Breaking into real estate doesn’t always require deep pockets or years of experience. Carlos Hernandez, a former car salesman, proved this when he earned $20,000 on his very first land wholesaling deal at just 23 years old.
With no money, no credit, and no background in real estate, Hernandez used persistence, creativity, and people skills to turn vacant land into profit. His story shows that wholesaling land can be one of the most accessible ways for new investors to start building wealth.
How Carlos Discovered Wholesaling
Carlos first learned about wholesaling real estate through YouTube videos. The idea was simple but powerful:
- Find distressed properties
- Put them under contract at a discounted price
- Assign that contract to an investor for a profit
The best part? He didn’t need to buy the property himself or use his own money.
But like many beginners, Carlos struggled with confidence at the start. He and a friend drove through neighborhoods looking for distressed homes. When it came time to pick up the phone and talk to sellers, fear took over.
“We were terrified,” Carlos said. “We didn’t know what to say or how to approach owners. Our biggest fear was getting a property under contract and not finding a buyer in time.”
The fear won. He and his friend quit wholesaling for a while, and Carlos took a job at a Volkswagen dealership.
Lessons From Selling Cars
At the dealership, things didn’t look good at first. Carlos sold zero cars in his first month. But an older salesperson gave him advice that changed everything: “Be yourself.”
That simple shift in mindset transformed his sales career. By his fourth month, Carlos sold 29 cars, breaking the dealership’s record and earning $116,000 in a single month.
The success was exciting, but Carlos never stopped thinking about real estate. What he gained at the dealership wasn’t just money. He built confidence, learned how to negotiate, and became comfortable handling objections—skills that would prove essential when he returned to wholesaling.
The Shift to Wholesaling Land
In 2023, Carlos came back to real estate with a fresh strategy: wholesaling vacant land. Through a Discord group, he met Josh, who introduced him to this niche.
Wholesaling land quickly made sense to Carlos for several reasons:
- Less emotion from sellers. People rarely feel attached to vacant lots the way they do with family homes.
- Easier to evaluate. No repairs, inspections, or complicated renovations to consider.
- More motivated sellers. Owners often pay taxes on land they never use and are glad to sell quickly.
This approach gave him a clearer, simpler way to start building deals.
The Step-by-Step Land Wholesaling Process
Carlos and his partner created a simple process for finding and closing deals:
- Pull lists of tax-delinquent or probate properties from county offices.
- Target vacant lots in neighborhoods where homes are already being built.
- Cold call owners to see if they’re interested in selling.
- Negotiate deals based on nearby land values.
- Assign contracts to buyers like builders and developers.
This process eventually paid off. After months of persistence, Carlos closed two vacant land deals that brought in $20,000 profit.
The timing was perfect. His father had just suggested he quit and get a “real job.” Instead, Carlos proved that wholesaling land was not only possible but profitable.
A Simple Formula for Pricing Vacant Land
One of the biggest challenges in wholesaling is figuring out what to offer. Carlos uses a straightforward formula to value land:
- Find the price of 3 recently built homes in the same neighborhood.
- Add the values together and multiply by 0.20 (developers typically pay about 20% of the finished home value for lots).
- Subtract your assignment fee and a discount for your buyer.
For his first deal, Carlos contracted a lot for only $3,000 and sold the contract for a large profit.
This formula gave him confidence to make offers quickly without overpaying.
The Importance of Persistence
Carlos admits the journey was not easy. It took months of rejection before closing his first deal.
His father often told him, “If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.” That stuck with him.
“You have to keep going and you can’t quit, because the moment you quit, you’re going to let yourself down,” Carlos explained.
He also warns against believing every success story online. While some investors close deals in their first month, most beginners need time and patience to see results.
Where Carlos Is Headed Next
Wholesaling land was just the beginning for Carlos. His long-term goal is to own apartment complexes and provide quality housing for families.
For now, he sees land wholesaling as the perfect entry point into real estate because it:
- Requires little to no money up front
- Teaches negotiation and deal-making
- Builds a network of buyers and sellers
His advice to beginners is simple:
“Just take that leap of faith. You’re going to mess up, you’re going to stutter, you’re going to say the wrong name—that’s how you learn and grow. After doing many reps, you’ll be way better than when you first started.”
Frequently Asked Questions About Wholesaling Land
Q: How much money do you need to start wholesaling land?
You can start with almost no money by cold calling property owners directly. However, small marketing costs, such as text messaging services (around $10 for hundreds of texts), can help speed up results.
Q: Why is wholesaling land easier than wholesaling houses?
Sellers are less emotionally attached to land, making negotiations easier. Vacant lots also avoid the repair and inspection issues that often accompany houses.
Q: How do you find buyers for land deals?
Carlos suggests starting with the buyers first. Reach out to developers and builders with bulk texts about available lots. Once they respond, call them to learn what they want, then find properties that fit their criteria.
Q: How long does it take to close your first land deal?
It varies. Some investors close deals within a few weeks, while others take months. The key is persistence and consistency in contacting sellers and buyers.
Wholesaling land gave Carlos Hernandez the financial breakthrough he was chasing. His journey shows that with persistence, confidence, and a simple process, anyone can start building wealth in real estate—even without experience or money up front.
