comes with a million-dollar insurance policy. This platform, along with Airbnb, allows private landowners to offer campsites to travelers looking for a unique experience.

The Numbers

In Kate's situation she was allowed to have 10 camp sites per acre. Her business model assumes that for every one acre, you can have ten campsites. So, with three acres, you can have 30 campsites. Even if only 30 to 60 percent of those campsites are filled each year, the potential monthly earnings reach tens of thousands of dollars. In short, she can pay off her initial investment in under a year.

Walk Before You Run

Of course, there are challenges to consider, such as maintenance, sanitation, and regulations. Some landowners hire ranch hands or other personnel to check the property regularly and ensure there are no issues. Others provide portable toilets to comply with sanitation regulations.

Additional Revenue Streams

Beyond the basic campsite, there are additional ways to increase revenue. For example, the land can be turned into a farm, which can generate income from selling fruits, goat milk, and goat meat, while also qualifying for agricultural tax credits.

The Friesen Brothers host yoga retreats, teach permaculture and even use it as a wedding venue. All of which have varying degrees of active and passive involvement.

Dirk Van Reenen created Merus Adventure park which is the second largest canyon in the United States and he is able to host jeep, side by side adventures and really almost even compete with National Parks for a destination in itself. All while having others pay for the cost of his investment and improvements over time.

Conclusion

Kate, the Friesen Brothers or Dirk's journey shows that with careful planning, creativity, and a modest investment, it is possible to create a low-maintenance, low-cost, and low-risk business that generates significant passive income while providing a valuable service to others.

This business model leverages the growing demand for outdoor experiences, the limited availability of public campsites, and the desire for many to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life, especially during challenging times.

So, if you've ever dreamed of owning a piece of land, consider the potential of boujee camping and having a bug out piece of land. It could be your path to financial freedom, personal freedom, and a closer connection to nature.

If there is someone that you know who has been dreaming of getting off-grid with share this article.

Jake