Here's how it happens. Step 1. Buy 640 acres of land (square mile) outside a growing and sprawling US metropolitan area. Step 2. Wait 10-30 years, until the

Here's how it happens. Step 1. Buy 640 acres of land (square mile) outside a growing and sprawling US metropolitan area. Step 2. Wait 10-30 years, until the metro has grown to the edge of your land. Step 3. Make friends with the nearest city council. Make friends with a developer. Talk about tax revenue. Talk about investing in local infrastructure and communities. Step 4. Get annexed. Take out a large loan. Partner with local utilities to extend services, build roads, donate some land to the city for a park or elementary school. Establish a strong HOA with all the current trends to avoid eyesores dragging down your big investment until you move all the units. Accept deposits for new homes. Local population growth fuels demand. Step 5. In five to ten years sell >8000 homes at an average cost of $0.5M, bringing in over $4,000M in business. You've made enough friends and connections to roll your cut into the best local opportunities.