And I've learned some valuable lessons along the way...

I've learned that real estate investing is a lot of work, with no shortage of pitfalls, and that rentals aren't nearly as passive as I thought they'd be. In short, real estate investing can be a real mine field and navigating through it takes considerable time, knowledge and resources.

At least I thought it did.

In 2006 I was researching pre-construction condos and condo conversions when I stumbled onto LandBanking.

Landbanking? I thought I knew all about real estate -- but I'd never heard of this before. So my antennae went up and I began learning all I could about LandBanking.

What is it? Well, it has nothing to do with safe-deposit boxes full of sod. And, it isn't new, though the term may be. In fact, the basic LandBanking strategy is as old as civilization and private property rights. It's as proven a strategy as any real estate strategy can be. In a nutshell, the strategy is to locate land in the path of near future development, buy it, then wait for development to approach and developers to offer you a whole lot more for the land than you paid for it.

If the metropolitan area where you live has been growing, I'm sure you've seen this in practice. Farmers typically will sell some or all of their fields to developers who will then build commercial or residential units on the land.

So what makes this the best real estate investment strategy? Three things ? the tremendous appreciation potential, the absence of all the hassles and headaches normally associated with real estate investing and the ability to go it alone or partner with experienced professionals.

If you have the interest, time and financial resources to find these valuable land parcels and negotiate their price, it would be hard to find a better or safer investment for your money. Some of the wealthiest throughout history have used Landbanking to start or grow their wealth. Today, Donald Trump owns one of the last large undeveloped land parcels in Manhattan - 100 acres along the Hudson River between 59th and 72nd streets. Bob Hope owned thousands of acres near Palm Springs, Phoenix and Malibu and 10,000 acres in San Fernando valley when it was little more than orange groves. Howard Hughes also held large amounts of land in or near Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

If you think those opportunities are gone, think again. Until the US population starts to decrease, or the amount of land starts to increase (hope you're not holding your breath for either of those), the law of supply and demand will continue to push land prices ever higher. With few exceptions, most metropolitan areas in the country have been growing. And that means the land around them is becoming more valuable.

If you like the idea and the potential of LandBanking, but lack the time or financial resources, you can still participate by partnering with a professional. This is where the hassle-free part comes in. There are companies in the US that specialize in acquiring tracts of land for LandBanking and share the opportunity with would-be LandBankers who lack the time and financial resources to go it alone.

Instead of needing countless hours and millions of dollars to LandBank independently, you can become a LandBanker with a couple hours of due diligence and a few thousand dollars. Not much more time or effort than investing in a mutual fund. No searching out quality land (that's already done), no negotiating (already done), no tedious and complicated closings (a few simple and straightforward documents), no tenants, no contractors. In short, no headaches and no hassles - just the ability to passively and affordably become a LandBanker and claim your share of LandBanking wealth.

LandBanking offers one of the lowest risk, highest return investments available. Click below to find out more about LandBanking in general and one company in particular you can partner with.