Northern Vs Southern California - Where Is Better Land Investment? By Gregory Akerman

With the current real estate market in an unpredictable state due largely in part to the economic crisis that has affected the world, there are opportunities presented by the situation. There has not been a better time to invest in land in California. The challenge however, is deciding where in the state to concentrate your investment in, northern or southern California.

Northern California

This is an area that has a greater mixture of residential zoned, industrial, and rural residential land, some of which is pre-developed. The geography of the region moves from the scenic hills and forests of the national parks, such as Muir Woods and Crater Lake, to the shoreline and its beaches. In those rural residential areas prices are amongst the lowest in the region. Here owners of a piece of land build no more than one home for every 2.5 acres of land.

Land close to or within the major cities such as San Francisco, Sacramento, and San Jose cost more than in the rural areas. They are however among the prime real estate hence demand is much greater.

Because of zoning much of the vacant parcels of land close to the cities are used for multi-residential purposes. The returns on this kind of investment are expected to be more profitable because housing developers tend to pay premium dollars to get their hands on these pieces of land.

In the rural areas there is more farm and ranch land and acres upon acres are currently available.

In both the rural and city areas there are amenities and infrastructure including the road network, light, power, and water.

Southern California

Southern California's economy is among the strongest in the nation in spite of the state have major budgetary issues for years. Economically things are set to improve for many people in the state as the country continues to recover from the economic crisis.

Every year thousands of people move into the area as it is home to numerous world class beaches, favorable climates, and good social amenities. There is an abundance of ethnic groups and economic diversity.

Real Estate prices in the region, as it is all over the state, have fallen dramatically over the last three years and are believed to be at their lowest right now. Counties such as San Bernardino, Riversdale, and Los Angeles have many parcels of land that make for great investments.

Much of the land in this area is made up of residential and commercial plots. This means that as development increases so too will the need for more and more land which in turn means greater returns on initial investments.

When compared to the northern region of the state land prices here are more expensive.

Deciding which region is the better land investment will have to be determined by you, the investor, and what you are looking for. Each region is different and offers the investor differing investment potential. Returns on investment should be good no matter which region land investment is made in.