Let's Talk Land

12/17/2025

Phillip Jackson, PIO The North Carolina Forest Service mission is to protect, manage and promote the forest resources for the citizens of North Carolina.

12/17/2025

Brett co-founded Charleston, SC based Blue Current Development in 2008 and continues to manage the company and its pursuits including all development aspects

12/17/2025

Mitch Rawlyk is a terrain intelligence specialist, land steward, and founder of LandScope — a mapping platform that helps land professionals instantly understand the lay of the land before they ever set foot on-site.

12/05/2025

Free Land Education on my weekly radio/podcast with over 280+ one-hour shows worldwide www.letstalkland.net, Spotify and Podbean

12/04/2025

Q & A from my weekly radio/podcast www.letstalkland.net with over 280 one-hour shows worldwide

Q1: What is the biggest mistake buyers make when purchasing land?

A: Not doing due diligence—especially soils, access, zoning, and utilities. Land is not “plug-and-play” like houses.

Q2: Do I need a survey when buying land?

A: Yes. A current survey protects you from boundary disputes, encroachments, and acreage discrepancies. Surveys save deals—and lawsuits.

Q3: What is a perk test and why does it matter?

A: A perk test determines if the soil can support a septic system. No perk = no home. Always test BEFORE you close.

Q4: How do I know if land is priced correctly?

A: Use comparable sales of similar land types (not houses), study timber value, soils, road frontage, topography, and highest & best use.

Q5: Is owning land still a good investment?

A: Yes. Land historically appreciates, it isn’t making more of it, and it offers multiple income streams—timber, farming, leases, recreation.

Q6: What is “highest and best use” in land valuation?

A: It’s the most profitable and legal use of the property—residential, farm, timber, commercial, recreation, or subdivision.

Q7: What should sellers do BEFORE listing land?

A: Improve access, clean boundaries, gather maps, soil reports, and create a clear property package. Prepared sellers win.

Q8: What makes land harder to finance than houses?

A: Land loans often require larger down payments, shorter terms, and higher rates. Many banks treat raw land as higher risk.

Q9: What’s the best season to sell land?

A: Fall and winter often show land best—leaves are down, views improve, and serious buyers are active year-round.

Q10: Why does road frontage increase land value?

A: More frontage means better access, easier subdivision potential, and greater visibility. It’s one of the top value drivers.

Hosts Lou Jewell, ALC (The Expert) and Garth Utley (The Student) interview people in the land business to provide education.

11/26/2025

Happy Thanksgiving from Let's Talk Land and Land Pro Real Estate

11/20/2025

What makes land different from residential real estate?

Land has no structures to value, so buyers must assess soils, access, utilities, zoning, topography, timber, water features, environmental issues, and highest & best use. Unlike houses, land rarely appraises by comps alone—it requires professional interpretation.

Questions from my www.lestatlkland.net weekly show with 282 one-hour shows worldwide. On Spotify, Podbean, and The Simple Radio App (Insert WKTE) and listen live every Saturday, 10 to 11 AM Land Education # Buying Land # Selling land # Land Brokerage

11/12/2025

Drew Arnold presents Longleaf Pine Alliance Supporting the Longleaf Industry

11/12/2025

Linda Vaughn has identified $8,900,000,000 in unclaimed land in North Carolina alone. "Heir" Property is dead capital.

11/11/2025

Honor our Veterans

10/20/2025

Christina Asbury ALC our Chapter President supprised me.

Trailblazer Award Presentation – Lou Jewell, ALC
Tonight, we honor a man whose name has become woven into the very history of land brokerage in North Carolina — and across the country.
A teacher, a leader, a soldier, a scout, and always — a land professional.
Lou Jewell, ALC, has spent decades blazing trails for those of us who followed.
Before “land education” was even a recognized concept in North Carolina, Lou was out there pushing for it — writing it, teaching it, and shaping how our industry understands land.
He helped create and advance Form 502, the Land Information Worksheet, long before most states had any land disclosure framework. His advocacy led directly to the adoption of North Carolina’s new Form 142 Land Disclosure, ensuring buyers and sellers finally have transparency on the issues that really matter — soil conditions, easements, contamination, wetlands, timber rights, and so much more.
Lou didn’t just identify problems — he built solutions. His insight guided the NC REALTORS® Commercial Forms Committee, where he served for years, and his written work, including “An Insider’s Guide to Land Investment” and his many published articles in Insight and Terra Firma, has educated thousands.
He was instrumental in connecting the dots between education, ethics, and expertise — advocating for the word “Land” to be added to Article 11 of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics, making clear that land brokerage is its own discipline, deserving of its own standards and competence requirements. That single change has shaped how REALTORS® nationwide are trained and held accountable in land transactions.
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Lou’s impact extends beyond forms and classrooms.
He’s taught RLI’s Land 101 course since 2003, influencing a generation of brokers and developers. In 2009, he was named National Instructor of the Year by the REALTORS® Land Institute. And if you’ve ever taken one of his classes, you know the man doesn’t just lecture — he mentors.
He’s also a two-time RLI Chapter President, serving as President of both the NC Chapter (2003) and the Carolinas Chapter (2014–2015), and a Board member continuously since 1998.
He’s been named RLI Land REALTOR® of the Year twice — for North Carolina in 2010 and for the Carolinas Chapter in 2018.
Beyond the classroom and boardroom, Lou lives his commitment to service — as a former 2nd Lieutenant in the NC Army National Guard, an Eagle Scout, and a member of the Pilot Mountain Rescue Squad.
And for those who know him best — he’s also the steady voice behind “Let’s Talk Land,” his weekly podcast where he keeps doing what he’s always done: teaching, sharing, and challenging us all to raise the bar.
Lou, through your persistence, our profession is better.
You’ve taken “Under All is the Land” from a motto to a mission — and you’ve given this industry tools, structure, and integrity that will outlast all of us.
On behalf of the Carolinas Chapter of the REALTORS® Land Institute, it is my honor to present the Trailblazer Award to Lou Jewell, ALC — a true pioneer, teacher, and tireless advocate for the land and those who make their living on it.
Thank you, Lou, for blazing the trail that we’re all still walking.
Christina Asbury, ALC, President of our RLI-Carolinas Chapter, awarded this new Chapter award, and I am genuinely appreciative of this honor and hope I continue to live up to it. Check out my radio/podcast www.letstalkland.net. I also have a four hour class "Introduction To Land Broekrage" Contact me if you would like to attend my next class. You do have to be a real estate agent.