Ep. 47: Why I Told My Client To Walk Away From A $35M Deal

Before you make an offer on raw land, run this gross acres vs. buildable acres math — or risk paying triple for the same property.

In this episode of Real Talk with Katie Kim, Katie unpacks a real client situation: a 133-acre land purchase at $130,000 an acre that turned out to have only 72 buildable acres after floodplain, wetlands, and setback restrictions were actually mapped — turning a reasonable price into $240,000 per buildable acre. She lays out the four things every land buyer needs to check before making an offer: FEMA floodplain maps, National Wetlands Inventory data, municipal setbacks, and physical site access.

Katie has 30+ years and $170M+ in completed real estate deals, and she's built her reputation on telling clients the hard truth before it costs them everything — including telling one client to walk away from a $35 million land deal and "go hunting" through her own network instead. That decision cut the client's project cost over half.

This episode also covers what to do when a seller's map doesn't match the state's wetlands or floodplain data — including the exact, non-accusatory letter format Katie uses to go to the source instead of guessing.

👉If you’re ready to think like an owner, start here.
Comment “ASSESSMENT” for our free Strategic Roadmap.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 The $35 Million Land Mistake
02:12 The Love Trap: Why Smart Investors Fall in Love with Deals
03:07 Dream Property vs. What You Actually Need
04:32 Stop Forcing the Wrong Deal
04:52 Gross Acres ≠ Buildable Acres
05:16 The Due Diligence Most Buyers Skip
06:38 The Real Cost of Buildable Acres
07:55 Four Things to Check Before Buying Land
09:45 Don't Trust the Seller's Map
10:55 Trust But Verify
12:35 Go to the Source
13:30 Stop Chasing. Start Activating.
14:20 The Off-Market Deal That Changed Everything
15:27 How Relationships Create Better Deals
16:15 Build Relationships Before You Need Them
16:39 Four Lessons Every Developer Should Know
17:40 The Work That Builds Wealth
18:02 DM "ASSESSMENT"
18:46 Share This Episode
19:09 Book a Strategy Call
19:29 Disclaimer

🔗 Connect with Katie Kim

🌐 Website:
https://www.katiekim.com – The Katie Kim Educational Platform
https://www.thekimgroup.com – The Kim Group

📱 Instagram:
@thekatiekim
@thekimgroup

💼 LinkedIn:
Katie Arnholt Kim, CCIM
The Katie Kim Educational Platform
The Kim Group

📘 Facebook:
The Katie Kim Educational Platform
The Kim Group