Land Academy Show Steven Butala & Jill DeWit

Join Steven Jack Butala and Jill K DeWit on episode 2,004 of the Land Academy Show as they delve into the five most frequently asked questions by new Land Academy members. From dispelling myths about land flipping to sharing real success stories, they tackle it all. Plus, get an exclusive look at a member's journey to half a million in revenue within their first year. Don't miss out on this insightful discussion packed with valuable insights for aspiring land investors!



Transcript:



Steven Jack Butala:

I'm Steven Jack Butala.



Jill K DeWit:

I'm Jill DeWit and this is the Land Academy Show.



Steven Jack Butala:

This is episode number 2,004, and today Jill and I are talking about the five most-asked questions by new Land-Academy members.



Jill K DeWit:

Is this your version, my version, or the team put them up? I'm just curious.



Steven Jack Butala:

What we'll do is reread-



Jill K DeWit:

I've got different questions like, "Are you guys married?" That's what I've just got to start with. This is why I'm asking.



Steven Jack Butala:

How do you answer that?



Jill K DeWit:

See, this is why I want to know. Let me tell you my top-five questions, and then you tell me yours.



Steven Jack Butala:

All right. Go ahead. We'll get to that, we will. Jill and I asked our staff to answer these questions and we'll be serious about it in a second, but I'd like to know your five.



Jill K DeWit:

Okay. "Are you guys married? Where the heck do you live? What do you mean you don't go see your property?"



Steven Jack Butala:

This is pretty accurate.



Jill K DeWit:

You like this? Exactly. "You made how much last year?"



Steven Jack Butala:

Yeah. Is this for real?



Jill K DeWit:

And, "Is this for real?" There we go, that's my five. What are your five?



Steven Jack Butala:

Jeez, my five are, "Is this for real?" Is number one. "What is all this? Can you please just tell me, let's cut to all the stuff. Stop horsing around on the show. What's the deal? Can you really buy land and resell it for more?"



Jill K DeWit:

That's your number one.



Steven Jack Butala:

That's at a cocktail party or from people that have been in the real-estate industry forever. I don't have five of them.



Jill K DeWit:

Oh, that was it.



Steven Jack Butala:

That's the main one like, "What's the deal? Is this for real?"



Jill K DeWit:

Yeah, it's so funny. From that cocktail party, it quickly goes to two things. It splits into, "Well, can I just give you some money?" "Yeah, thanks. No, I don't need that." Or, "Well, it's obviously easy if you idiots can do it."



Steven Jack Butala:

Yeah. I mean, here's a great example. Jill and I, we're doing our estate. We're finishing our estate planning, we're amending it, let's say, and we met with the lawyer that does it. He's like, "I looked you guys up before you got here, and I love land." This is probably a 70-plus-year-old guy who's probably got thousands and thousands of estates under his belt, and all he wants to do is talk about land. He doesn't care about our estate.



Jill K DeWit:

Exactly. Yeah, it's almost like it's like, "Eyes up here."



Steven Jack Butala:

That's a regular-



Jill K DeWit:

"Eyes off the plat map. My eyes are up here." That's a new thing. That's good. I'm more than just a plat map.



Steven Jack Butala:

I attribute that too and I was thinking about it. We are somewhat guilty of, Jill, making this sound easy.



Jill K DeWit:

Yeah, it's true. It happens all the time.



Steven Jack Butala:

You know what?

Join Steven Jack Butala and Jill K DeWit on The Land Academy Show for episode number 2003, where they delve into Four Land Flipping Business Changes essential for thriving in the 2024 Economic Downturn. As experienced real estate professionals, Steven and Jill share invaluable insights and strategies to ensure your success amidst economic challenges. Don't miss out on this essential guide to navigating the changing real estate landscape!



Transcript:



Steven Jack Butala:

I am Steven Jack Butala.



Jill K DeWit.:

And I'm Jill DeWit, and this is The Land Academy Show.



Steven Jack Butala:

This is episode number 2003. We are calling it Four Land Flipping Business Changes to Capitalize on the 2024 Economic Downturn.



Jill K DeWit.:

That's a mouthful.



Steven Jack Butala:

Yeah.



Jill K DeWit.:

Can you say that five times fast?



Steven Jack Butala:

Well, here's the gist. There's economic downturn. We're in it and it's going to affect real estate. It's already pretty dramatically affecting commercial real estate. And we want to make sure that when you, you're buying and selling land, capitalize on this and you're not victim to it. And that's what the show is really about.



