In this episode of Profits & Parenting, Jordan sits down with Jim J Davidson, property developer, author, speaker and mentor with over 40 years in property. Jim bought his first property in Edinburgh in 1973, aged 16, then went on to run convenience stores and a petrol station, build and lose businesses in Florida, and eventually build a career in ground up development. He is a dad of three daughters.
In this episode, Jim explains why land is where the profit is won and lost, and how to find it before anyone else does. He and Jordan get into off market land, the simple formula for valuing a site, why he now uses option agreements instead of conditional offers, and the 18 year property cycle he believes is pointing at a crash. They also talk about Toastmasters, investing in yourself, and the honest truth about work life balance.
Key Takeaways:
- Cheap land is not the same as good land, because the gross development value and the ability to sell on matter more than the purchase price
- Work backwards from the gross development value, take off at least 25% profit and all costs, and what is left is what the land is worth
- Option agreements let you walk away, while conditional offers can leave you owning a dead site
- Finding land comes down to boots on the ground, maps, and hidden gems like networking outside the property world
- Always have more than one exit strategy, because planning can take anywhere from 6 weeks to over two years
- The property cycle runs roughly 18 years, and land values underneath the property are what really crash
- Investing in yourself is the one investment nobody can take from you
Best Moments:
"Because land's cheap doesn't mean to say it's right."
"You can have two pieces of land sitting side by side, and they can have two entirely different values because the ground conditions could be entirely different."
"When we talk about a property crash, it's not actually the property market that's crashing, it's the land values underneath the property."
"I think people retire from something because they hate what they're doing."
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Guest Links:
▶️ Build It & Prosper on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BuildItandProsper
💼 Jim J Davidson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimjdavidson/
🏗️ Website: https://jimjdavidson.com/
Host Links:
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejordanrobb
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanrobb15
📧 Email: jordan@jordanrobb.com
🌐 Website: https://www.jordanrobb.com
Watch the Show:
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProfitsandParenting
About the Host and Guest:
Jordan Robb is an Edinburgh-based property investor, developer and business strategist, and founder of Multiple property businesses. Beyond the deals, Jordan is building a personal brand and advisory practice around property, business strategy, and balancing ambition with family life.
Profits & Parenting is where he brings that mission to life, hosting conversations with business owners who are scaling wealth without losing time with the people who matter most.
Jim J Davidson is a property developer, author, speaker and mentor with over 40 years in property, who teaches people how to find and develop land.