Welcome to John's Desk

Pull up a chair... let's talk land

If you've made it here, chances are you either own some land, you're thinking about buying some land, or maybe you just stumbled across my website after falling down an internet rabbit hole...

Or maybe I sent this to you and asked you to share it. Hey... I'm shameless.

Either way... WELCOME!

I'm John Abbott, owner of Abbott Investment Group, and I spend most of my days buying, selling, and owner-financing vacant land throughout the western United States.

Before I go any further, there's something important I'd like to share.

I didn't discover the land business on my own.

My aunt and uncle, Jeff and Amy Reese, owners of Reese Investment Properties and Nevada Investment Land, introduced me to this incredible business years ago. They took the time to teach me, answer my endless questions, and show me what it means to treat people honestly, fairly, and with integrity.

For that, I will be forever grateful.

Quite simply, I wouldn't be where I am today without them.

As Abbott Investment Group has grown, I've continued building on the foundation they helped create while developing my own approach to serving buyers and sellers. They gave me an opportunity that changed my life, and I'll never forget it.

Long before I was buying land, I was a licensed Realtor, owned rental properties, and, like many investors, learned a few hard lessons during the real estate crash of 2008. While a lot of people were running away from real estate, I was trying to figure out where the next opportunity would be.

That search eventually led me to vacant land... and I've been hooked ever since.

Most people think land is boring.

I couldn't disagree more.

Here's why. Every property makes me curious.

Who owns it?

Why did they buy it?

How long have they owned it?

Have they ever even walked it?

What's waiting just over the next hill?

What's coming?

Maybe nothing ever changes.

Or maybe a new highway gets built.

Maybe a town keeps growing.

Maybe Amazon, SpaceX, or the next big company decides they need land nearby.

You just never know.

Land doesn't change very quickly... but sometimes the world around it does.

That's one of the things I love most about land.

Here's something my nine-year-old son asked me the other day.

"Dad... do you think somebody owns that piece of land?"

It made me smile.

Everyone reading this should probably know more than my nine-year-old...

But just in case, here's your first lesson from John's Desk.

Every single piece of land is owned by someone.

It might be the federal government, the county, your neighbor... or maybe even your dad. But one thing is almost certain... somebody owns it.

Every property has a story... and every now and then, it surprises even me.

And almost every property teaches me something new.

Over the years, I've also been asked just about every land question you can imagine.

"What's my property worth?"

"Should I sell now or wait?"

"Do I really need a survey?"

After answering these questions hundreds of times, I realized something.

There isn't much straightforward information about vacant land. Most websites either oversimplify the process, overwhelm you with legal jargon, or spend the entire time trying to sell you something.

That's not what I want John's Desk to be.

I don't claim to know everything about land. But if I don't know the answer to one of your questions, I'll tell you, and then I'll find it. That's a promise.

My goal is simple.

I want this to be a place where landowners, buyers, and anyone curious about land can find honest answers, practical advice, and maybe even a laugh once in a while.

Some weeks we'll talk about what makes one property different from another.

Some weeks I'll share stories from deals I've worked on.

Other times I'll talk about mistakes I've made, lessons I've learned, interesting places I've visited, or simply answer questions people ask me every week.

And because someone always asks...

No, I still haven't found an oil well, buried treasure, gold bars, diamonds, or a suitcase full of cash on any property I've purchased.

I have, however, found abandoned cars, old mobile homes, washing machines, refrigerators, couches, tires, broken fences, and enough random junk to open my own scrapyard.

Unfortunately, I've yet to find anything that actually adds value to a property.

I'm still holding out hope, though.

The treasure may still be out there somewhere, but it's the people I meet, the places I visit, and the unexpected surprises along the way that have made this business so rewarding. I am still going to continue looking for that treasure though... Don't worry, I will share. The story, not the money... Come on, let's not get carried away!

One thing you can always expect from me is honesty.

Sometimes you'll agree with my opinions.

Sometimes you won't.

That's okay.

I'm not writing this blog to convince you that I'm always right. I'm writing it because I genuinely enjoy this business, and I hope some of what I've learned over the years can help you make better decisions about your own land.

Whether you own land, hope to own land someday, or you're simply curious about this crazy business, I hope you'll find something useful here.

Most of all, I hope you'll stop by often.

There will always be another question to answer, another property to explore, and hopefully a few laughs along the way.

I'm glad you're here.

John's Last Word

The longer I spend around land, the more convinced I become of one thing.

Land is never just land.

It's someone's investment.

Someone's inheritance.

Someone's dream.

Sometimes it's even someone's headache.

Behind every property is a story, and behind every story is a person.

That's why I keep coming back.

Until next time...

John