Jill K DeWit.:

We lost a lot of people... Not a lot of people. I shouldn't say that. We watched some of our friends/competitors back in the day not recover. And that's what I am watching already start to happen. I'm watching people leave. They're not getting it. They're not making adjustments. They're not ready for it. And since you have done this a couple of times, I've done this more than one time with you or one time with you. So, this is really why you're here. You're listening to this because we're not new to this. We're not brand new. And yes, it's really our real gray hair.



Steven Jack Butala:

This is my third real estate recession or real recession in my professional life, my fourth in my actual life. And I've learned a lot and I love to share it with you because you can avoid a lot of pain.



Jill K DeWit.:

True.



Steven Jack Butala:

So, before we start, you have some news.



Jill K DeWit.:

I do. Well, so here's the deal-



Steven Jack Butala:

And it's fascinating to me.



Jill K DeWit.:

All right, so instead of doing a question today, I wanted to take a few minutes and talk about something different. So, I was reading our local little newspaper. And you're going to love this as I hold this up. You're like, "What? Jill, why are you holding a piece of paper in your hands? Do you get the paper?" No, I do not. But I have to tell you, I don't order the paper. I don't think it's fufu. I like the paper, but I don't get the newspaper. But because where we happen to live and because I think the median age in our area is about 80 or 90.



Steven Jack Butala:

Yeah, I think 87.



Jill K DeWit.:

Yeah, 86. There is still a sweet little pretty in-depth local newspaper that we get for free every week in our mailbox. And I read the paper, because again, there's some good information in there. So, I'm reading this article done by a local resident, and he is in houses, in real estate doing houses. And he got connected with a guy in England and he wrote a neat article with a top performer in England, an agent over there. And he was sharing the differences on how real estate is done in England versus the United States, and I just loved it. And this comes right at a perfect time because we all are all watching and hearing about the NAR and this big fine and, oh my gosh, are they going to take away sellers agents or buyer agents? Are they going to change the commissions? What's going to happen and how's this going to go? And I wanted to shed some light on this too because it's so intere...

In this episode of the Land Academy Show, hosts Jill DeWit and Steven Jack Butala dive into the topic of pricing land-flipping mailers with their five pro tips. With over 30 years of combined experience in the industry, Jill and Steven share invaluable insights gained from their own successes and failures. They emphasize the importance of sending legitimate blind offers with specific pricing, highlighting how this approach leads to more meaningful conversations with sellers. By sharing real-life examples and anecdotes from their own experiences, Jill and Steven offer practical advice for land investors looking to optimize their pricing strategy and maximize deal success. Tune in to learn from the experts and take your land-flipping game to the next level!



Transcript:



Steven Jack Butala:

I'm Steven Jack Butala.



Jill K DeWit:

And I'm Jill DeWit and this is the Land Academy Show. Today's episode number 2,002. Isn't that crazy?



Steven Jack Butala:

That's nuts.



Jill K DeWit:

I know.



Steven Jack Butala:

Today, we're going to talk about the five pro tips that Jill and I have lived by for pricing your land-flipping mailer. This is a real hot topic on the Internet and in our-



Jill K DeWit:

In our group.



Steven Jack Butala:

... Land Academy Discord channel among our group, exactly. It's real interesting because we have some new people right now that ... pricing's just always a hot topic and we're getting a lot of orders at Offers 2 Owners, I'm hearing, from our guys, the mailing company that Jill and I own, and there's a pretty wide variance between how offers are getting priced by people who are within Land Academy and people who are not. My guys are ending up having to have a pretty detailed conversation about how pricing should go, so I figured we'll just lop it into the podcast.



Jill K DeWit:

I love it.



Steven Jack Butala:

Each week on the show, we answer a question from our Land Academy member Discord forum and take a deep dive into a land-related topic by popular request from our Land Academy community. Let's take a question, Jill.



Jill K DeWit:

Sid wrote, "Blind offers work! I just had a great conversation with a seller because, one," this is interesting, "I was the fifth offer in six months, but all were neutral letters with no price."



Steven Jack Butala:

That tells me ... I'm going to take these as I go here. It tells me that he's getting a lot of offers, or his seller now has gotten a lot of offers from people who are not in our Land Academy group. There's other groups out there who are, I think, incorrectly instructing people on how to buy land.



Jill K DeWit:

Then, what they went on to say is any phone calls she made were not returned and, since I was the only blind offer of X price, she decided to call." Isn't that great? Then, number two, "She was amazed that I answered the phone and was the same guy that sent the letter. After I explained who we are, our procedures, et cetera, we agreed to a price. Still need boots on the ground to confirm, but should be another one in title by the end of the week." The moral is keep mailing legitimate blind offers and answer the phone. That's so true.



