The 2021 DIA land auction that split my acquisition strategy in half

I was bidding on a 12 acre parcel near the new terminal expansion back in September 2021, and the winning offer came in at $4.2M, nearly double what I had penciled out for the site. That event made me completely rethink whether I should chase these high-profile airport-adjacent deals or stick with smaller infill lots in RiNo and Five Points. So for those of you who've been through similar bidding wars out here, do you think the DIA corridor is still worth the premium or is the smarter play to focus on the older industrial blocks closer to downtown?

2 comments

2 Comments

riley_west22d ago

Ever tried locking in a smaller lot just to watch the big guys swoop in three weeks later?

skyler4321d agoTop Commenter

Damn, that hits close to home. But honestly, I think the real trick is holding a tiny piece of the land you actually want to build on, and letting them fight over the empty dirt next door. They always go for the biggest plot they can see, so if your lot is small and ugly looking from the road, they skip it entirely. Then once they finalize their big deal, you flip your little corner for twice what you paid because suddenly it's the only spot left. Nobody ever thinks about making the land look worthless on purpose.