Land advantage

Better to be early than late.

Mark Wilson may have been early when he acquired the remaining home sites at two signature luxury communities in 2009 and 2010: Mediterra in Naples and The Founders Club in Sarasota.

But Wilson raised cash in 2008 by selling 20% of his company, London Bay Homes, for $17.5 million to an undisclosed private investor. That cash came in handy when opportunities arose to buy premium lots at steep discounts during the downturn. “The good news is we bought at the end of 2009,” says Wilson, president of London Bay.