Steven Jack Butala:

Jill and I, we say this stuff ... what, we've been doing this now 10 years, right? Almost 10 years.



Jill K DeWit:

Nine years of Land Academy, shoot, 15 years of deals together and then you have 10 or 15 before me.



Steven Jack Butala:

This experience is one that we experience in our land office every week but, when your father says something or when your spouse says something, you're like, "Eh, whatever. He's just talking again."



Jill K DeWit:

What?



Steven Jack Butala:

Join Jill and Sam as they uncover the groundbreaking rise of women in the land flipping industry. In this eye-opening discussion, they share their journey and insights into how women are reshaping the landscape of land flipping with their unique skills and perspectives. Discover how this traditionally male-dominated sector is evolving, and gain valuable tips and inspiration for your own ventures. Don't miss out on this empowering conversation about the unstoppable force of women in land flipping!



Transcript: N/A



https://youtu.be/5vhTuwrDZO4



Thanks for listening, and finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts.

Join Steven Jack Butala and Jill DeWit for a special milestone episode of the Land Academy show! They reflect on the highs and lows of the past 10 years serving the land flipping community, reminiscing about memorable moments, big land flipping wins, and the amazing members who have been part of the journey, as well as the future of Land Academy.



Experience the journey from the beginning by visiting landacademy.com/podcast to access all episodes, including the originals! Don't miss this celebration—tune in now!



Transcript:



Steven Jack Butala:

I'm Steven Jack Butala.



Jill K DeWit:

And I'm Jill DeWit and this is the Land Academy show.



Steven Jack Butala:

This is episode number 2000, I can't believe it. We are calling it Acre by Acre, 2000 Episodes of Land Flipping. Jill and I will be covering the high and low points of the last 10 years serving the land community I guess, moments we remember, big land wins, and amazing members, and then ultimately Jill is going to cover at the end, the future of Land Academy.



Jill K DeWit:

What do you mean low points? Hold on a moment. What are talking about, low points?



Steven Jack Butala:

I can summarize this whole thing like this. This is not anything what Jill and I anticipated.



Jill K DeWit:

No.



Steven Jack Butala:

It's been like a windy, curvy, switchback-y road.



Jill K DeWit:

Oh, no. For me it's been all peaches and cream, skipping through a field of dandelions. That's how this has been, so no. I mean, but seriously, this has been an amazing ride. I'm going to start right now because I peeked ahead on the script here and I know it's not in there, but I got to just remind everyone here, I'm not even supposed to be on this show.



Steven Jack Butala:

Oh, my gosh.



Jill K DeWit:

I was never intended to be ... It was the Land Academy Show, but it was never the Jack and Jill show. It was always Jack and the Land Academy show. And so day one, or not even day one, as we're pre-episode zero, episode negative two, negative three, as we're figuring this out and testing this and having guests, some of which showed up and some of which didn't show up, some of the shows that you recorded we could air and some of them we couldn't air. It's funny. We had one guy in particular, we can't cut that much of this up. This is G-rated. It's just not going to work. So back in the beginning I was just a fill-in guest.



Steven Jack Butala:

When people didn't show up, Jill would sit in and the numbers on the shows where she sat in were two and three times what the regular numbers and downloads were.



Jill K DeWit:

So that means three people.



Steven Jack Butala:

So yeah, [inaudible 00:02:11] it's five instead of three, both of our parents included.



Jill K DeWit:

Yeah.



Steven Jack Butala:

We're going to cover some of the high and low points all the way through this, but Land Academy doesn't look anything like what we intended when we started it. And the real reason why is, and we will cover it in a few minutes, is we were constantly and are constantly listening to what our members want and not the changes that they want, and how we can better serve the land community is what this has been. And it ended up being through different products that we've released, which we'll talk about in a few minutes here.



Jill K DeWit:

I still think it's funny. You go back and dig if you really want to, you could find it on our YouTube channel and on our website, some of the old original ones. You would just call me at my desk and we'd talk for 45 minutes about the I'm doing.



Steven Jack Butala:

They're all on there.



Jill K DeWit:

Yeah.

Join Jill DeWit and Kimberly Crossland in this land flipping podcast as they discuss working with your spouse and real estate from the road. They share valuable tips and personal experiences. Whether you're a seasoned remote worker or aspiring real estate investor, this episode offers practical advice to thrive in today's dynamic landscape. Tune in for actionable insights!



Transcript: N/A



https://youtu.be/t2xxDRA3-Go



Thanks for listening, and finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts.